God's Goodness

"Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples!" -Psalm 105:1

For a while now, I have removed myself from this blog mainly out of convenience. It takes effort to sit down and recount the things that have happened in my life. In my readings of the Psalms, however, I immediately hit upon the theme of declaring the works of God to all peoples. The Holy Spirit did that conviction thing that it likes to do and so now I've returned.

For the past two months, I've been at Hillsdale studying harder than I ever have in my entire life. I am taking 16 academic credits which include Organic Chemistry and Rhetoric and Great Books with Jackson (purported to be the most difficult teacher in the school). I am also taking piano lessons with a wonderful (and difficult) teacher as well as playing lead trombone with the Big Band and a small combo. Even with that schedule, the grace of God has given me the ability  to spend time at home and serve at church on the weekends and also build my relationship with my older brother. In hindsight, I don't see how those things are possible except through the supernatural. I am experiencing firsthand that when God gives responsibilities, he also supplies the time and resources that you need in order to be excellent in whatever those responsibilities are and regardless of how many you have. God provides.
Transferring from Hillsong to Hillsdale has been quite a change. The thing that sticks in my mind the most is the level of encouragement that gets thrown around. I believe that people of the kingdom of God should be people who encourage each other and use encouragement to minister to those outside the church. When I say encouragement, I don't mean that we should always be telling people things that we don't actually believe. If you're impressed with someone, let them know how and why. I guarantee that you'll stick in their mind as someone they can identify with and rely on. Wherever we are generous with our words, people will be built and God will be glorified.

If you ever have trouble finding a way to encourage someone, remember: "God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work." 2 Corinthians 9:8 

Hillsdale

Yesterday, God helped me transition my life into Hillsdale College. And God, yet again, reminded me that there is no possible way to know the extent of the plans and purposes that he has for us.

I am now living in a four-floor dormitory named Galloway with my roommate, Colton. So far, all of my fears were completely unwarranted. God has definitely positioned us together to bring Christ and the Kingdom to this college and beyond. I only know a few things about the man, but so far I've found out that Colton does missions work in Haiti every summer, plays guitar and wants to be involved in campus ministry, and also has a passion for teaching about the revolutionary war. I'm very thankful for being constantly surrounded with men and women who are sold out for Christ and I can't wait to begin the work that we have to do.

At this point, I'm aiming at being a chemistry major with a pre-med focus. Long term, I'd love to be an emergency room doctor wherever God places me, and do missions work for whoever needs doctors and Jesus. That is definitely subject to change, but I feel like God has confirmed that occupation for me in a number of ways.

Two weeks ago, I received a message from a man who I met and served with in Australia named Andreas. Andreas was originally from Germany, but was in Australia serving with Hillsong Church. He told me that he was going to be in Chicago for a wedding, but needed a host family to stay with in the United States. I asked my parents, they said yes, and for the past week and a half, we've had a German man living with us! I love that God is allowing my two ridiculously distant worlds to stay connected, and that my family is always willing to bless strangers with the comfort of a home. It seems like God is always unlocking something new within us, some gift that we've had a vague idea was there, but never knew how to use. God is truly a master craftsman.

Awe-inspiring verse of today: "Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you" - Exodus 16:4

Plans and Purposes

I am excited to come home.

I believe that God has told me that his plan for me continues in Michigan at Hillsdale College. However, from what I've experienced so far, the promises that God gives you don't usually line up with the circumstances that you're in. I first experienced this in my run-up to coming to Australia in the first place. I knew that God had placed it on my heart to come, study, and serve with Hillsong Church. However, at that time, finances were impossible and it looked as if I would have to give up my goal of being a doctor for quite awhile.

As it turned out, God's word is true that "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him." This year has been simply unbelieveable because of the opportunities and connections that God has placed here. While at Hillsdale, I'd like to be involved quite heavily in global medical missions. While at Hillsong, I've made connections with a wealth of nations that would've been impossible to connect with otherwise.

