INTERNATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

After writing the earlier blog "A Heart for Sinners," I left my table joyfully whistleing, This Little Light of Mine. Never have I before whistled this song with such enthusiasm . . . It was as if by whistleing this tune I thought God might give me a chance to share his glorious name. I wasn't far from the truth. As I whistled my way right up to my management entrepreneurship class, I somehow became excited about this class. Not only was I going to have the opportunity to learn, but I was just downright thankful for the joy of Christ that was in my heart. Anyway, having arrived earlyto class, I just sat and waited. All of the sudden, in walks the international business student I had mentioned in an earlier blog. She is of Chinese origin, speaks three languages, and is working on her fourth. Desperately desiring to share about God with this girl, I thought of how I might do this. Thinking of her name, Grace, I thought, "how can I use her name as a means to share about Christ?" It suddenly dawned on me that she might not even know the meaning of this name. So, I asked her how she ended up with her name. Grace is actually not even her real name I found out, but rather, it was a name she chose when she went to England 11 years ago. So, I casually asked her if she knew what it meant. She said no, so I proceeded to tell her. "Grace," I said, "actually means unmerited or undeserved favor." As she pondered that for a moment, I told her that as a Christian grace is a gift freely given by Jesus Christ. She then mentioned that she has run across a large number of songs that have this word in it, and also mentioned something about a Bible. I asked her what her religious background was, and discovered that she was raised as a Buddhist. I am looking forward to how God might use me in the two classes that I have with this girl. Out of 40 people, she somehow managed to sit by me in both classes. God must be doing something huh?

If this was all God did in my class today that would have been great; however, He also allowed me the chance to put my money where my mouth was. Right after Grace had sat down to my right, another international student from Mexico sat down directly to my left. However, he smelled of smoke, and my first reaction in my heart was shamefully, "I wish this guy would sit somewhere else, he smells terrible." What a PUKE I can be sometimes. However, I quickly confessed my lack of compassion toward Rodolfo, and began to listen to the lecture. The instructor mentioned the competitive advantages of Inn and Out burger and I vocally did my MMMMM to agree with him. An hour and a half later, I was inviting Rodolfo to Inn and Out Burger with me next week since he is only here for one more semester and hasn't experienced a little bit of heaven on earth through a tasty Double Double- Remember Nothum, I'm doing this for the gospel sake, not just to have a burger. . . Yeah. As we began talking, another international student from Mexico, Ramon, began talking with us as well. He mentioned another burger joint that is really good, so it looks like the next 2 Monday nights will be spent enjoying hamburgers and some good conversations with these 2 international students. As I walked out of the class with them, I was able to talk with them both for about 15 minutes. I invited them both to church as well, and they in turn invited me to a volleyball night they have, and will email me with any upcoming parties they're going to. Here is where the rubber really meets the road. Will I get out of my comfort zone to love on these guys and be like Jesus, or will I walk the easy road. "Lord give me wisdom as I pursue relationships with these three international students. Let them see that there time here in the U.S. was not to achieve an education in business, but a relationship with You. Let me be salty, and give me the time to invest in a friendship with these guys. All this for your name and glory. Amen."

A Heart for Sinners

As I was standing in the Pizza Hut line at the MU waiting for my small pepperoni pizza and Diet Coke, God sovereignly orchestrated that I would stand behind two very chatty girls. . . no, they weren't chatting with me, but they were quite loud in their own conversation back and forth to each other. I think that they were completely unaware that people could overhear their every word. So, not wanting to miss out on their very interesting lives, I listened intently trying to discover what I could learn, and how God might open a door for ministry. However, as I listened, my heart was quickly saddened by their pursuit of happiness in this world. I became overly aware of how blessed I am to have a relationship with Jesus Christ, and my heart was so anxious to share the gospel of Jesus with them. It was one of those times that I could have just been really bold and said something like,"I've been overhearing your conversation, and it sounds like you need to hear about how the God of the universe knows what you're going through, and truly has a heart of love and compassion. Do you mind if I share with you the hope that I have?" However, as much as I desperately wanted to share of the hope that I have in Christ, I did not feel that this was an opportunity to share Christ, but rather, an opportunity to pray. So I prayed right then and there, and I truly hope that God awakens their heart to truth.

As I was standing in line for pizza, I realized that it is only when I put myself in the midst of unbelievers that an opportunity to share the gospel can even be possible. I guess I struggle with selfishness or insecurity as to making this happen. For me, it is so much easier to go to the library, find a study room, and lock myself away from the cries of the world. It is so much easier to eat by myself quickly and then hurry off to the next thing. It is so much easier to avoid the hurting, handicapped, and sinners. And, it is so much easier to forsake the sinners in a prideful desire to be "above reproach." If this is the definition of "above reproach," I have forgotten that Christ ate with the tax collectors, sinners, and prostitutes. I don't desire the easy life, but a life that resembles a compassionate, loving heart for the lost. I have the light of Christ that must not be hidden under a bushel. I am reminded of an old Sunday school song I used to sing. . .

