Wednesday, October 30, 2013

some thoughts on Halloween | nehány gondolat a Halloween-ről

(magyar lent van)




Some people might not like what I'm about to say but let me ask you to just take a minute to consider what I have to say about Halloween.

As a Christian, every year I see different Facebook posts or articles telling Christians to avoid Halloween like the plague. The message is basically "a good Christian doesn't celebrate Halloween because it's a holiday that worships the devil”.

While I’m clearly aware of the origins of Halloween, may I submit that Halloween as we know it is just a commercialized version of what some people think it is? I ask this question because growing up, we always celebrated Halloween & I went trick-or-treating every year. Funny, I didn’t turn out an active Satan worshipper but the pastor of a church who loves Jesus. There is a young man in our church who was an active Satan worshiper and Halloween had nothing to do with it. 

 So what’s the deal with Christians and Halloween? well first let me say that I do believe this, like many other holidays is so over commercialized that now it’s only about profit for companies. 

 that being said let me just ask these 2 questions…

1. why do Christians come down so hard on this one day and show almost total disregard to many of the Satanic attitudes that typify everyday western life? (for example - pride, greed, materialism, self-centeredness, hatred, etc.) Shouldn't we be more concerned about these things on a daily basis than people dressing up once a year and giving kids candy? Why are we making such a big issue out of this one day? Could it be because we know that we should do something about evil and we think if we condemn this one day we can ignore or even partake in the Satanic attitudes that are promoted and so prevalent the rest of the year?

2. If we're so uncomfortable with Halloween, why are we comfortable with celebrating other pagan holidays that have been "Christianized" such as Christmas and Easter? Why is the celebration or lack there of, of a holiday the standard for Christian faithfulness?

Am I saying Christians should celebrate Halloween? Like so many things this is, I believe, a matter of conscience. For years my wife and I have had friends over for “pumpkin carving parties” and every year we’ve enjoyed spending time with family and friends which we would not have otherwise spent together if it were just another day. Now that we have kids are we going to carve pumpkins & celebrate Halloween? Sure. Because as we’re carving pumpkins we can teach our kids something about God. How He takes this seemingly normal thing, puts His hand to work and forms what He wants, then He places His light in it to shine in the darkness. I see the way people carve pumpkins as very similar to the work that God does in the lives of people. 

Are there dangers associated with Halloween? Obviously. But I see the bigger dangers in the every day Satanic attitudes I mentioned above. More people actively worship Satan on a daily basis by putting themselves first in their lives, and I’m not talking about non-Christians here. 

So what should Christians do at Halloween? I know many churches have “Harvest Festivals” or “Fall Festivals”. I think the reason being is because people want to celebrate. People want to celebrate the blessings of God in their lives. I say, “let people celebrate. let people enjoy time with family and friends they love. let people imagine that they are a superhero, pirate, or Darth Vader.” Cause here is how I see Halloween.  When we put on a costume pretending to be someone else, we need to stop and think for a minute how Jesus took upon human flesh to came as a man and took our place on the Cross to die for our sins. We also need to think about how God has placed the light of Jesus in our lives and that He is working in us forming us into His image and that we’re now called to shine our light for Him though our good works. Judging people never shines God’s light, good works do.



So let me encourage you with the words of Jesus, be it Halloween or not, "In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”(Matthew 5:16) 

Vannak, akiknek lehet, hogy nem tetszik az, amit mondani fogok, de hadd kérjelek meg, hogy szánj egy percet arra, hogy végiggondolod, amit mondanom kell Halloween kapcsán.

Keresztényként minden évben látok különböző Facebook bejegyzéseket, vagy cikkeket, amelyek azt  állítják, hogy keresztényeknek kerülniük kell a Halloweent, mint a pestist. Az üzenet alapvetően az, hogy "a jó keresztény nem ünnepli a Halloweent, mert ez egy ördög imádó ünnep."


Bár teljesen  tisztában vagyok a Halloween eredetével, mégis megkérdezném, hogy a Halloween ahogy mi ismerjük, nem csak egy fogyasztható változata annak, amit néhány ember úgy gondol, hogy az ami?  Azért kérdezem, mert gyerekkoromban, mi mindig ünnepeltük a Halloweent és minden évben mentem cukrot-vagy-csínyt túrára. Vicces, de nem lettem aktív Sátán imádó, hanem egy gyülekezet pásztora, aki szereti Jézust. Van egy fiatalember a gyülekezetünkben, aki aktív Sátán imádó volt és a Halloweenhez semmi közük nem volt.

Szóval mi a helyzet a keresztények és a Halloween kapcsolatával? Hát először is hadd mondjam el, hogy úgy látom, hogy ez is, mint sok más ünnep annyira elüzletiesedett, hogy már csak a pénzről szól.

 ezzel együtt,  hadd tegyem fel a következő 2 kérdést ...

