Posted in General Posts by Justin Warren on 5/23/2012
It wasn't supposed to be like this.....
I was supposed to come home from the World Race feeling like I'd done my part. I was supposed to be able to check "year-long missions trip" off of my Christian "to-do" list. I was supposed to be able to get back to making money, building up my 401K, finding a wife. I was supposed to be transformed; just enough so that I felt good about myself, but not to the point where it's uncomfortable.
I wasn't supposed to be entering into another season where I will be stretched (and broken) in the areas of love and servanthood. I wasn't supposed to need further mentoring. I definitely wasn't supposed to be fundraising....AGAIN! But I'm finding that when I compare my plans to God's, He's often reminding of Isaiah 55:8-9,
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,"
declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."
God's ways are not my ways. His plans are not my plans. They are higher and they are better. God has been slowly revealing where he would have me in this upcoming season. So here it goes....
In September, I've been blessed with the opportunity to lead a squad of World Racers out into the nations! I thought that after leading teams for the full 11 months of my World Race that I was done with leadership... Wrong! If you were to ask how I feel about the opportunity I'd liken it to being on a rollercoaster as you're slowing inching your way to that first big drop: half of you is excited with anticipation, and the other half is ready to puke! That being said, I feel blessed and privileged to take part in encouraging and equipping men and women of God to bring about God's KINGDOM in the nations. I will be leading from September until mid-December. As with my World Race trip, I will be dependent upon the generous donations of others. Please consider partnering with me in this next season both in PRAYER and financial support. If you look the left of this page, you can click on the "Support Me" tab to offer a one-time or monthly donation! The current amount that is needed is $6,000.
Then.....
In January, I have been blessed with the opportunity to attend G42 Leadership Academy in Mijas, Spain. Under the guidance and leadership of strong men and women of God I will be working to pursue and develop kingdom dreams that God has been planting in my heart. I will also have opportunities to minister and partner with local churches and organizations to serve the community in Mijas. Here is a brief description of G42:
"The 42nd generation is a network of Christ-followers with the mission to plant churches, businesses, & ministries to spread the Kingdom of God around the world-to inspire and develop leaders who are passionate about giving their lives to the Message of Christ." (www.g42leadershipacademy.org)
I'm excited at the opportunity to attend G42 and will need to raise a total of $6,300 (not including airfare) for the program. Again, I deeply desire your PRAYERS and financial support! If you would like to donate here's how:
1.) Go to: http://www.g42leadershipacademy.org/donate
2.) For monthly donations please enter "Justin Warren" and click the "Monthly Donation" dropdown tab
OR
For one-time donations, click the "Intern Support" tab. Be sure to designate "Justin Warren" on the Paypal page underneath the designated amount.
If you have further questions, please contact me through facebook or at Justin.nathaniel.warren@gmail.com
One last thought J
I often find that when I feel like I've given "enough" for Christ, he comes beside me and gently says, "I know you've given some, but I want more". But thinking about it, can you really blame him? Christ gave EVERYTHING - his time, his energy, and the comforts of heaven to be a servant to humanity and give his life on the cross. Because of this, He deserves nothing less then everything.
| |
|
Posted in General Posts by Justin Warren on 4/7/2012
I recently saw a post from a squad mate that stirred
something in me and prompted me to write this blog. She was commenting on the recent media stories regarding
KONY 2012 , Trayvon Martin and the upcoming political elections. All of these media stories have caused
discussions on race and justice, among other things. In particular, in regards to the KONY and Trayvon Martin
cases, the topic of justice has taken the forefront.
While on the World Race I was constantly confronted with
horrible injustice. I saw it in
every country. From boys and girls
being bought and sold as sex slaves in Thailand, to children abused and
abandoned by alcoholic parents. It was everywhere, and it was heartbreaking. My initial reaction when confronted
with these situations was (as I think is for most): “This situation demands justice. Someone needs to pay for this.”
But I'm realizing more and more that this response, although
justified, is lacking in mercy. As
Christians, we are called to a higher standard. You see, God loves the abused, but he also loves the abuser. Christ died on the cross for both. By no means am I saying that criminals should not be brought
to justice. Our God is a just
God. But I do believe that we are
called to respond by seeking justice and LOVING mercy.
