Building a House of Love

Many of you who are reading my blogs have known me and my family for many years. Perhaps some of you don't know me personally. You have just logged onto the internet and 'accidentally' begun to read some of my thoughts and reflections. Today, I am writing something deeply personal. I am going to let you into my world.... our world....the world of our family. For our entire life together first as husband and wife and now for 24 years as parents, we've had one ongoing life pursuit. If I could put it into a simple phrase or sentence I would say, we are "building a house of love".  When I first began getting to know Mary in 1984 I asked her questions about what she saw herself doing with her life. If we were ever to have a 'serious' relationship we would have to be compatible with our life vision and calling.  Mary told me that she was considering going to South Asia to work with orphaned children using her training as a Physical Therapist. Mary was a young woman with a call to serve.... to heal.... and to love.  I was challenged by her obvious commitment to serve others.  Clearly, Mary was someone I could spend my life loving.  Since our marriage on June 29th, 1985 we have been pursuing God's call to to build a house of love.  Many people own homes.  All of live of us live 'somewhere'.  We have at times lived in very nice homes and at times in very modest locations. But building a house of love has nothing to do with our physical home or location.
  It was while living in Pakistan that God began to shape the vision we are currently walking out in the life of our family. One cold day in December, 1996 I was praying at my desk about our future. We had been in Pakistan since March of 1993. I was talking to God about my dreams and desires. I voiced this prayer, "God,  I don't know if it's possible..... but if it is.... I would like to reach the whole world with your love." It seemed bold even perhaps arrogant to pray like that.  I hoped I wasn't being selfish. Already, God had blessed me with the unique opportunity to do meaningful work for him in the mountains of N. Pakistan. By grace we had established an eye hospital where people were receiving their physical sight and spiritual hope. What more could I really want? Somehow, I felt God birthing in me a love for the world beyond my own understanding and comprehension. I didn't know what it meant and I did not know how he might answer my prayer.
  Over time I began to sense him speak the words 'international students' into my mind and heart. I began to research what that might mean and all my seeking, prayer and searching led me to the University of South Alabama in July of 1998.  At that time Mary and I along with our children moved into a home next to the USA campus to begin directing "Friends of Internationals" a ministry to the many international students attending the university. Over the years we have ministered to thousands of students from nearly every nation on earth. God is answering prayer in an amazing and frankly humbling way. I had no idea how to minister to international students! But God by his grace had taught us something deep and profound during our time in Pakistan... the value of hospitality and deeply engaging others in relationship.  Our home was overwhelmed by visitors and truly has become a 'house of love'.  There is a special peace and presence of God in our home. We are blessed to watch God welcome the world to 5659 William and Mary Street. Somehow God has provided the food and resources to greet the beautiful precious people he has sent to us. God's love for the world is so real and palpable.

  In 2009, after many years of prayer and waiting on God we began All Nations Community Church as a way to minister to the many internationals who needed a 'spiritual home' here.  We didn't assume that we were to lead this church. But a young woman from Germany and a couple from Japan strongly urged us to consider leading just such a church.  Now in September of 2011 we are meeting regularly as a house of prayer for all the nations (Isaiah 56:7) and reaching out to refugees, students and families with God's precious redeeming love. All of our staff (our family included) live by faith. We do not receive a salary from the church. We depend on God's people who also love the nations to pray and give as he directs. Perhaps you are just such a person! We are deeply grateful to you. Perhaps reading this you might consider giving to help us continue in building our 'house of love'?
  There is a blessedness in giving. When we allow God to release his love on behalf of others we are not diminished in any way. We are deeply enriched beyond what money could ever give us. If you would like to receive our newsletter do let us know! I write a monthly letter to all our prayer and financial partners. Our mailing address for the ministry is :  P.O. Box 8617  Mobile, Al 36689  If you are able to give just leave a memo for Mather family support.
  May you know that God is indeed building a house of love..... a community of hope and healing in a very dark and difficult time. Thanks for letting us give our lives to love others. If we can serve you in any way let us know!

Jim, Mary, Dan, Josh and Gabby Mather
 www.allnationsmobile.org

A Poisoned Well

  While living in Pakistan I once traveled to a remote village known as Nagar just after a horrific tragedy. The village water supply had become contaminated and in a brief 72 hour period 1/3 of the local villages population of  350 people had died sudden and painful deaths due to cholera. When my friend and I arrived to the village the grief was still palpable. Everyone had lost someone close to them and many of those who died were the most vulnerable.... children and the aged. We were there because we wanted to help find the cause of the cholera outbreak and see if we could help provide the proper sanitation and water supply that would prevent future outbreaks of water borne disease and death. We found out that the cause of the outbreak of cholera was the death of an animal whose carcass had fallen into a well high up on the hills above the village. Out of sight to the villagers, a seeping poison of death was slowly creeping down through the water the villagers used to survive.