1.   Miért támadják a keresztények ilyen keményen ezt az egy napot, viszont teljesen figyelmen kívül hagynak sok más sátáni hozzáállást, ami a mindennapi nyugati világot jellemzi? (büszkeség, kapzsiság, anyagiasság, én-központúság, gyűlölet stb.) Nem kellene napi szinten jobban törődni ezekkel a dolgokkal, mint azzal, hogy az emberek egyszer egy évben beöltöznek, és a gyerekeknek cukrot adnak? Miért csinálunk olyan nagy ügyet ebből az egy napból? Nem azért, mert tudjuk, hogy kellene tenni valamit a gonoszság ellen és azt gondoljuk, hogy ha ezt az egy napot kárhoztatjuk, akkor figyelmen kívül hagyhatjuk azokat sátáni attitűdöket,vagy akár részt is vehetünk azokban, amelyek elterjedtek és egész évben jelen vannak?

    2. Ha annyira kellemetlen a Halloween, akkor miért nem kellemetlen más kereszténnyé formált pogány ünnepek ünnepelése, mint a karácsony és a húsvét? Miért egy ünnep megtartása, vagy nem megtartása  a keresztény hűség mércéje?

     Azt mondom tehát, hogy a keresztényeknek meg kell ünnepelniük a Halloweent? Úgy gondolom, mint oly sok minden ez is lelkiismereti kérdés. Évekig a feleségem és én a barátainkkal "tök faragó partikat" tartottunk, és így minden évben időt tölthettünk a családunkkal és a barátainkkal, amit nem tölthettünk volna együtt, ha az csak egy sima nap lett volna. Most, hogy már, hogy gyerekeink is vannak, fogunk tököt faragni és ünnepelni a Halloweent? Persze. Mert faragás közben Istenről tudjuk tanítani a gyerekeket. Hogyan veszi a kezébe ezt a látszólag hétköznapi dolgot és hogyan formálja azzá amivé akarja, aztán az Ő fényét helyezi bele, hogy a sötétségben világítson. Nagyon hasonlónak látom azt, ahogy az emberek faragják tököt ahhoz, ahogy Isten alakítja az
Vannak veszélyek a Halloweennel kapcsolatban? Természetesen. De nagyobb veszélyt látok a fönt említett mindennapi sátáni hozzáállásokban. Több ember imádja aktívan a sátánt napi szinten azáltal, hogy magukat helyezik az első helyre az életükben , és most nem a nem-keresztényekről beszélek.

Szóval, mit kezdjenek a keresztények a Halloweennel? Tudom, hogy sok gyülekezetben van "szüreti mulatság" vagy " Őszi Fesztivál". Azt hiszem, ennek az az oka, hogy az emberek ünnepelni akarnak. Az emberek meg akarják ünnepelni Isten áldását az életükben. Azt mondom, "hagy ünnepeljenek, hagy élvezzék a családjukkal és a barátaikkal töltött időt. Hagy képzeljék azt, hogy szuperhősök, kalózok, vagy Darth Vaderek." Mert én így látom a Halloweent. Amikor jelmezt veszünk fel és úgy teszünk, mintha valaki más volnánk, meg kell állnunk és el kell gondolkoznunk egy percig azon, hogy Jézus emberi testet öltött, hogy emberként jöjjön el és elfoglalja a helyünket a kereszten, hogy meghaljon a bűneinkért. Azt is át kell gondolnunk, hogy Isten Jézus fényét helyezte az életünkbe, és hogy Ő munkálkodik bennünk, hogy minket saját képmására formáljon és mi arra vagyunk elhívva, hogy a mi fényünk Neki ragyogjon a jó cselekedeteink által. Az emberek elítélése soha nem ragyogtatja Isten világosságát, a jó cselekedetek viszont nagyon is.


Hadd bátorítsalak Jézus szavaival, akár Halloween van, vagy sem: "
Úgy ragyogjon a ti világosságotok az emberek előtt, hogy lássák jó cselekedeteiteket, és dicsőítsék a ti mennyei Atyátokat." (Máté 5:16 )

Thursday, October 3, 2013

some thoughts on Pastor Chuck Smith & the future of Calvary Chapel

this afternoon my Facebook wall began to fill up with the news that Pastor Chuck Smith (the founding pastor and leader of the Calvary Chapel movement) had won his battle with cancer and moved home to Heaven.


though I had only met Pastor Chuck a few times, his life had profound influence upon mine. though I was far from being around at when the Jesus movement began I'm one of the many that felt it's effects. 

When I became a Christian in 1993, the church I was taken to was Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa. At the time I had no idea what Calvary was or who Chuck Smith was. But something "clicked" for me when I went to Calvary. I understood and felt that Jesus loves me.