Social justice seeks justice and mercy solely for the
oppressed. God's word calls us to
seek justice and mercy for the oppressed AND the oppressor. In this way, we will be able to show
all people the LOVE of Christ! We
have to be on guard against responding to worldly injustice in a worldly way. We have to love deeply, because we have
been deeply loved. We have to show
great mercy because great mercy has been shown to us. Personally, I wonder if sometimes I have trouble showing
mercy because I fail to understand the depth of my sin and how much grace and
mercy has been shown to me through Christ.
So brothers and sisters, I encourage you to PRAY. Pray for the trafficked and pray for
the trafficker. Pray for the abused and pray for the abuser. Pray for
those affected by KONY, but also pray for KONY himself. Pray for Trayvon Martin's family, but
also pray for George Zimmerman and his family. Pray for those in the political party you favor and pray
those in the party you disagree with. In doing so we will show the world Christ's love and mercy.
“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love
mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8
| |
|
Posted in General Posts by Justin Warren on 2/28/2012
So as I've mentioned before I'm trying to get back into
blogging. Last Friday, I had the
opportunity to go to JHOP (Justice House of Prayer) in DC to hear a speaker
named Chris Berglund speak. He is
an awesome, prophetic man of God and he talked about a lot of great things, but
one of the main things that he spoke about was identity. It's a huge blessing because if I
learned nothing else from going on the World Race it's that my true identity is
in Christ (though I often need constant reminding!).
Identity is such a funny, confusing thing. For most, identity changes take place
fairly frequently. They can take
place from year to year or even change with the latest fashion trends. I think back on different times in my
life when I allowed sports, grades, friends, girlfriends, etc. to define who I
was. There is still that
temptation, and I'm sure there always will be, but I believe that God is moving
me away from that, and calling me to my true identity. He is allowing me to be simultaneously
LOST and FOUND in Him. I'm not
there yet but it's amazing to think that we can be in a place with the Lord
where we can find our identity in HIM not because of what we “do”, but because
of who we “are.” Paul writes about
this in Galatians 2:20 when he states,
“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ
lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the
Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
Satan desires for us to find our identity in the things of
the world. It really doesn't
matter what it is so long as it's not Jesus Christ. I find it interesting that EVERY single thing that the world
encourages us to find our identity in is fleeting. Money will go to someone else's bank account when you're
gone. Strength and beauty will
slowly fade as we grow old. Social
status and popularity become irrelevant the moment we pass away. God, however, calls us to an identity
that is firmly rooted in righteousness, and on “the Rock” that is eternal.
As Christians, it is very easy to forget that our identity
lies solely in the fact that we are Sons and Daughters of the Most High
King. Nothing needs to be added,
and once Christ becomes our identity then nothing can change that. I think back to the story of the
prodigal son. It's interesting
that the one constant in the prodigal sons' life was his identity as his
father's son. Even after he
squandered his whole inheritance his father accepted him back because he was
his son. Though the prodigal son
lost his way, made mistakes, and walked away from his father, he still never stopped being a son.
With all these different ideas regarding “Identity” bouncing
around I thought it mind be useful to remind everyone what “Identity” is and
what it isn't. So here it goes J
Women…Your Identity is NOT in: the shoes you wear, the clothes you have, the car you drive, the boy you date,
the guy you marry, the way you look with makeup, the way you look without make
up, the number on a scale, your past, your strengths, your weaknesses, your
education.
Men….Your Identity is NOT in: the clothes your wear, the kicks you rock, the attention you
get from girls, the car you drive, the amount of beer you can drink, how much
you can bench press, your degrees, the respect you receive from others.