  Living in America, we don't often think of having our water supply poisoned by bacteria or viruses. Our water is generally safe. We don't think that perhaps today what we drink will kill us and our neighbors. We have an expectation that we can drink from our water taps and not die of cholera. Water is essential to life. It must be clean to survive. Our quality and length of life depends on having a clean water supply. Poison our supply.... our 'well' so to speak.... and many hearts will be broken.

  The need for protection from poison applies to our hearts and souls as well as our bodies. What we receive into our hearts and minds can poison and contaminate our lives just as seriously as any bacteria or virus. Our heart is vulnerable to lies, deception and evil. The book of Proverbs warns us to"Above all else, guard your heart, for from it flow the springs of life."  Your heart is a well.... it's a source of life. When our hearts are pure our lives are full of healing, blessing and sustenance. When our hearts are contaminated by the poison of deception, our lives are full of disease, death, cursing and famine.

  When we are connected to the source of eternal life through a relationship with Jesus Christ we are connected to a pure river of life. The scriptures tell us that one of the gifts poured out upon as we believe in God's love for us is an immersion into the life of the Holy Spirit.  Jesus promises us in the gospel of John a spiritual river that will "take away thirst altogether, It becomes a perpetual spring within".

  All of us are thirsty. All of us are looking desperately to satisfy the thirst within..... the thirst for meaning, direction, purpose and love.  The danger in a broken and lost world is to drink from contaminated wells and and die twice. The first death is slow and agonizing.... a life lived based upon lies is never satisfying and always tragic. The second death is the forever separation from the well spring that God freely wants everyone to experience. When we reject the water of life found in faith in Jesus Christ we suffer the kind of death that never ends..... a separation and aloneness that none should endure. What our souls thirst for sets the course of our lives far beyond our imagination could ever take us.

  Today, Jesus pleads with us from the gospel of John chapter 7 and verses 37,39, "If you are thirsty, come to me! If you believe in me, come and drink! For the Scriptures declare that rivers of living water will flow out from within." The condition of our hearts and minds is a reflection of what we are putting into our souls.... if our 'well' is poisoned, our life is in danger of a premature and painful death.  When we feed upon the truth of God's great love for us, we drink from a deep and pure water source that will refresh, heal and deliver. It's time we test the water and examine our hearts. Life is too precious to drink from a contaminated well. Choose the water of life freely offered to us through faith in Jesus Christ.

Back to Eden

Drawn by the beauty
Caught by his grace
I'm going back to Eden
To rest in his place

The truth of your promise
is calling me home
I'm at rest here knowing
That your embrace is that place

Favor not earned, wrapped tightly around
My heart and mind now at peace in your arms
Your love drenches me and cleanses the dark places
I'm coming home again

I'm running away from the dark place
Where my soul was sinking in sand on the edge
Your voice never stopped calling me back to you
Your place of rest is healing and hope for the nations
I'm coming home

I love the aroma of life in your garden
The embrace of your place
My soul so much lighter inside of your hope
Calling me home at rest in your Son
Father's place is now and forever my home

Lost Souls

Lost Souls

 It's a horrible feeling to be lost. I remember the first time I was consciously lost. I must have been around 3 years old and my parents have filled in the blanks for me about what was a harrowing experience for them as well. We were at a mall in Cherry Hill, N.J. when I wandered away from my parents while we were in a shoe store. I can vaguely remember losing my bearings in the tall stacks of shoes and then suddenly realizing my family was no longer in my line of sight. When my parents realized I had wandered off they went into 'panic' mode and notified mall security and they had my name called over the intercom speakers. I am not sure how long I was 'lost' before I reconnected with my parents. I remember a vague sense of pain in my stomach.....I knew I needed to reconnect to my parents as soon as possible....but how? It's an awful feeling to be disconnected from safety and protection.

 Later when I was reconnected to my family by a stranger who saw me wandering the aisles of the shoe store, my parents asked me repeatedly, "Didn't you hear your name being called over the speakers"? I had no idea what they were talking about but now upon reflection I can see why a stranger calling my name had no impact on me. Jesus tells us in  (John 10:27). "My sheep recognize my voice, I know them, and they follow me." When we know we're lost (physically,emotionally, relationally or otherwise) our soul desperately needs to respond to a reliable and loving voice. Not every voice calling us to 'walk this way' is a safe guide in a dangerous world. There are many false shepherds (guides) who would lead us astray for their own greed and selfish interest.  How do we stay clear of deceptive and selfish leaders/guides?

