Holiness is messy

The process that God uses to bring us, His children, though sanctification is often a very messy one. Oftentimes it involves us being in difficult or painful situations that we may not even recognize as "sanctifying" but nonetheless are. God will use earthly, messy, dirty means by which to give us His grace and draw us into a closer relationship with Him, making us reflect His Son that much more. He gives us earthly reminders (Lord's Supper, baptism) as ways that we use along our path in which He continues to remind us that He makes us clean and holy.
The sacrificial system that God gave the Israelites were full of these types of references, these markers and reminders. Of course they were all shadows of the future Christ and His sacrifice that was the fulfillment of those laws (Heb. 8:13, 9:11-14). The Red Heifer, mentioned in Numbers 19 (and alluded to in Heb. 9:13), is a great example of one of those ways. The red heifer was burned and its ashes were used in a purification ceremony in which the ashes were mixed with water and sprinkled on anything that is unclean in order to purify it, to make it clean and undefiled before God.
Now, we know that this law was a sign, a symbol of Christ to come and to purify us and make us clean before God. The author of Hebrews knows this and recognizes that while the ashes of the heifer do indeed cleanse the flesh, Christ and the fulfilment of that law obtained eternal redemption (Heb. 9:13,14).
But look at both of these purifying means, both given by God. They are messy. The sacrificial system used blood, the hacking apart of animals, blood, ashes, and water. These elements were used for purification and a way to come into God's presence in His temple. Christ's sacrifice was no less messy, being one of the most horrendous death that ever took place in history. Blood was spilled, flesh torn, the earth quaked, the sun darkened. God's creation was affected by this Death. Our sanctification was wrought in blood, sweat and tears. By these means our eternal redemption was obtained. The daily process of sanctifying is (blessedly) less bloody, but it is difficult and God uses the creation around us to show us grace and draw us to Him.
As many of you know, we have had kids come every day to play with the girls. They are so social they feed off of kid interaction. Our neighbors are slightly older and have told us they think the kids are trying to take advantage of us, and they are shaming Filipinos by their actions. Since they are just kids we just tried to brush it off and tell them they were fine, acting as kids do (noisy, somewhat mildly destructive, etc.) but then about two weeks ago the husband came home for his lunch and straight up yelled at the kids, chasing them off. I went to talk to him about yelling at my guests and an argument ensued. Yelling took place, frustration was released, and Christ was not glorified. When Ate Mimi arrived at our house for class we told her all that had happened. She explained why he yelled at the kids, that Filipinos (at least this guy) sometimes keep their emotions in check too long and they kind of burst out like that. She also told us the obvious: that because we are Kristohanon (Christian) we need to seek reconciliation and if possible, a sharing of the gospel.
That's the rub, the hard uncomfortable part. Swallowing my pride, realizing where I was wrong and in humility asking for forgiveness, and even help in getting to understand Filipino culture better. The messy relationships that we have are, if used and viewed properly, a means of grace to us, an earthly means used by our Father's hands to mold and shape us into the image of His Son. He scrapes away the useless muck and gunk that we amass to reveal humility and holiness. It's not always pretty, its almost always messy, but it is sanctifying.
After waiting about one week, I tried to initiate conversation, to apologize. But I was actually ignored, making me frustrated all over again. About another week went by and I was able to try to apologize but all I got was more complaining and a little bit of a raised voice about how bad those kids are. He still really won't talk to me, and the kids haven't really been back like they used to, only two girls have come by twice to play with Sophia and Aaryn since that day.
So pray for him, I don't even know his name, but pray that God would soften his heart so that we could maybe share the gospel with him. Pray for us, that we would be intentional in how we form all of our relationships here, that we would be a good reflection of what God has done in our lives and a good witness to our King.

First Encounter of the mosquito-y kind

The other night (Thursday night, to be exact) I had a "first encounter". I was walking to the mall, a mere 1.1km away from the house, when a voice came out from the darkness saying "hello!". A Filipino man emerged from the darkness, chewing leaves, spitting red juice virtually everywhere. He had a jacket on and for some reason I could see his breath (it was 76 degrees out). He asked me if I was American in Sibuhano and I thought to myself "heck yeah, I get to practice!" So I answered back to him that yes, I was American. He asked me if I lived around here and I told him the name of our street, right around the corner. He asked me how long we had been here and I was able to tell him one month, but it was at point that I realized that he didn't even speak Cebuano, he was speaking something else, a tribal language of some sort. I asked him in Cebuano if he spoke English and he said a little. That made the conversation flow. After he asked me about my job in America (hahaha) I told him I worked here in the Philippines with churches, and I got to ask him if he was a Christian....no was the response, he was a Muslim. My heart both started to get really excited and really nervous at the same time. Excited because I was about to "do it" about to drop the Jesus-mic on this guy, and nervous because I have heard not very nice things about Muslims from some parts of the Philippines*. We started talking about converts to Islam, and I didn't know a one that he mentioned, some big name pastor from Manila apparently converted to Islam but I didn't know who he was talking about. He then asked me how my church calls me to prayer, and I got to respond with, well, it doesn't, Baptists typically believe that we are to be praying at all times, and that there is no set prayer time, our lives are supposed to be nothing but prayer. He told me that Islam was true, the Koran was all truth and the Bible was full of lies and that I needed to convert to Islam. I responded that my soul hungers and thirsts for nothing but Christ, and with Christ I have everything, no matter if I have "dili balay, dili pagkaon, dili tubig" (no house, no food, no water in bad Cebuano). Without Christ, I have absolutely nothing, and with Christ, I have "pulos" (Everything, still bad Cebuano). He told me that he wanted to look at the Koran together, as I mentioned something about it saying that everyone who does not follow the words of Jesus go to hell, and he would get me an English copy of the Koran so we could look at it. His name is Salah, please pray for him and our next few encounters, we exchanged phone numbers and hopefully we will be able to talk again!

The mosquitoes were AWFUL that night, being a little bit after 12 hours of straight rain. I might now have some sort of tropical disease, but probably not.

I know that was mostly stunted, rambling dialogue, but I really wanted to share this little event with you guys who read the stuff we put out and ask that you guys pray for Salah, he definitely wants to follow God, but he just doesn't know that we don't have to work for our salvation, that we can rest in the one who is not only the Prophet, but the Priest, and the King, and rest in what He has done for us, so that we don't have to try to present our filthy rags before the throne of God on the Last Day in hopes that they will be enough for Eternal Life. Pray that Salah comes to know that Jesus is more than just a prophet, He is the culmination and reason for everything we do.

Thanks.

*Recognizing that not every Muslim is "extremist" and out to kill every Christian they run into, some parts of Mindanao are not safe for Christians for that very reason.