This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine
This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine
This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine
LET IT SHINE, LET IT SHINE, LET IT SHINE!!!

"Lord, make my light shine for You. I don't want to just live a comfortable life anymore. I want to make a difference for your name. Convict my apathetic heart for the lost, and let me share the joy that I find in you. . . the joy that is available to all who repent of their sin, and turn to You. Also Lord, I pray that those two girls in the MU will discover that true love only comes from You. You created us to be worshippers of you and our hearts will truly be restless until they find their rest in you. Please awaken the hearts of those girls, and let them find their peace in you. Bring a faithful believer into their lives that your gospel may be shared. Open their eyes, and bring joy into their world that is so desperately lost. In Christ's name, amen."

Sanctified By Relationships

For those of you who thought this blog was going to be a romantic saga about flowers, roses, girls, and sweet smelling potpourri you guessed wrong. When I say that I have been sanctified by relationships, I mean that I am just so blessed to have people around me that love me, hold me accountable, and truly spur me on toward love and good deeds. And in those frequent occasions that I am just screwing up, I have people that lovingly come beside me to help bare my burdens. Tonight as on many blessed Sunday evenings, I had the pleasure of hanging with my church family the Paaschs, and then later I talked with my own parents. I don't know how I scored all the blessings from God in the relationship department. Not only do I live with the best family in the world, but I also feel like a member of the second best family in the world. Anyway, I can not even go into the many things that I was encouraged by tonight, but I just had to let it be known that I believe it is mandatory for a Christian to be in continual fellowship with growing believers. This relational area of my life has truly been the biggest area of my own sanctification process. And, not only do relationships help us bear burdens, they also let us share our joys.

Proverbs 27:17
"Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another."

To all my friends and family who sharpen me, thank you!!!!

"BEEE YOURSELF"

What can I say, I'm a sucker for Disney movies. Not only do they entertain and have some cool tunes (tunes that I can and do sing frequently), but at times they can actually teach some great lessons. The Disney scene that I'm currently thinking of is from Aladdin when Genie tells Aladdin "beeee yourself" as Aladdin goes to talk with Princess Jasmine. Okay how does this relate to the sanctifying pursuit of God? For me, beeeing myself has proved to be so freeing as I live my life for God. However, this area of life is a continual reliance on the knowledge of who I am in Christ. Naturally the flesh desires to please people. . .why else would Paul remind slaves to serve their masters from the heart rather than as a way of eye service to please people?

Ephesians 6:5-8
5 Slaves, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, 6 not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, 7 rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, 8 knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free.

However, this is much easier said than done. Personally, I frequently think about pleasing other people by the way I live my life rather than just being who I am for the glory of God. However, the more and more I become sanctified to the likeness of Christ, I realize that this pursuit of people rather than the pursuit of God is meaningless. As I was talking with my sister Kristi today, I was taken back by her amazing wisdom on living a life just "beeeeing yourself," to please the Lord and not others. She told me of a friend that she has that loves her for who she is and not for who her friend might like her to be. We both came to the conclusion that being ourselves is so much more enjoyable than trying to act a certain way or do a certain thing to win the approval of others. When we are simply living our own personality with full confidence in the Lord, we can rest assured that God will be glorified by our desire to live for Him alone. If people don't like who we are, then may God bless them with friends that they like; but as for me, I'm gonna be the person God made me to be. . . My name is Brent Klontz, I'm 5ft 7 1/2in, I've got a loud laugh, I like to dance, I believe in the Sovereignty of God (TULIP), I don't like country music, I've got smaller hands than most 4th graders, the T.P. goes over not under, I like some chick flicks and black and whites, and its gotta be white and not wheat . . . this is who I am. . .I'm a child of of God(I Jn. 3:1), and my confidence is found in the blood of Christ that has been shed to make me free. Therefore, since my security is in Christ, I will "beeeeee myself." "Dear Father, thank you for the realization that I alone can be the best Brent Klontz in the world. You proclaim that you wove me together in my mothers womb. Allow me to praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. May my individuality reflect your glory, and allow me the grace to live to please you alone."

MCDONALDS MINISTRY

First, it must be noted that against all recommended advice; I not only go to McDonalds occasionally, but I actually enjoy it. In fact, every Friday night before Axis band practice, the band has to decide whether to go to Quiznos or Mickey D's. Though I really enjoy subs, I would much rather save $2 and enjoy a tasty meal eating with Ronald McDonald. However, the peer pressure of the guys usually allows me to spend the extra $2 over at Quiznos. Mike Nothum actually keeps telling me that my family will thank him one day, cause he is helping save 5 years to my life by eating a sub instead of a double cheeseburger and fries. . . Thanks Mike, I'm sure I'll thank you in like 50 years.