  The first step in ensuring we don't get lost in life is dealing with our own self centered pride issues. Proverbs 14:12 tells us, "There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death." Due to our own sin and pride we often make decisions about direction and guidance that stray off the path of absolute truth. A lost soul is someone who becomes convinced that they 'know better' than anyone else.

  The voice of temptation comes in and says, "Let others work hard and spend their lives building toward success gradually....take a few short cuts.... I can get you there so much quicker." Jesus encountered this moment of temptation at the point when he was just beginning his powerful ministry of healing and teaching. In Matthew chapter 4 we see Jesus coming out of a time of prayer and fasting and facing the temptation to achieve quick success and avoid suffering, "The Devil came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, change these stones into loaves of bread." But Jesus told him, "No, the scriptures say, 'People need more than bread for their life; they must feed on every word of God.'"

  The temptation to 'get lost' is often empowered by serious and legitimate needs. We are sick, hungry, lonely or depressed and a voice begins to speak, 'follow me' and all your needs will be met'. Evil preys on the vulnerable and hurting, like the proverbial 'wolf' dressed in sheeps clothing. We desperately need to examine the heart and motives of anyone we allow to take a leadership position in our lives.

  One of the most profound lessons in staying clear of becoming a lost soul is the revelation that direction and purpose in life flow more out of relationship than we realize. In John chapter 14, Jesus begins to prepare his followers for the transition that his death, resurrection and ascension would force upon them. He didn't want them to be lost....or deceived when things seemed to go astray. He knew that the gravest danger of trial and transition would be to become a 'lost soul' and forget who they were and why they were on the planet. So Jesus tells them in advance in verse 6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me." When we break relationship with God, we're lost. That broken relationship leads us down all sorts of painful 'rabbit trails' that cause our souls to go dark with pain and injuries. We need someone to call our name that we recognize.... we need to hear the voice of the Good Shepherd. A strangers voice over the intercom (religion) will not suffice. Grace knows your name and is calling out to you not with condemnation but with love, acceptance and joy. Grace wants all who are lost to come home to safety, provision, love and healing. Getting lost is painful. While we're lost we are often lied to about how we got there. We might even begin to blame the 'parents' we wandered away from. We might even blame God for abandoning us when we made a 'wrong turn' in life.

  The good news is that love can take the false accusations and continue to embrace the lost souls on the way back home. It's often a long journey home and no one gets there alone. Perhaps on our journey toward love we need to become a part of a community of pilgrims walking together toward the light of God's love and truth. We're all wounded in some way in life. The choice is ever before us to come home..... let's walk together toward that forever place, where love calls our name.

Jim

Preparing for the Tests of Life

  Have you ever had the feeling that something very difficult was coming your way? There is this unusual sense of anxiety and uncertainty that is pressing in on your soul. You don't know what it is.... you can't say for sure what is happening but you just know you are about to be tested in a very deep and profound way.
  Is there a way we can be prepared for the trials, tragedies and temptations of real life?  I live next door to the University of South Alabama. The students who excel live disciplined lives of study and activity based on their desire to succeed. They find the balance between work, relationships and academics. Put simply, they are prepared.  However, the tests of the 'real world' are often less obvious and don't always come with warning signs like "Warning! Major Test ahead, GET READY!" Most of our warning systems are internal and too easy for the faithless soul to ignore or downplay as insignificant.
  In the gospel of Luke chapter 22 we have amazing insight from Jesus of how to prepare for life's greatest trials and difficulties. Jesus had developed the discipline of prayer. He took time to open up to the Father about what was going on in his mind and heart. Let's take a look at the 'heart preparation' that takes place in communion with God.  (Luke 22:39.....) "And he came out and went, as was his custom to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him.  And when he came to the place, he said to them, "Pray that you may not enter into temptation."  And he withdrew from them about a stone's throw, and knelt down and prayed, saying, "Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me.  Nevertheless,  not my will, but yours, be done."  And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him.  And being in agony he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground."
  Jesus was about to face the gravest test of his earthly life. Within minutes he would face the test of betrayal of one of his closest friends. Shortly thereafter he would face the test of rejection and abandonment of another of his closest friends. Inside of his soul everything was screaming to quit.... to abandon his life's purpose. Any resemblance of inner strength was literally draining out of his body. He had no recourse other than to connect with his Father in heaven in prayer.  God was near and answered in a miraculous way.... sending an angel to deliver special strength to endure the trial of body, soul and spirit.  His example is our guide to how we too must endure life's battles.
  Sadly, those closest to Jesus ( us included) often miss the call to prayerful dependence on our Father. As Jesus ended his prayer, we see the disciples failure, "And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow, and he said to them, "Why are you sleeping?  Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation."
  I don't know about you, but I've been there......overcome by worry, fear, sadness and depression. I just want to sleep.... turn out the lights and pretend that what I'm facing will just go away.  Trials don't disappear because we want them to. Trials often linger and haunt us....unless and until we get down on our knees and into the place of surrendered prayer to a God who loves us enough to hear our sincere and honest conversation.... "the earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and wonderful results."
  You are either in a trial, headed towards one, or just coming out of one. The wise person prepares for the tests of life.... and draws near in prayer to a God whose presence is more than enough to take us through and bring us to a place of deep love, hope and trust in him.  Are you prepared?