After becoming a Christian, I had a desire to be at church as often as possible, so as much as I could, I attended every Bible study at Calvary Costa Mesa, both the youth group & the main service.  Now the thing is I knew I wanted to serve the Lord who saved me. 
Interestingly enough, the response by those at Calvary was "ok, go for it!" Little did I know at the time that this was very unusual. Most churches required a seminary degree before one could serve the Lord in the church. Pastor Chuck's philosophy was different (in my opinion Biblical); if someone wanted to serve the Lord then let's let them serve the Lord.

Nothing is more evident of this than when a young 18-year-old applied for missionary support so he could go serve the Lord in Baja, Hungary. Amazingly enough, that young man, along with many others over the years, was approved for financial support to take the Gospel to the Word. 

Since then I've been blessed to call myself a part of the Calvary Chapel family & for the past 13+ years a Calvary Chapel pastor. With Pastor Chuck moving home, I realize how amazing his vision was upon a whole generation of Christianity and many who are serving the Lord because He believed in the call of God instead of a paper saying one was qualified. So this evening I say, "thank you Jesus for the vision & heart you gave to Pastor Chuck to love people & get the Gospel out all over the world!" I know that I am doing what I'm doing because this is part of the legacy of Pastor Chuck; giving young men the opportunity to serve their Lord.

to be honest the question has been floating in the air for a while now of "what's going to happen to Calvary Chapel when Pastor Chuck dies?" it's something I've thought about & talked with others about. Yesterday I was riding the train up to Budapest to preach at Calvary Budapest & I took the time to do some reading in a book that the elders of Calvary Szeged & I are reading together at the moment, "Spiritual Leadership" by J. Oswald Sanders. I just "happened" to read chapter 19 yesterday about "replacing leaders" and I thought about how timely this was for the Calvary Chapel tribe of churches. Let me quote what Sanders said, “A work inspired by God and built on spiritual principles will survive the shock of leadership change and may even prosper as a result”.

  I believe Calvary Chapel IS a work inspired by God and built on spiritual principles. Pastor Chuck is with Jesus, but Jesus is still head of this church & I believe the best days of Calvary Chapel are still ahead of us because of the foundation that Pastor Chuck laid for all of us.

 What Pastor Chuck has taught all of us pastors is the importance of preaching the Gospel to the lost, teaching the Bible, loving the church, and giving people an opportunity to the next generation to take up the baton and run with it.

Thank you for running your race well Pastor Chuck. You will be missed but we will continue the work that the Lord Jesus began in & through you.

very sad yet thankful & rejoicing tonight,


kyle

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

2013 fall update

Dear Friends,

we hope you all had a great summer. let us share with you some of the happenings in our life & ministry here in Szeged.

family news

We were blessed to take part in 2 difference conferences this summer. the first was Central & Eastern European Leadership Conference at the Bible College in Vajta. It was a wonderful week of encouragement & fellowship with many leaders from all over this part of the world. We were super blessed to take some leaders from Golgota Szeged with us.

In August we were blessed to be able to go to the annual Calvary Chapel Missions Conference at The Castle in Austria. Again, a real time of encouragement through the teaching & meeting some new friends who are ministering in different places around Europe & the former Soviet Union.



We had our first real medical issue with our kids. A week ago Zara had an operation to repair a hernia. She was our brave little hero throughout the operation. Thankfully Odi was able to take her to the Children's Clinic in the morning & they were home in the afternoon. She is fully recovered and back in kindergarten. 

As we've said before we'd really like to make a trip back to the States next year, we're still looking at that and hope things work out for us to go.

ministry news

we had a wonderful time partnering with the Baptist church doing outreach in both Szeged & Hódmezővásárhely this summer. We continue to look forward to how God is going to use our partnership for His glory & kingdom in this region. We continue to host a monthly prayer breakfast for local church leaders & pastors. These are always great times to connect with and encourage one another.

as of late I've had a lot of teaching opportunities. Last Tuesday night I was once again invited to speak to the Baptist Youth Group. It's really a youth group for all the Christian youth here in Szeged. There were about 80-90 people in attendance. It's always great to be able to share with the next generation.

as I'm sitting down to write this I've just finished preparing a message that I'll be teaching at Calvary Budapest tomorrow evening as Pastor Phil Metzger will be out of the country. I'm truly honored to be teaching both services there tomorrow night as I talk about "the attitude of gratitude"

on October 20th I'll be teaching at Calvary Subotica. I always love being there & seeing what God is doing just right across the border from us.

On September 15th I began teaching a series through the Sermon on the Mount. This is in conjunction with the launch of 4 cell groups in 2 cities at Golgota Szeged. In our cell group meetings we're focusing on the things that are taught on Sunday mornings and discussing them more in depth.  We're hosting a group in our home and I'm co-leading it with a young man named Gábor. Gábor is a great guy & a future leader in the church and so I'm just coaching him as he leads.

On Wednesday nights we're continuing our journey through the Bible. At our current pace we hope to complete the first English/Hungarian through the Bible teach (which is all available for free online) in the next 6 months!!

