Wayne Jacobsen's Blog, page 93

The Forgotten Book

This week's podcast deals with the reality of good relationships going bad. For various reasons not everyone has what it takes to get through the rough days to find that the greatest gifts

It's the Life, Not the Gift

You can see the front and back of her card here. You couldn't sell this card in any store in America, but Hallmark has never printed the card of more exquisite beauty or more touching a message. You see, it is not the quality of the card that defines the one who gives it. It's the quality of the one giving it that brings beauty and meaning to the card.

I think the same is true of our lives, especially in relationship with God. Religious obligation led us to believe that our worthiness to God derived from the quality of work we can do, the gifts we can give, or the heights we can achieve. Jesus taught us something different. Because we are already special to God, even our most immature and faltering attempts bring great joy to his heart. The gift doesn't qualify the giver; the giver qualifies the gift.

That's why Aimee's card is a treasure to me. It represents the best gift she could give at this stage of her life and growth. I'm sure a card she'll give me when she's 15 or 24 will look quite different indeed. They will be special in their own way as well, but how could they be more special than this one even if the artwork is better, the cut lines cleaner, or the handwriting more fanciful?

By the same token I've known husbands to give extravagant gifts to their wise as a substitute for not loving them over the course of the day. Because the life it comes from is empty, so is the gift even if it is costly. It's how we live and love that matters most, to God and others. It's not the size or cost of the gift we bring; it's what it expresses about the life behind it.

I will treasure this card for a long time! It has six-year-old Aimee pouring out of ever cut, letter, and sketch. It connects me to the one I love so deeply and with whom I share a wonderful grandpa-granddaughter relationship. When I see her card it warms my heart with her love, and it reminds me that God's not evaluating today how good my efforts compare to anyone else's. He's just thrilled that they celebrate the growing bond between us, and they are what I can offer him today taking into account where I am on this journey.

Where's the Christmas thought in all of this? Don't get caught up in gift-giving as if your gift has to be good enough to earn their love. If they don't already, no gift will change their mind longer than for a few moments. And if they already love you it won't matter what the gift is because they will care about the friendship most of all.

Absence of Conflict

Read this in an email yesterday:

Absence of conflict is not evidence of love.

Wow! Is that ever true. But a perpetuation of conflict without the opportunity to humbly discuss, reconsider, and reconcile would be, I think!

Back From Germany

Sharing about the cross the Father Heart Conference in Germany

No I'm not being crucified, at least not in this photo. This was a wonderful time sharing about the cross with the Father Heart Conference in Hannover. It was one of many wonderful and incredible moments hanging out with brothers and sisters in Germany. I can't believe I spent two weeks in Germany and did not have time for one blog update from there. I'm so, so sorry. It was a whirlwind trip, to be sure, one that pushed me to the limits of exhaustion at one point. But I wouldn't have traded the times I had with so many diverse groups and people from throughout Germany.

you can listen to it here, and it's free!)

I hope it was a blessing to those I was with. I can think of so many individual stories of dear, dear people finding their way into freedom and resonating so deeply with some of the things I'd written and some of the things we shared. I am deeply grateful to all those who made my trip so wonderful. I'm thankful to be home now for a delightful Thanksgiving celebration with my family and friends. I hope you have some warm and wonderful days this week with those you love as well.

Out of the Slums

Widows and children we'd like to help move to a safer and more sanitary location

Many of you who have followed this blog over the past few years know well the need in Kenya thathas been exacerbated by the tribal violence of the disputed elections in 2007. We have an opportunity to help move an orphanage full of children, some of them pictured above, onto an available piece of land that can be refurbished to help meet this need. We have been working with them over the past month to see what solution God might have in mind. Originally they wanted to build a pristine orphanage on 10 acres, but the costs were extremely high.

We encouraged them not to see this move as a permanent solution for these children. God did not make children to be raised by institutions, but to become part of a family. We wanted them to think of this move only as transitional—to care for them until God can work out a way for them to be with an extended family member, or even to be adopted into the home of a believing family in Kenya. It has been a remarkable journey praying with them and helping them think through all of this.