Jim
  

Overcoming Abuse

 We were born for love. We are on this planet to love and be loved. When we are torn from our original purpose and become victims of hatred, fear and violence, we become deeply damaged. Our sense of who and what we are born for is lost in pain and agony. Abuse is defined as 'to be used in an improper or wrong way...so as to injure or damage.... to attack in words."  Obviously that is an incomplete definition for there are so many forms of abuse in this dangerous world.

 I heard a wise counselor tell me one time, "Hurt people, hurt other people." When we don't get healed on the inside, our circle of intimacy can quickly become a war zone. It's those closest to the injured and damaged souls that bear the brunt of their pain and suffering. There is a generational aspect to the ongoing cycle of abuse and dysfunction. We tend to cover our wounds because they often happen to us when we are children or in a postion of powerlessness. We just don't know what to do with our pain.

 Dysfunction often breeds coverup and shame bottles up our deepest injury. The tyranny of brokenness is we don't have access to the healing we so desperately need. Emotional, verbal, sexual and even some types of physical abuse don't leave obvious wounds. The great tragedy is that when we break a leg, the world comes running to heal. When we break our hearts and souls, the world runs in the opposite direction.

  I am writing this not claiming to know all the answers to being healed of abuse. I do know it can't be done in isolation. Wounds of the soul don't just ever really go away on their own. I believe that it's the unconditional love of God and his people that are the pathway to eventual healing. But how do we access that love in a dark and dangerous world?  In our American culture of fast foods and convenience, hurting people offer real challenges. It's never convenient to give oneself to a suffering soul. People don't get healed from the inside in a drive through relationship.

  I am being challenged to pray and to open up my own life to hurting people. To listen, to learn, to pray and  to share my life and the life of my family and friends with the hurting. Sounds challenging. Sounds difficult. It sounds like a call from God.

Jim

The Reward of Relationship

When we serve and sacrifice in life, there is an expectation of reward. Peter, one of Jesus most ardent followers was not shy about his expectations. Peter's bold desires were laid bare for all to see in the gospel of Matthew. (See chapter 19: 27-30) Peter speaking, "We've given up everything to follow you, What will we get out of it?"
  Within all of us are not so hidden expectations of reward and payback for doing good. If I do the right thing, shouldn't I be recognized and rewarded?  Is it wrong to expect reward?  Jesus answers Peter concerns very clearly in the next few verses.   And Jesus replied, "I assure you that when I, the Son of Man, sit upon my glorious throne in the Kingdom, you who have been my followers will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who have given up houses or brothers of sisters or father or mother or children or property, for my sake, will receive a hundred times as much in return and will have eternal life. But many who seem to be important now will be the least important then, and those who are considered least here will be the greatest then."
  Jesus is describing what I call "the divine reversal".  There will come a day when all things will be made right in the universe. There is very real sacrifice involved in doing the right thing now. Often the cost involved in following God in the way of love will involve being rejected by the power brokers of this world. Jesus was killed for doing the right thing..... and being the righteous One. Can we expect any less as we follow him in the way of love?
  The divine irony is when we lose, we still win....ultimately. But here I want to probe a little deeper. The ultimate reward for following God in the way of sacrificial love is Him. The last book of the Bible is known as the book of Revelation. In it we see the unveiling of the future for those who have ears to ear what God is trying to reveal. The dominant message of this unveiling is the presence of God at the center of everything. In the future that God has prepared, there is a removal of the striving for things, positions or power to prove our significance. God's first call is always to himself.... to relationship.  While we strive even in our religion to 'do something', God' first word to us is always, 'Come to Me'.
  What do you want from God? What are you asking for in prayer? Do you want something or do you want Him?
  Ultimately, the real reward and everything God has for you is meant to flow out of relationship. Until and unless you understand that divine reality,  you'll be worshiping an idol and not the real God. God is love... and love desires relationship.

Jim