This is one thing that I'm really blessed to be doing is coaching / encouraging leaders. Myself & the leaders of Gologta Szeged are getting together on a regular basis to talk about leadership as we're going through the great book "Spiritual Leadership" by Oswald Sanders together.  I'm also blessed to spend time with other pastors in our region & others on Skype. I know that these guys have been blessed by our time together too.

The elders of the church & I agreed that we need a little more direction and oversight in the worship ministry thus we've appointed Odi as the worship coordinator. She is now responsible for organizing the worship schedule and for implementing vision and new songs. Odi has the time, vision, and passion for this so it's a great fit. We're really excited about the changes that are happening in the worship ministry.

Later this month we'll be hosting a 10-day outreach team from the Bible College in Vajta. 7 people will be coming to minister with us. We've got opportunities for them to go into schools for conversational English lessons at schools in both Szeged & Hódmezővásárhely. We're excited to see what the Lord does during these 10 days.

One thing I've been encouraged to do by a couple people is to share some of the things I've learned over the years by writing. So recently I've been sharing my thoughts on different subjects & posting them on our blog here. Some of the posts are in both English & Hungarian because they are things that I'd like to communicate to our church.  So far there has been good response especially on a post I wrote a couple weeks ago with my thoughts on missions & money (http://kyleodi.blogspot.hu/2013/09/some-thoughts-on-missions-and-money.html

There is an exciting possible ministry opportunity opening up for me. should it happen I'll let you all know!

things to pray about

  • for wisdom for Odi as she is leading the worship ministry & for provision for a new guitar
  • for continued blessing upon our friendship with the other churches in Szeged
  • for the 10-day outreach from Vajta to be very fruitful
  • that God would continue to use Golgota Szeged locally and also to reach many who follow us on different social media outlets to get the Word of God to people.
  • boldness in sharing Jesus with people
  • more opportunities for ministry 
  • that God would use me to continue to encourage other ministry leaders & pastors. 
  • for God's continued provision & protection for our family
stay in touch


If you'd like to have more frequent updates about our lives and ministry here in Szeged here are how you can do so...

 Kyle's facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/kyleodi

 Kyle's twitter - @kyleeckhart -  https://twitter.com/kyleeckhart

 Golgota Szeged's facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Golgota-Szeged/136419214162

 Golgota Szeged's webpage - www.golgotaszeged.hu



giving


we know that finances are tight and there are many requests for funding, we'd like to ask once again if you'd prayerfully consider committing to a monthly donation of $20 to support us so that we can continue to minister in ways which we feel will be beneficial for the Kingdom of God in Szeged & our region.

If you'd like to support our ministry monthly or a one time gift you can do so through the following websites...

 Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa (in the pull down menu please select us)

 https://www.easytithe.com/f/?k=6SSHN0DEHB4KG6DH

 Calvary Chapel Vista 

 https://webview.shelbyinc.com/app/04423/Default.aspx?tabindex=1&tabid=17

 here you need to designate your offering to "missions" and in then in the note please say that it's for us.


Thank you!!

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

some thoughts on missions and money

As a Christian, we like talking about one of these two things, the other is a "personal" matter and we don't want anyone telling us what to do.

obviously a Christian should be excited in the idea of missions. Mission is simply continuing the work of God on the earth by the power of the Holy Spirit. It's taking the Good News of Jesus Christ to people who don't yet know Him. God's mission through His people begins in the book of Acts and continues to this very day. The Apostle Peter tells us that Christians are a, "royal priesthood" (1 Peter 2:9). This means that every single Christian should seek to be on mission for Jesus wherever He might have them (school, work, neighborhood, etc.)

But I want to talk about those people who, when they do their tax returns write "missionary" in the occupation line. I've been honored to write that on my tax return for the past 18 years. By the grace of God I hope to continue to write that as my occupation. I truly believe I've got the best job in the world. In my many years as a missionary, and more recently in my travels to visit other pastor/missionaries and my conversations with many, there is a subject that is on everyone's mind and hearts but it seems that so many are afraid to talk about it cause it seems so "unspiritual", and that's money. Now, if the Bible never spoke about money and if Jesus didn't teach so much about money I'd understand, but the Bible talks about money, wealth and possessions hundreds of times. Many of Jesus' parables dealt with the subject of money & possessions. So obviously it's important. 

For some reason it's just understood that missionaries are to be poor because they are to "live by faith". I've even heard missionaries say that pastors who came to visit them made comments like "man this is a nice car you're driving (even if second hand), looks like you don't need our support". My question is, why is it required of missionaries to be the only ones who "live by faith"? Now don't misunderstand me, I know times are difficult for everyone. I just want to help you, the reader, understand the situation a lot of missionaries are in. Many are living on far less than what they planned or budgeted for. This means not being able to buy a reliable car, take a family vacation, and not being able to go back to America to visit family, friends, and supporting churches for years. 