They have now found a one-acre piece of land with some buildings already on it than can be refurbished to help provide a place in the short-term for them to live away from the unsanitary conditions of the slum they are in. The cost of buying the land, refurbishing the buildings, and providing for the staff for two years comes to about $85,000.00. Yes, that is a lot of money and I don't have a clue if we know enough people who can pull that off, but we do feel led by God to provide a conduit here for people he moves to give to see what we can do.

The most immediate need is to buy the land while it is still available. That cost if $49,000.00 and we need to see if that can be provided soon. To renovate the existing buildings and to build a couple of others as well as to supply them with furnishings will cost an additional $20,000.00. We are also hopeful to provide expenses for the staff, which is $1,000 per month for 24 months. After that the Kenyans will take over the ongoing expenses of this facility as needed. The total to get them moved and cared for is $93,000 and will also provide much-needed jobs for people there in the construction and ongoing care.

Where they live now





The property currently for sale, that we can give to them as a place to live.

We're going to see if there are enough people out there that God would invite to help us cover these costs. The most immediate need is to buy the land while it is available, so that is our first goal. People have already been sending gifts large and small. One man from Europe just sent us almost $700.00. And to make this goal more attainable, someone has offered to match every gift sent in, up to $50,000.00. This means we only need help with half of the amount.

I am so blessed at the excitement so many people have had to help us share our bounty with these people. If you would like to be part of this to support these brothers and sisters and see the Gospel grow in this part of Africa, please see our Sharing With the World page at Lifestream. You can either donate with a credit card there, or you can mail a check to Lifestream Ministries • 1560-1 Newbury Rd #313 • Newbury Park, CA 91320. Or if you prefer, we can take your donation over the phone at (805) 498-7774.

Living Loved in Germany

visit their website for more information.

He Loves Me In French!

International Page. If you know of others we've left off here, please let us know.

Leaning In

Esquire

Great advice for parents! Even better for us to understand why God doesn't scream his plan and purpose into our lives. It's an invitation not a demand! Yes, it takes a bit to learn to listen to that voice and give it the place in your life that it deserves, but what he wants most is for us to lean in and enjoy him, not just get his wisdom.

My sheep know my voice, Jesus said. It's not about hearing first; it's always about relationship!

An Ongoing Need in Kenya

The aftermath of tribal violence: Widows caring for orphans in the slums of Eldoret

I received a touching letter the other day from my friends in Kenya, updating me on God's work there since Kent Burgess and I visited last February. I will reprint excerpts from it below. I appreciate so much what God has stirred in their hearts and that it continues to bear fruit by drawing hearts to Jesus.

At the same time we continue to help with many physical needs there. Just last week the mom of one of the men, who drove us around Kenya, died in a hospital. They would not release the body until the $1400.00 hospital bill was paid. No one could afford that amount, so we sent it. Without your generosity for the brothers and sisters there, we would not be able to help them in the way we have. We've been blessed to be a conduit over the past three years to get tens of thousands of dollars on the ground in Kenya to help relieve the suffering of widows, orphans, and homeless people.

So, though I am the focus of their gratitude because it has come through me, I know that a lot of this appreciation goes to countless people who read this blog and listen to The God Journey. Thank you for making a difference in this corner of the world. Please know that these needs are ongoing. We will continue to send money out of our abundance to help alleviate the suffering and provide for those who have nothing to eat, or no way to begin a small business that can provide for their needs.

If you would like to be part of this to support these brothers and sisters and see the Gospel grow in this part of Africa, please see our Sharing With the World page at Lifestream. You can either donate with a credit card there, or you can mail a check to Lifestream Ministries • 1560-1 Newbury Rd #313 • Newbury Park, CA 91320. Or if you prefer, we can take your donation over the phone at (805) 498-7774.

But please enjoy this letter and know you all have my heartfelt thanks for the prayers and contributions many of you have made to help touch the lives of these dear people in Kenya:

Living loved and loving others is only the answer which gives us to know the image of Christ, and the Bible says in John 3:16 God loved the world so much and he sent his begotten son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but will have eternal life. In verse 17, says God did not send his son to judge the world but the world to be saved through him. I thank God through his servant who has really touched our lives, Bro. Wayne Jacobsen for his books, Authentic Relationships and He Loves Me which have truly encouraged us.