But for now, I do enjoy a tasty double cheesburger, and I also enjoy studying there on occasions. So yesterday, as I sat down to eat my meal, I believe that the Spirit was prompting me to open up a conversation with the shift manager Manuel who was on his break at the next table. Here is where the battle of sanctification begins: my first reaction was to say, "eat your burger, get your work done, you don't want to be rejected, mind your own business." How stupid is that? I desire to make a difference, but I have second thoughts about striking up a conversation with a McDonalds shift manager. After going back and forth 3 times in my head as to whether to talk with this guy or not, I decided I would go for it. Not knowing a thing to say, I blurted out: "I really like this McDonalds!" There you have it, I told him that I liked his McDonalds, and God used this stupid intro to lead us to talk for about a half hour. I found out the he goes to a Spanish church called Palabra Viva in Mesa. I believe it is Living Word. If it is the one I was thinking of, I know that their theology is very off base in many areas, so my gutt reaction was to show him this. However, in a desire to at least look loving and not just condescending, I asked him what God had been teaching him and what He had been encouraged by at his church. I believe that even this question was going to be my tool to show him that he needed to understand true Biblical theology. . .However, He said that the head pastor calls him frequently, and truly shows that He loves him. WOOOOOOH; I think that I must have looked at my theology book that I was studying and thought to myself,

"If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing."

Since my conversation with Manuel, I have asked myself whether I truly show love for others, or whether I just care about theology. I'm not sure whether Manuel was a Christian, and if he was, I don't know if his theology was very good, but I know this: he knows what love is, and it was exhibited to him by his pastor. . . I love theology, study, and knowledge, but I realized that they are useless unless I exhibit them in love. I was encouraged by this conversation not only because I was able to talk with Manuel about life, church, work, and etc, but I was able to remember that in all things, Love needs to be made manifest. "Lord, please make me truly love people rather than just desire to show them what I know or how I could correct them of their errors. Let the genuine love I have for people cause them to come to know you in a deep way. Amen."

By the way Nothum, the burger and fries were great. . . well worth the 5 years off my life!

Bus Ride For Jesus

Having thought today that I need to live my life for the glory of God, I kept reminding myself that I needed to be a worshipper. I found myself just trying to thank God for things on my way to ASU this morning, and I couldn't stop thinking of things. If I stopped thinking of something to be thankful for, I thanked him that he let me get another 50 feet down the road without dying, for giving me the very breath I was breathing to thank Him, or for allowing me to be conscious of my many surroundings and drive at the same time (doing 2 things at once for me is very hard). This was a truly awesome experience that I do not have nearly enough! I know that I don't pray as much as I would like to, but when God gives me the grace to pray more frequently to Him, I am so excited. Why then do I not pray continually all the time? The answer must lie in either selfishness, busy-ness, self-reliance, sin, or a combination of the four. Anyway, today was such a blessing to be thinking of how I could worship God. As a result, I was able to glorify Him today by talking with a girl from one of my management classes. She is working on an international business major, so she talked about where she has traveled and which languages she can speak(she is currently learning her fourth-Spanish). Bingo. . . "so am I," I told her. But Spanish will not be my fourth, but my second. . . Ya. Well, I had a chance to tell her that the reason I wanted to learn Spanish was so that I would be able be more useful as a missionary wherever I was at. I also told her that I might have a chance to go to Mexico this summer to learn Spanish and be a missionary drum teacher and student.

As I finished class, I went outside to see the glory of God through the rain. Though this meant that I wouldn't be able to enjoy my fun skateboard ride back to my car, I was very content to find that I had just barely made the bus ride back to lot 59. . . this was great, for though the rain was beautiful, I didn't have an umbrella to enjoy it in. As I first got onto the bus, I quickly forgot that I had a purpose to worship. I don't know how this happens so quickly for me. One moment I can completely be worshipping the glory of the Lord, then the next I can be comfortable and apathetic. Quickly I realized that I desired to worship Christ even as I rode back to lot 59. . . I decided to reallign my focus. So, the comfortable and apathetic look turned into a smile of joy as I began to quietly worship the Lord. I quickly turned to look at the people around me to see if there was a conversation I could begin for the glory of God. Right next to me was a very buff guy. . . almost as buff as myself. . .don't laugh now. . . and he was wearing a pink bracelet that looked very odd for this buff guy to wear. It looked like the Lance bracelets, but it was pink. So, I leaned over and asked him what the bracelet symbolized or what it represented. He told me that it was for the cause of breast cancer. He then went on to tell me the struggle his mother in law had had with breast cancer and how she is now healed. I said, "praise God." He went on some more, and I had a chance to tell him that I think God puts us in different circumstances to allow us to remember that He is the creator of all things. We also become much more thankful for life in general, and we should realize that life should be lived for a purpose. I think he said his name was Kevin, but I can't really remember. After getting to my car, I was just beaming that God had given me a chance to glorify his name as I worshipped him today on an ASU bus. Indeed, I desire to reflect the joy of Christ, and I was truly blessed to be able to share one aspect of God's character to this guy. I hope and pray that this guy might wonder why his mom was allowed to live, and that this wonder and amazement would lead him to the understanding that he needs to be a worshipper of his creator.