Many missionaries have, are, or are considering working a part-time job outside of the church just to make these things possible for their families. The only problem is, that it's so hard for people who are expected to do one thing (serve the church full-time) to have to choose to work a part-time job to give their families what others take for granted. 

For those of you (churches or individuals) who are regularly supporting missionaries THANK YOU!!! Your generosity is changing the lives of people all around the world.

For those of you who are reading this and know people who are missionaries, can I please ask you to consider joining in the work they are doing by supporting them financially? Now, let me say I'm not asking you to fork out hundreds of dollars a month towards missions (but if you can go for it!!!). I'd like to ask you, if you're an individual, to consider supporting a missionary you know $20 a month. I know we have a few people who support us like this and it means a lot!! It could mean a meal out for a couple, it could mean them being able to buy their kids the hygiene products their kids need for kindergarten, or just being able to put gas in the tank. If you're a church leader, would you consider supporting a missionary you know up to $100 a month. Many missionaries live month to month with no emergency fund or savings. It's not due to a lack of effort, it's due to a simple lack of funds. 

Now I know what you're thinking, I'm writing this to try to raise support. That is not my intent but if you know us and want to support us financially then we'd greatly appreciate that because we struggle with some of the things I've mentioned. But my desire in writing this is that you'd take a few minutes to consider those people you know serving the Lord all over the world and think about helping them serve the Lord in that freedom that they so desire.

If you'd like to support us financially there are a couple of ways you can do that. You can send your support for us to…

          Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa 

  • Calvary Chapel Vista

  • If you are a church and would like to send your support directly to us, then please contact us at kyleodi@gmail.com for more information.


In the name of all those I know who are serving our Lord and can continue to do so because of YOUR generosity, let me once again say THANK YOU!!!

Friday, August 30, 2013

some thoughts on social media | néhány gondolat a közösségi médiáról

(magyar lent van)

some thoughts on social media

I've got to admit, I love social media. I'm on Facebook, Twitter (@kyleeckhart) and Istagram. I love how through these different mediums I can stay connected with friends and family all over the world.  Something struck me as I was teaching through 2 Timothy 3. Paul is telling Timothy about the difficult times that will exists in the last days. The difficulty will be created by people, their attitudes and actions. One characteristic really stuck out to me, Paul said that people would be "boastful". To boast is speak excessively about yourself and your accomplishments. One downside to social media (and I do believe there are a few. such as addiction, disconnect from personal relationships, etc.) is that it feeds the desire to boast. If you don't believe me just take a look at your Facebook wall. What do you see? you see everyone talking about how awesome their life is, the great place they are or vacationed at, the amazing food they are eating, and the awesome plans they have for the weekend. 

So I guess my question is, what are you boasting in? What are you, as a Christian, talking about on Facebook?

I believe that as Christians we need to have a proper understand of how and why we should use social media. I think that part of that is to understand that social media is a venue in which we're to live and talk about our faith. We are Christians not only when we're at church, we're also Christians when we're on Facebook and Twitter. 

I believe that social media is a wonderful tool by which Christians can share the Gospel and the effects of the Gospel in our lives. Now I'm not saying that we shouldn't be posting stuff about ourselves. I know I like to share pictures of my family & things we're doing but I also love to share about what God is doing in Golgota Szeged (@golgotaszeged on twitter) and Scriptures that encourage me.

So I think in the digital age that we're living in we need begin to view social media as not only a place to talk about ourselves but as a mission field where we talk about Jesus. I do believe that God can and does use social media to encourage Christians and get the Gospel to people. I'm just concerned that we view these things as tools to promote self and not exalt Jesus. We should be using our social media not only for what we're doing but for what God is doing, not only for what we think but for sharing what God says in Scripture.

Let me encourage you to begin to think of how you can use social media in a strategic way to take the Gospel to people who might not otherwise hear.

For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”
 - Romans 10:13-15 

In our context Paul might write, how beautiful are the fingers that preach the Good News online.

Social media is a great tool. Let's use it for the greatest purpose of all, the Gospel.

kyle

Néhány gondolat a közösségi médiáról

El kell, hogy ismerjem, nagyon szeretem a közösségi médiát. Fennvagyok a Facebookon, Twitteren (@kyleeckhart) és az Instagramon is. Nagyon szeretem, ahogy a különböző eszközökön keresztül tudom tartani a kapcsolatot a barátaimmal és a családommal a világ minden tájáról. Viszont volt valami, ami belém hasított, ahogy a 2 Timóteus 3-at tanítottam. Pál Timóteusnak az utolsó napokban fellépő nehéz időkről beszél. Arról a nehézségről, amit az emberek a hozzáállásukkal és a tetteikkel teremtenek. Egy jellemző nagyon kiugrott, amikor Pál azt mondta, hogy az emberek "dicsekvők" lesznek. A dicsekvés az, amikor az ember túlzóan beszél saját magáról és a teljesítményéről. Az a közösségi média egyik árnyoldala (és szerintem van néhány pl függőség, elszakadás a személyes kapcsolatoktól, stb.), hogy az ember dicsekvési vágyát táplálja. Ha nem hiszed, csak nézd meg a Facebookodat. Mit látsz? Azt látod, hogy mindenki arról beszél, hogy az életük milyen csodálatos, milyen nagyszerű helyeken vannak/voltak nyaralni, milyen bámulatos ételeket esznek és milyen klassz terveik vannak a hétvégére. 