A powerful force—the God who wants us to be loved! God is changing the lives of many brothers' and sisters' life's and transitioning us not to have religion but instead to have relationship. One of the great changes that has occurred in us was to separate the African pastor from religion, organization and institutions. I can start with myself. But right now I thank God that the stronghold of religion has been now broken down, and I am free to love, to care and to serve. And a hundred other brothers have now responded and God has transformed their lives. We have come to realize and repent for requesting you to be our mentor or spiritual cover, when we have Jesus already as our mentor, friend and our cover, we have come also to repent our titles of Bishop, Apostle, Pastor, Prophet or any other title rather than to live and accept our brothers and sisters and care the way Jesus cared for us. I repent for being a director of people without seeing Jesus Christ as the director of the whole church universal and the overseer of our souls.

God connected us with Wayne for the purpose of my spiritual transition so that I may be instrument to help others, I have come now to know that the love of God will guide us. I love this God. We understood him in wrong doctrine that God is angry with us wherever we mess up and that he is holding a very big sword ready to kill and punish us. Many have said that famine, poverty, disaster, and all kind of calamities are the sword the of God's punishment upon us. Even African pastors still believe that HIV/AIDS is the plague of God. So we repent to think that God is angry with us. We repent that the missionary who came in Africa taught us how to obey title, leaders, and structures and also taught us that God can be only be found in building institutions.

So we are not praising or honouring brother Jacobsen but we thank God who used him to help us become instruments of God. Everybody wanted Brother Jacobsen to come back again next year, but he told us that we don't need Jacobsen or Lifestream. We just need Jesus Christ and have the fellowship with him so that we may live loved and love others too. Wayne, you may or may not come but what you left here for your trip in Kenya, I can agree with you that surely we don't need you, but we need Jesus who will help us to live loved and to love others.

I can remember while Jesus was on the earth he loved the people, he associated with the sinners but he hatred the sin, he did those who are hunger, and clothed those who are naked he touched many lives. This same ministry the African church has seen in you. You stepped into the post election violence and in every port you rescued the lives of those who were in refugee camps, provided for the unschooled children, helped the homeless, and stood with the widows and orphans. Micro-finances are being given out to help people be self-reliant. This is not a denomination that you have started here Lifestream Ministry or because you partner with IGEM, but you and the brethren over there have helped us as an African Church to realize that your image of the church is true.

We're finding out now more about helping find some land and a facility outside of the slum for the dear women and children pictured above. You can't believe the conditions they live in. An open sewage drain runs through the play area. They have almost nothing to live on. They've been praying God would provide them a home. We're praying about helping them relocate. This will cost a significant amount. If you're interested in helping us do that, please write Sara from our contact page and let her know. We'll put out details when we get them if we think we have enough people who want to help. Thanks.

David's Sense of Character

This is a delightful follow-up to what I wrote in the previous blog. I appreciate David's heart here for that which God desires, and to stay far away from that which God does not. Again, as a performance standard, it probably isn't too helpful, but as a way to live in his freedom, these are some awesome thoughts.

Taken from Psalm 101 in The Message (Emphasis mine):

My theme song is God's love and justice, and I'm singing it right to you, God.

I'm finding my way down the road of right living, but how long before you show up?

I'm doing the very best I can, and I'm doing it at home, where it counts.

I refuse to take a second look at corrupting people and degrading things.

I reject made-in-Canaan gods, stay clear of contamination.

The crooked in heart keep their distance; I refuse to shake hands with those who plan evil.

I put a gag on the gossip who bad-mouths his neighbor;

I can't stand arrogance.

But I have my eye on salt-of-the-earth people—they're the ones I want working with me;

Men and women on the straight and narrow—these are the ones I want at my side.

But no one who traffics in lies gets a job with me; I have no patience with liars.

I've rounded up all the wicked like cattle and herded them right out of the country.

I purged God's city of all who make a business of evil.