MEN & WOMEN OF
GOD, IN JESUS CHRIST YOUR ARE:
-Saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8)
-Chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special
possession (1 Peter 2:9)
-More than conquerors through him who loved us (Romans
8:37)
-Set FREE by the Son (John 8:36),
-Full of power, love and self-discipline (2 Timothy 1:7)
-Co-heirs with Christ who share with in his suffering in
order to share in his glory (Romans 8:17)
-God's workmanship (Ephesians 2:10)
-Loved enough for Christ to come and die for you (John 3:16)
Let's allow the words of
God and nothing else to define our IDENTITY!
| |
|
Posted in General Posts by Justin Warren on 2/15/2012
So I've been back from the World Race for almost
3 months! Its hard to imagine and
often, I sit back and wonder where
the time has gone. I know this
sounds cliché but it's so true. I've definitely been changed though…from the inside out. My whole perspective has been changed
regarding how I view God, the Holy Spirit, the world….EVERYTHING! It's been good but tough, as most
things that have meaning in life tend to be. I've decided to keep blogging for several reasons. First, I believe that God is continuing
to reveal new things to me. This is a great way to share them and also to
continue to process. I don't know
who (if anyone) is still following these, but I trust that God will speak in
His way and in His timing J I've also come to the realization that
words, and in particular writing, have power. This is a biblical principle and I think that it is 100%
true. Words, both spoken and
written, have the power to move people to action and awaken new things. After all the One who is “THE WORD�
spoke and created life!
One thing that God has recently put on my heart has been the
topic of dreaming. Several weeks
ago I attended Project Searchlight in Gainesville, GA. It was a great experience and I was
appreciative that Adventures in Missions would care enough about us World
Racers to offer support, love, guidance (and free food!) after such an awesome,
world-changing experience. Project
Searchlight is run through a department in AIM known as Kingdom Dreams. It is relatively new, but it
essentially was started to help people find, develop and pursue dreams that God
has placed on their heart.
One awesome thing that God put on my heart at the end of
Project Searchlight was that we are truly made in His image. You see, God is a dreamer. He
dreamed up the world and spoke and made something out of nothing. That's essentially what dreaming
is: we see something in our mind
that doesn't yet exist in reality. The revelation that rocked my world, however, was that God's dreaming
was about me. Stop and think about
that for one second: GOD DREAMED
ABOUT YOU! Let that sink in. In the midst of dreaming about the
beauty of creation; waterfalls, sunsets, snow-capped mountains God took the
time to think about each of us individually. To think about what we would look like, how tall we would
be, our personality traits; every single detail of our being. Furthermore, he took delight in us! I believe that the simple knowledge of
this truth can change not only the way that we view ourselves, but also the way
that we view others. God's dreams
gave us life, gave us purpose and give us value.
If any of you know me, you know that I am a dreamer. I have been since I was very
young. My first dream was to
become an NFL player; a dream that I pursued for years and years. Although that dream never came true I
am excited because I believe that God is in the process of placing new dreams
in me. His dreams. Big
dreams. Dreams that have Him at
the center, and not on the outskirts. While I wait, I dream, because slowly but surely I am
becoming like my Father, the Master Dreamer.
“I praise you because
I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full
well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed
body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them
came to be.� Psalm 139:
14-16
| |
|
Posted in General Posts by Justin Warren on 10/21/2011
So from time to time we get a chance to explore! Ukraine is an incredibly beautiful country....here's proof!
The Black Sea!
The Black Sea
The Black Sea
Like McDonald's...but sexier...
| |
|
Posted in General Posts by Justin Warren on 10/21/2011
1 Family + 11 children + 2 dogs + 2 cats + 1 bunny + 8 world racers...
Welcome to my month 10!
So it's hard to believe but I am actually in month 10 of the World Race! It has been an incredible trip thus far around the world. This past month we left Africa and headed for a new continent...Europe! It has definitely a huge difference in culture, language ...and especially temperature! Sadly, my stylish tank top tan lines from working in the African sun have been covered with long sleeves and warm jackets! This month we have been doing ministry in Ukraine. We have been living/working primarily in the small town of Fruenze, Crimea. It is located in southern Ukraine and is right on the Black Sea. Crimea is connected to the Ukrainian mainland by a small 8 km strip of land. Crimea is one of the more multi-cultural areas in Ukraine and several people groups are represented. As many of you know Ukraine was once a part of the Soviet Union, and gained its independence in 1990. Because of the Communist influences, Ukraine suffered spiritually in many ways. Many of the churches were effected b/c often Christians were persecuted and even jailed for their beliefs. In addition to this, many of the churches in Ukraine were and are still unwilling to work with those in other denominations.