Serving with Hillsong has also given me a massive heart for my home church (Living Hope say whaaat?) and the city of Grand Rapids. It's amazing to me that sometimes God has to remove you from a place to give you a brand new appreciation for it. I can't wait to be back with my family and friends and step out together into what God wants to do in our city and in our nation. I have no idea what's coming up, but I can guarentee that it will be fantastic.

'Mmerica!

Hillsong Conference is quickly approaching!

Strangely enough, I've been allocated to a team called "Night Refresh", which means that I'll be cleaning toilets at 2 AM! Please pray for me.

 Other things to pray for :

-It's Ryan's birthday today. Send him a birthday prayer!

-Anthony has decided to stay in Australia, but is looking for a house to move into and favor for a job.

Thanks for all your support and prayers! I'll continue to update as much as possible!

John Mark

"Look among the nations, and see; wonder and be astounded. For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told." -God.

Countdown

35 DAYS LEFT
I haven't written for a long time, but let's not dwell on the past.

Recently, God has been giving me opportunities to do things that I never could've even dreamed of doing. For instance, my housemate Ryan is currently working on a video announcement for his church in Canada and asked if I would write the backing track for him! It ended up being a lot more work than I initially thought, and I learned quite a few lessons about working with a director along the way, but I am really happy with how it turned out. The video is still going through the final editing, but maybe I'll throw the link up here when it's done.
When I go back to 'Mmerica, I'll be looking for a part-time job in production. For that, I'll need a portfolio of all the things that I've done with Hillsong in lighting and sound. Recently, God has been providing opportunities to work with amazingly creative stage designers for college chapel services and they have really helped to fill out my portfolio. (pictures later)

Also, I'm not sure if I mentioned this before, but I had a chance to work with my incredibly talented friend, P.J., on his short film which will be completed soon. During his film, I helped out during the shoots by taking the reference audio for all of the shoots. It was a completely unexpected opportunity, and I enjoyed it thoroughly. (link later)

Other things:
-Our house now has a ping-pong table
-Anthony might be moving to Norway next semester to work on a fishing ship.
-Matt has decided to stay for second semester
-Ryan is now a professional "busker", which means that he goes to malls with his guitar and collects coins that people throw at him
-and Brian.....can dance well? (link later)

This past week, I was able to hang out with my parents and cousins in Brisbane! I absolutely loved the kangaroo petting and people watching that we got to do all over the city. What I was amazed by was how quickly I became comfortable and ineffective as a Christian. I've realized that even though my tenure at Hillsong has made me incredibly effective when I'm in a structure and working hard, I still haven't figured out how to keep the same purpose in me during a break. Most importantly, I need to abide in Jesus and seek his kingdom and righteousness regardless of whether I'm constantly serving in church or if God wants me to just build relationships with my family for the week.

Things to pray for:
-Matt needs a job
-Anthony needs a miracle to get to Norway
-Strong finish to this season for me and an easy transition into serving God at home.

Thanks for all the feedback on the blog. It really helps motivate me to write more. I plan on writing more during the week so that I can continue to fill you in on the amazing things that God does. Thank you for your prayers!

Kingdom

Well, I'm back again! And this time, I can moonwalk.

You may ask, "How is that possible?"

Well, you're wrong. I can moonwalk.

Over here at Hillsong, we just finished up Colour Conference, which is a women's conference all about empowering women of the church with purpose and the plans that God has for them. As a man, I have the privilege of serving all of the delagates during the week. I was rostered onto the carpark team, which means that I was able to helpfully guide any drivers into their parking spots. As a member of the carpark team, I was privileged to be one of the first and last people to make contact with delegates as they entered and left the conference. I was the first and last impression that delegates had of the conference. Hillsong is really great at teaching the purpose behind the service. Before I actually served in carpark, I had no idea how important the team actually is. I think it's pretty easy to mistakenly think that "Amount of Time on Platform" = "Importance of Role in Church", but if there was nobody outside directing traffic, welcoming people into the building, cleaning the bathrooms, etc. people would never enter the building ready to receive the Word of God from the platform.