Szóval, gondolom az a kérdés merül fel, te mivel dicsekszel? Te keresztényként miről beszélsz a Facebookon? 

Úgy hiszem, hogy nekünk keresztényeknek pontosan kell látnunk, hogy miért és hogyan használjuk a közösségi médiát. Azt gondolom, hogy ez abból áll, hogy megértjük, hogy a közösségi média egy találkozóhely, ahol nekünk meg kell élnünk a hitünket és beszélnünk kell arról. Nem csak a gyülekezetben vagyunk keresztények, hanem a Facebookon és a Twitteren is. 

Hiszem azt, hogy a közösségi média egy csodálatos eszköz, amivel a keresztények meg tudják osztani az Evangéliumot és az Evangélium hatását az életünkben. Nem azt mondom, hogy nem volna szabad kiraknunk semmit magunkról. Szeretek megosztani képeket a családomról és arról, hogy miket csinálunk, de azt is nagyon szeretem megosztani, hogy mit tesz Isten a szegedi Golgotában (@golgotaszeged a Twitteren) és azokat az Igehelyeket, amelyek bátorítanak. 

Szóval azt gondolom, hogy ebben a digitális korban, amiben élünk, ideje, hogy a közösségi médiát ne csak egy olyan helynek tekintsük, ahol saját magunkról beszélünk, hanem egy missziós mezőnek is, ahol Jézusról beszélünk. Hiszem, hogy Isten tudja és szokta is használni a közösségi médiát arra, hogy keresztényeket bátorítson és eljuttassa az Evangéliumot  embereknek. Csak amiatt aggódom, hogy ezeket az eszközöket arra használjuk, hogy saját magunkat reklámozzuk, és nem arra, hogy Jézust magasztaljuk. Ne csak arra használjuk a közösségi médiát, hogy mi mit csinálunk, hanem arra is, hogy mit tesz Isten, nem csak arról, hogy mi mit gondolunk, hanem azt is osszuk meg, hogy mit mond Isten az Igéjében. 

Hagy bátorítsalak arra, hogy kezdj el gondolkodni azon, hogy hogyan tudnád stratégiai szempontból használni a közösségi médiát arra, hogy eljuttathasd az Evangéliumot az embereknek, akik lehet, hogy másként ezt nem hallhatnák.

Hiszen "aki segítségül hívja az Úr nevét, üdvözül." De hogyan hívják segítségül azt, akiben nem hisznek? Hogyan is higgyenek abban, akit nem hallottak? Hogyan hallják meg igehirdető nélkül? És hogyan hirdessék, ha nem küldettek el? Így van megírva: „Milyen kedves azoknak a jövetele, akik az evangéliumot hirdetik!” - Róma 10:13-15 

A mi esetünkben Pál azt mondhatta volna, milyen kedves azoknak az ujja, akik a Jó Hírt az interneten hirdetik.

A közösségi média egy nagyszerű eszköz. Használjuk hát a legnagyobb cél, az Evangélium érdekében.


kyle

Saturday, August 17, 2013

Let's connect | Tartsunk össze


If you're reading this then I'm guessing that you are, in some way, connected with Golgota Szeged. Because you are let me share something that has always bothered me. Over the years we've had so many people come visit our church & usually we talk with them & when they leave we hope they'll return. Some have, more have not! If you've come back, thank you!
I want to try to put a stop to this trend because I think when we let people come & leave with the "hope" that they'll come we're not caring for people as much as we should. We don't want to be pushy but we also want to care about everyone who walks through the doors simply because God loves them & cares for them.
To help stop this we've designed "connection cards". When a new person comes to the church we want to get one of these cards into their hands so that we can connect & follow up with them. 

Why is connection important for new visitors? 

A few weeks ago a family came to church from Makó. A couple people talked with them and learned that they heard about Golgota Szeged on the internet and came to check us out because they go to a church in Makó but it's not a good church and there aren't any good churches in that city. They said that there were a lot of people like them there. It looked like a possible opportunity for us but because no one got their contact information they are now "lost in the wind". 
I believe our church is a good church. I believe that our church can be used by God to help lots of people & see them built up in the Christian faith, but that can't happen if we let them slip away. 
If we love people, we should pursue people.