The Orthodox Church in Saki
This month we have been blessed to work with and live with an awesome family, the Biletsky's. They have taken us in as family, which says a lot seeing as how they already have 11 children! The family is part of a local church that shows its love throughout the community in practical ways. One of the first days that we arrived we helped a disabled neighbor clean out her yard. Throughout the month we've had the opportunity to visit the elderly in hospice and help out with a local children's ministry in a small village. It has been really great to see how simple acts of love can not only bring joy to people but also help to display the love of Christ. Although sharing the gospel is extremely important, often times we can miss out on the service part of loving people! Another huge part of the family and churches ministry is music! Nearly every one of the children is musically gifted! Because of this, we've had the opportunity to go throughout the city and sing and play music! In a local town, Saki, there are lots of people with disabilities because they is a local health center. On most Saturdays we had the opportunity to bring joy to people by playing music and talking with them. I will say that most people had more joy listening to the family play and sing than they did us World Racers....but we got an "A" for effort! Below are some pictures from the town/month....
The Biletsky Family!
Our sweet ride for the month...
My Ukrainian "Bobuska" (Grandma)
| |
|
Posted in General Posts by Justin Warren on 9/23/2011
Here are some pics from my second month in Swaziland!
| |
|
Posted in General Posts by Justin Warren on 9/23/2011
So as you may have guessed by the title of this blog...we're back in Swaziland! We had assumed that we would be going to South Africa after working in Mozambique, but the Lord had other plans.
This past month we have spent time working with Adventures in Missions- Swaziland, the organization that coordinates the World Race. We have been staying and working at Thembini care point. The care point consists of a church, playground and small kitchen. Thembini carepoint offers local children several nutritious meals per day as well as a safe place to play after school. We've had the opportunity to help out at the church and also to play games with the children after school.
My "home" for the past month!
Another huge part of the ministry this month has been manual labor. Throughout the race, I've had the pleasure of making pig food, digging ditches, filling potholes and doing other interesting tasks. This month we were supposed to help to build a house. However, due to some changes in scheduling (as is common on the World Race!) we spent only a couple days on the project. Here is how far we got:
The foundation at Thembini carepoint
The bulk of our work time was spent clearing the property. The aim is to one day build gardens so that the carepoint can become self-sustaining and also generate a small source of income. This was quite a task due to the proliferation of some of the nastiest, sharpest bushes ever created. If you don't believe me check out this pic:
Nasty thornbush
It would be an understatement to say that it was rough trying to remove these bushes. Throughout the day it wasn't uncommon to be working and hear a random, "Owwwwwwwww!" as someone got a thorn caught in their foot, hand, arm, butt or other body part. One girl on another team even got a thorn in her eye! I wish I had some profound, Biblical analogy to compare our experience to, but sadly I do not. It was a great month of perseverance, however, because the work was grueling and tough. Hopefully the work that we have done will continue to help develop the care point!
| |
|
Posted in General Posts by Justin Warren on 9/23/2011
So last month we got a chance to travel throughout northern Mozambique and minister to several villages....here are some the updates!
Maphatso:
The first village that we visited was named Maphatso, which when pronounced in the native tongue sounds a lot like "Mmmm fatso." While helping out we worked and lived with Pastor Daniel and his family. On one of our first days of ministry we were able to sing songs, preach and even meet the village chief. One of the best parts of the day was when we got a chance to pray for the sick throughout the village. Amazingly (though not surprisingly) God showed up in big ways. Many people were healed of various ailments and sicknesses! Once again God reminded us that he is the Healer and that "with God nothing is impossible."
Mphatso Villagers
Chimwala:
The second village that we ended up visiting was Chimwala. Although we only got to stay there for 2 days, we were able to help dig the foundation of the pastor's new home and minister to people in the village. The Chimwala community was very rural and there wasn't even electricity! We had an opportunity to tent, use "bathrooms" (i.e- hole in the ground) with straw doors and eat cultural foods like sima. In case you were wondering, sima is a dense porridge-like substance that is usually accompanied by vegetables and beef or chicken. Although I wasn't a huge fan, it was good to get to try out some new food!