Yesterday, I was once again able to talk to the genius couple from Iran. Farshad still hasn't been able to find a job in the mining industry. I can't even imagine how frustrating it must be to spend 10 years getting a Ph.D. and be unable to get a job in a really growing industry simply because your nationality is questionable. As a connect group, we've been praying for favor from companies. I was also able to talk to him about how they use air cannons to create waves underwater and measure the seismic response of the earth to determine if there is oil in the ground. Absolutely fascinating. Elmira invited me back to the hospital on Tuesday to help her out in the reasearch. She said that they're starting to do tissue sampling to make conclusions about some of the surgeries. I don't really know what that entails, but I'm excited. I have Tuesday off of school anyway.

This past Sunday, I was able to get out to some Northern Sydney beaches and do some real surfing. It was a relatively calm day with only 6 foot swells, but as a beginner I was totally fine with that. I wasn't able to actually stand up on the surf-board, but that will come with time. I really want to get out and surf quite a bit more with the time that I have left here. Although 6 foot waves don't really sound that impressive, I found out quite quickly that a 6 foot wall of water can be pretty painful. I'm pretty sure that I realigned my spine during a particularly painful crash.

For a short stint in March, I got it into my head to be a vegetarian. After a couple weeks, I figured out that all I had done was replace my meat intake with chocolate, completely elimenating any benefits. I'm once again back to eating bacon. I've also decided not to illegally download anything from the internet anymore and I have opened up about half of my hard drive by deleting illegal things. Since that time, I've become more creative in my songwriting and have taken a strong liking to Sufjan Stevens. I'm currently trying to stop biting my fingernails.

The greatest revelation that God has given to me came through the book "Suprised By Hope", by N.T. Wright. The entire book is all about the hope that God has given to us through the resurrection of his son, Jesus, and what that means for our life right now. N.T. Wright explains simply that if we are Christians, we are also part of the Kingdom of God here on earth. If we are part of the Kingdom of God, we also are given the power of the Kingdom and the authority that comes from Jesus, the risen king. Our mission is to declare that the Kingdom of God is here and to prove that with the power that comes from the King. How crazy is that? It has absolutely changed the way that I walk around to know that I am constantly armed with the power of the holy spirit to heal the sick, raise the dead, and perform miracles in conjunction with the message that the Kingdom of God is here and available to all.

I hope that you take this same revelation with you into Easter and beyond and celebrate the mission and power that Jesus has graced us with in his resurrection.

Rain

I'm back again! Hello to family and friends, I really miss you all and can't wait to see you in July! Hopefully the summer in Michigan will be better than the summer that I'm having in upside-down land. The natives are saying that this has been the rainiest summer that they've had in 150 years or something. It has definitely been raining like crazy over here. Although, from what I hear, global weather has been a bit weird so far in this year. Thankfully, there are no leaks in our roof!

I recently had a wonderful trip to mini-America (Costco) and I've stocked my shelves with things to carry me through the next few months. I was told by a store worker that most of the stock is imported directly from America, so the entire inventory is dependent on what is actually let through the Australian customs. My haul includes giant cans of Swiss Miss, a couple huge jars of peanut butter, and way more toilet paper than we could hopefully ever use in this house.

I've also recently decided to start playing some serious electric guitar. My current goal is to be able to play through Anberlin's iron horse album, "Never Take Friendship Personal." after nearly a week straight of a couple hours per day, I've recorded the three guitar parts from the 1st song on the album and I've noticed a lot of improvement in strumming. I find that it really helps to record myself practicing so that I can hear what tonal adjustments that I need to make and also so that I am training myself to be consistent and in time.

Recently, I was convicted by the holy spirit about the fact that I illegally download quite a bit of music. After quite a bit of a struggle, I agreed and have deleted all of the downloaded stuff from my computer. Basically, half of my music library is gone. Ouch. I'm quickly realizing, however, that by downloading music, I was stifling my creativity. If I wanted to hear something new, I would go out and just quickly download a new album. Now, instead of going out to hear a new song, I'll just create a new melody or write some lyrics. Since I changed, I've written 3 new songs and many chord progressions. I've also done quite a bit more with recording, mixing, and mastering. God has good things in mind for us.

