Hey!

I’m Daniel, and i’m updating Jon’s blog for him today since he’s very very busy. Today is day 3 of world changers clovis (not counting saturday, because that was just the welcome). Let me say, it has been an experience. i am currently covered in paint! yes, paint! i am working on a house for a man named Chet Leiker, and he is the coolest old guy ever. we have so far thrown away a dumpster’s worth of junk for him, and painted over half his house. we should finish painting tomorrow, and we’ll be putting in a fence too. We bought the AV guy Blake tonight at the summer staff auction for 170 bucks, so he will be our slave tomorrow.

Seeing as we’re staying at Clovis North, i can’t get to YouTube due to the web filter. Once we get home, however, i have a TON of videos and photos to upload for everyone’s enjoyment, so when that happens i’ll come and update jon’s blog again.

All i know is that God is truly working this week in this community, this city, and in all of our lives. it is such a blessing to be working like this!

Until tomorrow,

:soundchip

soundchip.blogspot.com

This is a special guest (co authored) entry from my friend Jessica Calcagno.  We went through Romans 14, prayed for insight and these are the things we drew from it.

 S - Jessica - 14:19 - Let us therfore make every effort to od what leads to peace and to mutual edification. (NIV)

Jonathan - 14:13 - Therfore let us not judge one anotheranymore, but rather, determine this - not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in another’s way. (NASB)

O - The Jews of the day still followed dietary plans given by God in the Old Testament.  They also had very strict rules on how to live on the SAbbath (the day of rest).  The new Christians (who were both Jew and non-Jew) did not necessarily feel compelled to eat in the same ways the Jews did or follow the Sabbath in the same way as the Jews did.  This caused conflict!!!  They judged each other.  They would look at each other and the Jews would say the Christians were going too far, they were being ungodly.  The Christians would say that the Jews were living in a way they didn’t have to, living by all these rules.  They would then think the other group was “bad”.  Paul says STOP!!  We are not talking about things that are right and wrong.  Instead people needed to figure out where their convictions (what God put on their hearts) were and then live them out, while not causing their friends to struggle with their convictions (for example…don’t eat a juicy pork chop in front of your Jewish next door neighbor who was fasting and tempt them)

A - Jessica talked about how girls need to dress in a way that does not cause others to stumble or lust.  In our culture it is not wrong for women to dress in ways that show a lot of skin.  But does that make it right for a Christian.  She believes that women need to keep others in mind in this area. 

She also mentioned how there are people in her past who used to party with her (there are specific names which will be kept confidential).  She finds herself judging them.  Of course underage and excessive drinking are wrong/sin, but she finds her heart moving to that place where she says “I am good”, or “man that person has to get it together”, or “they are bad”.  She is going to pray for these people both that they might change and that her heart might change. 

Jonathan (me) found that verse 19 was big because too often we focus on the negative.  I am working on cutting bad things out of people but not actively striving for peace and intentionally building them up!!  This week I will work on building people up whenever I can.

P - Prayer ws for friends who are wayward, pets who returned home this week, and living life better in a way that rocks the way Jesus does.¼/p>

S - Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”  Such a cool truth and sometimes so hard to believe.

O - Great section on the intense battle that is going on inside of the believer.  The Spirit of God and the Spirit of Sin.  Rather scary since the nature that is built into me is going to naturally steer me towards death and pain v.6.  Which makes it so much more imprtant that I discover and listen to what God’s Spirit is telling me because then I will move towards goodness and peace!!

A - So there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.  Well, I am in Christ Jesus, I have been there a long time.  I know that Jesus literally became sin on the cross, that he was condemned for me!! Punishment for my sin…gone, guilt for my sin…gone.  Freedom to live for Christ and not for sin…present.   Yet why do I still feel condemned.?  Why do I struggle to believe that i am forgiven. 

In my culture I have been taught a model of see saws (you know, those great steel contraptions where you get on one end, your firend gets on the other, you raise him high into the air…and then hop off and he comes crashing to the ground…good times).  Meaning that when I do good I gain points and can now screw up with less or maybe without consequence.  But when I screw up I must do something to get out of the dog house.  More chores, or a grounding, or a speeding ticket, etc.  And if somebody hooks me up…I owe them.  It is unspoken, but until I do something for them the see saw is still in their favor. 

How can I understand a God who hooks me up like no one ever has or well.  Does me a “favor” beyond comprehension and then says…you owe me nothing.  It is my gift to you and it is entiraly free so you have nothing to boast about!!  I almost don’t like that!  It would feel better if I had a list of things to do so that I would deserve this gift.  But there is not…

There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.  Is there somethign in your life that you feel condemend about.  Something that you think God is angry at or maybe hasn’t forgiven…that is our view not God’s.  During your pray time search your heart for areas that hurt because of what you have done, and literally in your prayer give it to God.  Thank God for this gift and work towards moving beyond it.

P - Abba Father, I am forgiven.  I will not be condemend tomorrow or ever.  Spirit help me to live in this freedom.  Father I give you my angry outburst with my bother.  So badly I want a take back of words that were said and actions that took place.  You have forgiven my anger and impatience.  I leave this with you I am already forgiven.  You are not a God of the see saw, you are a God of grace, help me to live in the reality of your grace.  In you name Jesus, amen¼/p>

S - Again, picking a scripture that stands out in Philippians is like picking a needle out of a pile of needles.  Its all good!!  My favorite section of verses in the entire Bible are verses 5-11.  If that does not make you love Jesus more you better check your pulse.  And if you want to know all that Jesus has done for you in 7 verses or less….this is it.  But I feel like verses 12 and 13 are it for me today.  “Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.”