SKATEBOARDING = HUMILITY

As I woke up this morning, I was reminded that our bodies are simply frail vessels. . . a lesson I was forced to learn since I flew off my skateboard yesterday when I was on my way to class at ASU. After seeing that I was alive without too much blood being shed, my first reaction was this. . . I looked around to see who had seen me. Now why did I do this? The question is simple. . .I am a prideful being. Immediately I became self-conscious as to what people might have been thinking. . ."Is he okay," "he needs to learn how to skate," "is that blood on the ground," "ride the bus next time buddy," and the list goes on and on of what I thought they could have been thinking. Luckily for my pride the catalysmic tumble was only out in lot 59 so there was probably less than 5 people that saw my glory dive onto the pavement. However, this little incident reminded me that my security is not found in the thoughts or viewpoints of others, but it is found only in Christ. I was humbled by a mere fall to the ground whereas Christ humbled himself by becoming obedient to death on a cross (Phil. 2). Also, I believe that there is a difference between true humility and being humbled. Christ had true humility, yet I was simply humbled at my own shortcomings as a skater. I am so thankful that this experience has helped me ponder a few lessons for my sanctifying pursuit of God. I can now reflect on how this frail body of mine will one day be completely sanctified in heaven, how Christ's humility should be the example for my life, and how I should seek true humility not simply the act of being humbled. . . however, I'm not sure which one will hurt worse.

Praise the Lord, but the day didn't end after I had finished all of my classes. As I was skating back to lot 59, I happened to run into a buddy of mine that I had known from highschool (this time it wasn't literally running into him, I simply saw him riding his skateboard as well. ) God opened a door for us to hang out since I told him that I wasn't very good yet on the skateboard (showing him my recent injuries). So he taught me a few things, and we had some great fellowship as well. Anyway, this guy is a great believing brother that goes to a different church. I was really encouraged by being able to hang out with him for about an hour as we both skated around the campus.

After talking about skating, theology, classes, missions, life, books, etc, I believe we were both extremely encouraged to really make our lives count. We ended up finishing our skateboard ride at Lot 59 where my car was at, and I was able to give him my Adonirum Judson biography audio message by John Piper.

I had been feeling a little discouraged because I hadn't made the most of all my time at ASU in sharing the gospel, and this fellow believer (Andre) really encouraged me to simply glorify God in whatever I do. Whether it is skateboarding, falling off the skateboard, sitting at Starbucks in the MU, buying books (yikes), or whatever. For truly we are not firstly missionairies, we are worshippers. As Piper puts it in Let the Nations be Glad, "Missions exists because worship does not." I was reminded that I don't need to be having a conversation about the gospel every second of the day, but I do need to be worshipping at all times, and if we are truly worshipping, God will give us opportunities to share his name.

I want to make a difference

As I sit here in the MU at ASU, I look around at the many faces. . . some are smiling, some laughing, some worried, some confused, some superficial, and others with unknown expressions. One thing I know, with the amout of faces that I see on this campus, I know that there are many who don't have any hope, joy, or peace, because they do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. As it is my last semester here at ASU, I struggle with thoughts of the future, what I will do, where I will be, yet one thing is for sure. . . I WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. I was reminded through a conversation last night that since my life has been given purpose and meaning since I am now a child of the King, I should never lose the focus of sharing this purpose to the world. "Lord please help me to make a difference, and even give me an opportunity today to share your name. Lord help me make a difference, and allow me to make an impact for your name."

My First Blog

Well, I decided that I should finally try this whole blog thing out. I guess the sole purpose will be to explain my experiences as I jouney through my life as a Christian . . . For my number one passion in life is to glorify God. I have titled this blog "the sanctifying pursuit of God" for a few reasons.

The first reason is that one of my favorite books of all time is A.W. Tozer's The Pursuit of God. His book really helped shaped my passion to not be a passive Christian but to really be a zealous ambassador for Christ in my Christian walk. Secondly, I am clearly aware that as I live my life as a Christian, even though I'm called to perfection, I will never get there until heaven. Therefore, I hope that this blog will serve to encourage others that they are not alone in their: pursuit of God, struggle with sin, and their desire to be an undignified worshipper(II Sam 6:22).