Lately, I've been reading about Elijah in 1 Kings. I've been noticing that Elijah does all of his miracles and prophesying with an amazing sense of invincibility about him. He tells kings to their face that they will be defeated, confronts the prophets of Baal, predicts droughts, etc. And he does all of these things without any fear or hesitation. The only time I can actually find a fault in Elijah's story is when he loses his attitude of invincibility and flees from Jezebel after she says that she's going to kill him. After some reflection, you really have to wonder where Elijah finds the courage to stand and speak the word of the Lord in the face of such strong opposition. Further reading showed me that Elijah often uses the phrase "As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand...". Elisha also uses the same idea of standing before the Lord.

After contemplation, this really brought me to thinking about where I stand before the Lord. I know that 1 John 5 explains that if I believe that Jesus is the Christ then I am saved. I also read that 2 Corinthians calls me therefore an ambassador for Christ. It is an incredibly empowering thought to know that I stand before the Lord as an ambassador for him in much the same way that Elijah stood before the Lord. It definitely puts the fears that I have into perspective when I realize that I'm standing before the Lord. Especially when I see that Elijah only failed when he shrank back and ran away from a death threat. God is forever with me and I stand before him as an ambassador for Christ. His power is always with me to do whatever he has graced me to do in the moment. If that thought doesn't empower you, I don't know what will.

Love y'all

January!

Hey Peeps, I'm back!

It seems ironic to me that after a post about being faithful in everything, I have managed to go a full month without posting anything on this blog. Whoops. However, it seems that this is the perfect opportunity to enact a biblical principal laid out in Proverbs 24:16, "For though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again...". This is me rising again.

Alright, news. First of all, Junior has officially moved out. Anthony, Matt, and I were initially planning on moving into the new house with him, however the Spirit guided us to stay here. So rather than arguing, we stayed. Junior has also taken his blender with him and owns the dryer. Pray that we can buy it from him for a reasonable price. In his place, we've received a Canadian into our house. No longer am I, "Moose". His name is Ryan and he's from British Columbia. He came with his dad initially about three weeks ago and rented a camper van to tour the East Coast and apparently had some good times. So far, I've found out that he's a beast at acoustic guitar and can hopefully show me how to play decently. He's also thinking about getting an amplifier, which would help during jam sessions. I'm happy to have him and hopefully I can help him out on his journey here.

Brian has also returned from Shanghai. It's nice to finally start getting to know him. We've had all of his stuff in our house for about 2 months now and I only was able to see him about twice before he left. It turns out he has a replacement DVD player for our crap one. Hallelujah. Matt is coming back on the 27th with a bunch of audio equipment which we can mess around with. I'm excited to see what we can do with our house since we are once again filled with worship students. My job with Ecomed is now over after 4 weeks of solid full-time. The general response was that my work was very appreciated and they were very impressed with how quickly I picked it up. They'll also be keeping me on the books for casual work when they need it. Again, Hallelujah. Anthony is now a horticulturalist and working really long days on the beaches.

Tomorrow morning, I'm going to wake up at five, take two buses to Macquarie, and head to the Macquarie University to help prep and then observe three brain surgeries! An Iranian woman who just joined our small group is an ER Doctor turned brain surgeon. I asked her if there was any possibility for me to job shadow her. Turned out that the answer was yes and amen. Who would've thought that God would open up medical opportunities like this over here? How crazy is that! I'm not sure if this is God totally confirming to me what I think is his plan for me to go into medical work, but I'm up for the opportunity in any case.

I guess the main lesson that I've been learning lately is that if God puts a dream into your heart, it'll be him who makes a way for it. It gets really easy for me to take ownership of an idea and put it fully under my responsibility, forgetting that it was God who gave the idea in the first place. I get all worried about the success of something rather than focusing on the only one who can bring it to pass. If you're worried about the promises of God for you right now, I encourage you to remember whose responsibility it is to fulfill his promises and that your main goal should always be to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.

I love y'all, and you should be hearing from me soon.
G'night!