O - the apotle Paul really loves Jesus.  There is an appreciation and thankfulness that I envy (hey if you’re going to envy something).  In chapter 1 he said he wanted to die so he could go worshiop God face to face but since he probably wasn’t going to die he pumped to do the Lord’s work (its OK also my favorite - Brian Regan).  And now in chapter 2 he breaks into song for 7 verses (5-11 is probably an early church hymn).  Though Paul is smart and gives out a lot of rules and guidelines it flows from an authentic love relationship.

A - back to verses 12 and 13.  What I love about these verses is that God is the source of change in my life.  It says that it is God who is working and placing desires in me.  It is God who really does the changing.  I know quite often that I think change depends on me and if I could or would just work harder in my faith I would change.  Now do I have to make myself available to God, you bet.  But it is God who does ALL the changing of my heart.  And that is so cool because between these verses and 1:6, we see that God WILL change us.  God WILL heal us.  God WILL teach us.  And God WILL grow us.  We don’t need to worry that in five years of really walking with God we will look back and find that there is no change, that we wasted our time in this relationship with God.  So i can relax and trust that God is working, right now, this minute he wants to do something in my heart.  I simply need to invite him in, meet him in prayer, open his Word, take a risk and change some things that I know are keeping him out and watch what happens.  I know as I sit here today that I need to trust God more.  There are ways that I live my life that show that I do not trust God in areas of my life.  The things that I worry about are foolish.  I commit to taking a risk and trusting God, which will put my heart in a place where God can…and WILL do a work.

 P - Sometimes working out my faith causes fear and trembling, but God that is exactly what you want.  You want me, the selfish me to break down so that you can move in.  Father I trust you, and please perfect the ways that I don’t trust you.  I love you Jesus, in your name, May it be so

S - Always the hardest part, which verses stand out from the text today?  There are so many verses in Phillippians that are amazing and especiallay encouraging.  Verse 27 says “Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.”  I will break this one down for me personally in the application section.

 O - Some quick observations.  The letter is from Paul and Timothy.  What does that mean?  The letter is from Paul, they are his thoughts.  Timothy is writing the letter as Paul speaks the words.  This is common is a lot of Paul’s letters.  Next, what does “in chains” mean.  Paul is wriing this letter while being imrisoned.  Which was also pretty common for Paul’s letters.  He had trouble keeping his mouth shut about Jesus and speak a lot of time locked up and beaten.  The city he is writing this letter to once beat him and tossed him in jail (check out Acts 16 for how the church began).  Finally, Paul loves these people!  What an encouraging, positive, loving start to a letter!

A - Live you life in a manner worthy of the gospel.  Sometimes we tell someone what it means to be a Christian we list all the positives.  Eternal life, God’s presence and Spirit in our lives, forgiveness of sins (woo hoo!), and other such awesome benefits.  But what about the flip side.  What about the cost to us?  It is grace, it is free, but there will be a cost to us, it will change the way life works.  Jesus said to the rich man this is the cost, he told the disciples to drop some things at the door.  And the gospels tell us that we will need to carry a cross to follow Jesus. 

So today I read that I have to live my life in a manner worthy of the gospel.  I can’t accept grace and then go on living life my way.  Why not?  Well when it was just Jonathan I could live my life however because I represented Jonathan so when the good I did brought him praise and the bad I did brought him pain it was OK because he deserved it.  But now that I represent Jesus, the way I live my life and the things I do come down and me…and also on Jesus.  When the world tries to figure out WWJD, they will first look to those who claim to follow him.  Yikes, that’s a little scary as I look at my mess of a life…but its true.  That is what Paul is telling them, remember as you live your life that you are members of God’s Kingdom and you need to live that way.  I need to hold this phrase in front of me as I go through the day.  Is this decision worthy of the gospel?  Is this thought worthy of the gospel?  How will my actions harm or hurt the gospel?    That is my goal for the next few days, to walk through life and remmeber this phrase and see if I can find spots that are not worthy of the gospel.

P - Father, thank you for the gospel.  For the good news that your love has changed everything.  Point out areas in my life that are not up to your standard.  Help everything I do to point people to you.  I love you Jesus, in your name, Amen

 This is my friend Chris Vandervorst.  He likes fireworks and guns.  I think he is now wanted for Arson in South Dakota.

Well, I have a friend Kiefer.  Why is he awesome.  Well, he knows to skateboard.  And that is a cool thing to do these days, except on Fresno summer days, then it is a hot thing to do.  He also has a Boston Terrier.  Her name is Delilah.  She is beautiful.  What is a Boston Terrier you might ask.  Well it is a cross between a nuclear fusion reactor and a shaken Dr. Pepper and well of course some dog.  He also goes to Church a lot.  Many times a week, which is very awesome.  He is in the process of becoming a rocking dude.   He is also going on a missions trip to LA this summer…that’s right he is hard core.Â

Let me tell you why my friend Daniel is…..amazing….awesome…..and loved by all the ladies.  Well, it starts with skills.  As Napoloen Dynamite once said, “chicks like guys with skills, nunchuck skills, computer hacking skills, etc.”  So what skills does Daniel Aiello possess?  1.)  Hair over the eyes skills.  Floppy blonde hair over eyes…chicks dig it.  2.) Computer hacking skills.  Mind your main frames, he is a dangerous dude. 3.)  Uncooked spaghetti noodle skills.  Armed with an uncooked spaghetti noodle, he could put your eye out.  4.)  And last but not least, Jesus skills.  What does that mean?  That is a good question, he is sitting beside me and told me to write that….so I did.  I am a puppet….what can I say.  I guess he has puppeteeringering skills.