Why is connection important for you?

Connection isn't just important for new people in our church, connection is important for those of all already attending Golgota Szeged. As we're studying the 7 churches in Revelation we see that Jesus is talking to churches. The majority of the New Testament epistles are written to churches. Paul encourages Timothy to "…pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart." (2 Timothy 2:22) What Paul is saying is that we need other Christians in our lives if we're going to be successful in pursuing these things cause we can't do life alone.

That is why I'm really excited about launching our cell groups this September. For many this is the next step you need to take in your Christian life. Connecting with other believers to dig deeper into God's Word and sharing your life with them. Over 50 times the Bible gives us a "one another" statement. Love one another, bear one another's burdens, pray for one another, comfort one another, forgive one another, bear with one another, encourage one another. These things are impossible to do alone and not too easy to do in the context of a Sunday service or a Wednesday night Bible Study.

We're planning on launching 3-4 cell groups in connection with a big sermon series I'll be preaching through the Sermon on the Mount starting September 15th. 

what I'm asking..

  1. talk to new people when they walk in the door & get them a connection card. Connection cards are available  at the bar in both English & Hungarian. Please have guests fill them out & put it in the offering box or get it back to one of the church leaders so we can follow up. 
  2. get connected to a cell group. 
  3. pray about how you can get people better connected with Jesus through Golgota Szeged. 

looking forward to a better, stronger connection!

kyle


Ha ezt most olvasod, akkor feltételezem, hogy valamilyen formában kötődsz a Golgota Szegedhez. Mivel ez így van, had osszak meg veled valamit, ami mindig is zavart. Az évek során rengeteg ember látogatott el hozzánk a gyülekezetbe és általában beszélgettünk velük és amikor elmentek reméltük, hogy majd visszajönnek.

Néhányan visszajöttek de még többen nem! Ha te visszajöttél, akkor köszi!

Szeretném ezt a folyamatot megállítani, mert azt gondolom, hogy ha hagyjuk, hogy az emberek csak jöjjenek és menjenek azzal a „reménnyel”, hogy majdcsak visszajönnek, akkor nem törődünk velük annyira, amennyire kellene. Nem akarunk nyomulni, inkább csak törődni azokkal az emberekkel, akik bejönnek az ajtón egyszerűen csak azért, mert Isten szereti őket és törődik velük.

Hogy ezt megakadályozzuk „kapcsolat kártyákat” terveztünk. Azt szeretnénk, hogy amikor egy új ember bejön a gyülekezetbe kapjon egy ilyen kártyát, hogy kapcsolatot tudjuk építeni vele.

Miért ilyen fontos az új látogatókkal való kapcsolat?

Néhány héttel ezelőtt jött egy család Makóról. Néhányan beszélgettek velük és megtudták, hogy az interneten hallottak a Golgota Szegedről és azért látogattak meg bennünket, mert ahova  Makóra járnak gyülekezetbe az nem jó gyülekezet és nem is igen van jó gyülekezet a városban. Azt is mondták, hogy sok hozzájuk hasonló ember van Makón. Ez egy lehetőségnek látszott számunkra, de mivel senki sem kért el tőlük semmilyen elérhetőséget valahogy „elfújta őket a szél”.

Hiszem azt, hogy a gyülekezetünk egy jó gyülekezet. Hiszem, hogy Isten tudja használni a gyülekezetünket, hogy sok embernek segítsen és láthassa őket a keresztény hitben épülni, de ez csak akkor történhet meg, ha nem hagyjuk őket kisiklani.

Ha szeretjük az embereket, nekünk kell utánuk mennünk.

Miért fontos neked a kapcsolat?

A kapcsolat nemcsak az új embereknek fontos, de mindenkinek, aki a Golgota Szegedbe jár. Ahogy most a Jelenések könyve hét gyülekezetét tanulmányozzuk, azt láthatjuk, hogy Jézus a gyülekezetekhez szól. Az Újszövetségi levelek nagy része gyülekezeteknek íródott. Pál arra bátorítja Timóteust, hogy: „Törekedj viszont az igazságra, a hitre, a szeretetre, a békességre azokkal együtt, akik tiszta szívből hívják segítségül az Urat.” (2 Timóteus 2:22). Azt mondja itt Pál, hogy szükségünk van más keresztényekre az életünkben, hogyha sikeresek akarunk lenni e dolgok elérésében, mert nem tudjuk az életet egyedül élni.

na ezért vagyok tényleg izgatott a most szeptemberben induló Sejtcsoportok kapcsán. Sokatoknak ez a következő lépés, amit meg kell tennetek a keresztény életetekben. Más keresztényekkel kapcsolatot építeni, mélyebbre ásni Isten Igéjében és megosztani az életünket egymással. A Biblia több, mint 50 alkalommal említi az „egymást” kifejezést. Szeressétek egymást, hordozzátok egymás terheit, imádkozzatok egymásért, hordozzátok egymást, bátorítsátok egymást. Ezeket a dolgokat lehetetlen megtenni egyedül, és nem könnyű a vasárnapi Istentisztelet, vagy a szerdai Bibliaóra keretén belül.

