Today was my last day in Nis, Serbia with Team Boundless. We have been here for 3 nights and 4 days. It has been an incredible time. I’ve watched World Cup games in the busy streets of Nis. Ate at McDonald’s because of coupons. Shared testimonies with the Team as well as prayer, worship and laughs. We saw visited the Red Cross Concentration camp and got to know more of the History of the Holocaust. Connected and talked with people in our hostels. We saw an Opera special with 2 performers with some locals and as well joined them at Sunday morning Church. Oh.. we also saw Jurassic World.. kind of a disappointment in comparison to the first one. But, along all these adventures we each met specific people and were able to connect and minister to them. This is what life is Milan’s ministry is life means. Hopefully my teammates will post about those moments?????? So that’s what it has been for us in this short we call, “Treasure Hunt” visit. Finding what God has in store for us is pretty much what this has meant and we have found relationships and experiences.
We are now headed to Vargas, Bulgaria, for a short time and then to Instanbul, Turkey, to fly out to Indonesia on July 10th.
So for me there have been many little different “Treasure Hunt” moments but I believe today has been full and the day God had really for me.
This week I have been reading Luke 15 on repeat and It has pushed me and challenged me in my core. It has lead me to a deeper depth into the story of Jesus. It has lead me to a deeper brokenness and humility for my need of Jesus. It has given me clearer direction on how to live my life.
“Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, This man receives sinners and eats with them.” Luke 19:20 says, “Jesus came to seek and save the lost.” That’s really what His compassion entails; pursuing people in the uncomfortable, to show them their true value and importance. His compassion was an action that led Him to those uncomfortable situations to love the people in front of Him. His compassion allowed Him to be interruptible in order to show the Father’s Heart. Many times I find myself only loving those when it’s comfortable for me or how about loving when it’s socially acceptable. Jesus broke so many cultural norms and even religious norms to show what the True Gospel was and is. He came to show us the Father’s true heart. These parables in Luke 15 really have shown me the Father’s heart. His pursuit to love us when we don’t deserve it. His endless grace ready to give us and carry into His abundance. The Father doesn’t care how dirty, beaten and broken we are. He doesn’t care about what we have done or how we have rebelled against Him. His arms are open and ready to receive us. “And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.” Luke 15:20 ESV
He’s ready to call us Home as His beloved sons and daughters. That’s ultimately what the act of the cross was. Jesus was crucified to take all our sin, shame and pain in Himself in order to forgive us to come Home to the Father. Jesus opened up the Heavens for us to receive our inheritance that we are called not from the worth we do but because of the birth we have in Christ. Our Father leaves the 99 to follow, search, rescue, and celebrate with the one lost sinner. Remember.. that was once you and I.
So today these parables came to life. It was an open day with no schedule before traveling. Everyone did their own thing. I slept in a bit, then packed and then headed out into town to get some food and read. As I walked I was praying that I would be interruptible and that I would meet God today. I just walked for a bit talking to Him, thanking Him and just yeah.. Letting Him in. So I get my food and I’m eating and this Kid name Jutso comes up asking for money.. I already knew in my heart before this moment that God was asking me to be a cheerful giver today. So as this Kid came up I was ready but I wanted to get his name and talk. It was very hard but eventually he understood, I got his name and age and I gave him the money. Shortly after more kids came and I became very uncomfortable inside but cool, calm and collectively outside. While all this is going on, people are eating around me and it’s very not socially normal. People were telling them to shhh.. but they stayed. I tried talking to them but it wasn’t working they begged and begged, I prayed, felt led to give but only a very very little amount and then I got up and moved on. Honestly.. my heart was crushed but there was nothing more I could do. As I was walking to an area to start reading my book some guy noticed what I did with the kids and started conversation with me. He realized I spoke English and he did too, well enough English for conversation. As we walked and talked he randomly was like, “Hey.. let’s get some beers and talk!” I said sure.. Although I was like really… This guy was big, had a lack of teeth and smelled a little.. but was nice so I was like I guess we can talk. We get to the first bar and they didn’t have some specific stuff he wanted and