Church in Chimwala
The foundation for the Pastor's new house
Chimwala sleeping arrangements!
During our time at Chimwala, we got to spent time with the local pastor. He was a great man who often walked or rode his motorcycle to help minister to those in the community. He told us of the many needs of the community and the church. He also asked that we would pray for him and that we would encourage others to pray for his community as well. He even gave me a list of prayer requests, which I'll post below! If you feel led please take the time to pray for his church!
- Pray for safety and funds for the Pastor's travel throughout local towns and villages. Also pray for Pastor's family, for their safety when he travels.
- Pray for the church community in Chimwala; that it would continue to grow and strengthen
- Pray for continued provision for the Chimwala community and the prayer houses that are currently in place in the area.
Pastor of Chimwala Church
Vila Ulongue
After spending some time in the local villages, we headed back to Vila Ulongue. During out time there a large pastors conference was held. Pastors from throughout Mozambique attended as well as pastors from other countries such as Zimbabawe and Malawi. It was great to meet many of these pastors and to see that there is a strong, growing community in Africa. We also got to spend time with our main ministry contact, Reverend Samuel. We closed out the month by helping out at the local school and giving assistance on a small construction project!
| |
|
Posted in General Posts by Justin Warren on 9/10/2011
The Purpose...
Purpose. Everyone is looking for it. Without it you end up lost, confused and disoriented. Any person that has ever set out on a mission or journey has always needed a good one. Recently, I was reminded of the grand purpose of this year-long trip, the World Race. My good friend and squad leader Jake Morris got a chance to speak during church a week ago. His sermon was awesome...it was basic, simple and reminded me of the purpose of this trip....the gospel.
Throughout this trip I have gotten the chance to feed the homeless, care for orphans, play with street children and do a ton of other really awesome things. However, without the gospel these are merely humanitarian acts. While charity and humanitarian acts are great and provide much for the needy, they fail to address the greatest issue at stake....eternity. You see, I could feed and clothe all of the needy people of the world but the result would be well-dressed, well-fed people who, without the hope of Christ are doomed for an eternity separated from God. That is why the most important thing and the grand purpose of this trip is to present "The Good News". And it really is good news because it has the power to transform mind, body and most importantly soul! In case you're reading this and have never actually heard the "Good News", here it is....
The first thing to know is that God is Holy! He created us and loves us but he is a Holy, Awesome and perfect God! However, as fallible humans we are prone to sin. Sin is when we choose disobey God and are not obedient to how he has called us to live. We sin not only through our actions, but also in our wrong thoughts and attitudes. In the Bible it states:
"...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23
and that...
"... the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23
Therefore our sin causes separation between us and God. As sinners, the just punishment for our wrong thoughts and actions is death. However, because of God's great love for us he sent his Son, Jesus Christ to take the punishment for our sin. The Bible states:
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16
"Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed." Isaiah 53:4-5
When Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins, he showed his great love for each and every one of us! Although it is great news that Christ was willing to die for our sin, there is still even greater news! He rose from the dead. The Bible states that Jesus Christ took our sins and when he died on the cross he took them away from us. Three days after he was crucified, he was raised from the dead. He conquered sin and death! Because of his sacrifice, all he requires from us is that we believe that He is who he says he is and he did what he said he did. We are not saved because of the "good" things we do, or because we are "good" people, or even because we go to Church. The only way that we are saved is through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works so that no one can boast." Ephesians 2:4
Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death into life." John 5:24
"If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." Romans 10:9
Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6
God loves each and every one us very much. He created us and desires to have an intimate relationship with us, despite our past. He desires to call us into the fullness to which we were created! The evil one, Satan comes only to "steal, kill and destroy" but Jesus Christ came to give us abundant life and an amazing eternity in heaven with Him! Because God loves us he gives us free will to choose to love him or not. The question is:......Which will you choose?
"For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son." John 3:17-18
| |
|
Next 10 Articles >>
|
|
|