was like let’s go but was a little rude to the waiter. We head to another place, I eventually took charge and was like let’s go to this place I know. We talk. We finally sit. I get water he gets beer. And we chat. His name is Alexander, he’s 60 and is an electric bus mechanic construction driver guy. His bus battery broke and all of his stuff was locked in there. So apparently he is stranded in Nis for 3 days. He is familiar with Nis, he was born and grew up near there but he lives in Germany. So the money he needed and everything is locked. So that’s his situation. But we talked and he laughed and didn’t understand why I wanted to be a Pastor, he believed in a higher being but not sure if it is Jesus or someone else. He asked questions and was always shocked by my responses and was shocked with what I was was doing on the World Race. It was super fun honestly. He told me his story. Divorced, been a bus driver all his life and has enjoyed it and thinks there’s nothing more to his life. He was nervous so he would go buy a cigarette and come back. We talked a lot but it was also with maybe 5 minutes of silence between conversations. So yeah during this time.. people are looking and it was just awkward. Like why would I, a young, dressed decently, nice guy be with this “homeless guy” at a nice coffee shop. Only Jesus. Now… I don’t say Yay! To me or wow I’m so good. It was more like I wanted to get out of there, was uncomfortable and I wanted to read my book about Jesus. But from the very moment he approached me till the time I prayed for him was a journey. As I surrender myself to Jesus and was reminded of Luke 15, my heart softened and became more and more like Christ. Everything changed that by the time we were sitting down after his first cigarette I was like this is awesome and I began to live, love and look like Jesus. Wow.. I thought… Maybe this is more like Jesus than reading my book about Jesus getting good knowledge. He wanted food so I told him about a place that was cheap. We began to walk there and I felt the Holy Spirit say, stop.. pray for him and give him the money in your wallet and say goodbye. So I did that. In the middle of the courtyard I prayed and prayed. Something shifted in him and he was willed overjoyed and said thank you. Then I gave him the money and he gasped and hugged me. He said I think God sent you to me, thank you. I turned around and walked home.
Later at the bus station my friend Jutso comes back. And my whole team gave him something and we gave him a Jesus card. This little boy was blessed today. His demeanor changed throughout the whole day as I noticed him. Super sweet and nice smile. And it’s a sad story with his people being outcast and not noticed and all I can do is turn to the Big Shepherd and trust Him and simply do my part in the Kingdom.
All in all, today I learned to give myself away socially, financially, emotionally, and pretty much my day didn’t look like what I thought it would. My heart broke seeing these kids beg, my heart broke for this man’s lack of purpose but I was led to Jesus. I realized more and more what the mission of Jesus is and I was reminded of my need for Jesus. I’m a beggar and His love and grace meets me where I am. Jesus is the hope and savior of this world broken world. I only hope we who call ourselves Jesus followers can really be changed daily by knowing or need and depravity for Jesus. I hope we can really begin to live, love and look like Jesus because this world is truly dying to know who He is. The question is.. “Are we showing the world truly what the message of Jesus is who Jesus is? Not through our church attendance or they way we make our lives look on the outside but by the way we live, love and look like Jesus? Simply.. are we authentic? Humble? Joyful? Givers? Peacemakers? Honest? Fun? Hardworking? Forgiving? Graceful? Merciful? Givers? Givers? Givers in all things? Acceptable to all people? Empathetic? Compassionate?Kind? Idk.. what else does this world need to see?Honestly.. do people really see Jesus in us? I pray and hope so.”
If more of You means less of me,
Take everything.
Yes all of You is all I need,
Take everything.
Oh Lord, change me like only You can,
Here with my heart in Your hand.
Father I pray make me more like Jesus.
This world, is dying to know who You are,
Show us the way to Your heart.
Father I pray make me more like Jesus.
For those who aren’t familiar with Luke 15
“Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” So he told them this parable: “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. “Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything. “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”‘ And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate. “Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.’ But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’ And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.'””
Luke 15:1-32 ESV
**wasn’t able to get a picture of Alexander
**wifi isn’t very good for photos. I’ll go a photo blog later!