Szeptember 15-től 3-4 sejtcsoport indítását tervezzük, melynek alapja a Hegyi Beszédre épülő prédikáció sorozatom lesz.

Amit kérek…

Beszélgessetek az új emberekkel, amikor bejönnek az ajtón és adjatok nekik egy kapcsolat kártyát. A kapcsolatkártyák elérhetők a bárpultnál mind magyarul, mind pedig angolul. Kérjétek meg a vendégeket, hogy töltsék ki ezeket a kártyákat és dobják be az adománygyűjtő dobozba, vagy adják oda valamelyik gyülekezetvezetőnek, hogy tovább tudjuk építeni a kapcsolatot
Kapcsolódj be egy sejtcsoportba. 
Imádkozz azzal kapcsolatban, hogy hogyan tudod az embereket közelebb vinni Jézushoz a Golgota Szegeden keresztül.. 

Már alig várom a jobb, erősebb kapcsolatokat!

kyle

Thursday, July 11, 2013

I am nobody | senki vagyok

(magyar lent van)

 I am nobody

Do you ever feel like this? That in the big scheme of things that you're really not important? I think we'd all like to think of ourselves as being a person of great importance but then reality hits us that we're not as important as we think. Now that's kind of depressing, isn't it! 

I was reminded of something recently. I've been reading through 1 Chronicles as I make my way through the Bible this year. And honestly the first 10 chapters of 1 Chronicles is boring! I know I've skipped over these chapters before, if you've ever tried to read them then you might have done the same. But if we skip over these chapters the we miss a very important Biblical truth: everyone is important to God. See I don't believe that God wastes space so everything God said in the Bible means something, even if we don't understand it. 

I believe that the big message of the first 10 chapters of 1 Chronicles is that everyone is important and valuable to God. That means not only you but also the people we interact with, from the person who serves us our coffee to the person who sits next to us at church.  So the question is how are we treating these people? Are we demanding jerks cause they forgot to do things exactly the way we wanted? Do we treat them as someone lower than us because they are serving us? Do we care about them as men and women who are image bearers of God? 

In Luke 19 there is the story of when Jesus was entering into the city of Jericho. Obviously because of the fame of Jesus everyone wanted to see him so people packed the streets hoping to get a look (they would have Instagramed this event if they could!) There was a man named Zacchaeus there. If Jesus was famous, Zacchaeus was infamous.  Everyone knew him as the traitor because though a Jew he sold himself out and was working for the Roman government as a tax collector, as a matter of fact he was the chief tax collector of the area. So he used Roman muscle to collect taxes and he made a lot of money by going "Godfather" on his own people. He was the type of guy you knew about and you hated him.  The interesting thing is that he wanted to see Jesus too but because he was short of stature he had to climb a tree to see Jesus. As Jesus walked into the city, he looked up in the tree and called Zacchaeus by name saying, "Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today." You can read the story of Zacchaeus' life changing encounter in Luke 19:1-10 but the point I want to make is that Jesus knew Zacchaeus and called him by name. He was despised by many but important to and loved by Jesus. 

So what am I trying to say, well you need to firstly know that Jesus knows you & you are important to him.  You may be a "nobody" to this world but you're a "somebody" to him. Now, I think normally a lot of people would be happy to stop right here knowing that Jesus loves me & knows who I am. But we'd be missing the big point if we did. Our view of Jesus & Christianity has become so self-focused that we forget that Jesus told us to "love God and love others" not "love God and love self".  

The point I want to make is that yes people are valuable and important to God and in our interactions with others, regardless if they are people in our own church or somebody we'd consider a "sinner" like Zacchaeus, we need to treat them with the value and importance they deserve as image bearers of God. See Zacchaeus had a life change cause Jesus loved & cared about him. I think we could see the same kind life change in people if we'd tread them like Jesus did. 
  
You might feel like you're a nobody but you might be just the person that somebody else needs. God wants to use you to bring real change in someone's life. Let's get our focus off of ourselves and love and care for others like Jesus.


Senki vagyok

 Érezted már így magad valaha? Hogy a nagy dolgok rendjében, te tényleg nem vagy fontos? Azt hiszem, mindannyian szeretünk úgy gondolni magunkra, mint nagy jelentőségű személyre, de aztán lesújtó a valóság, nem vagyunk olyan fontosak, mint azt gondolnánk. Azért ez elég lehangoló, nem igaz?

Eszembe jutott valami az utóbbi időben. Az 1 Krónikánál tartok, ahogy ebben az évben haladok végig a Biblián. És őszintén szólva az 1 Krónikák első 10 fejezete unalmas! Tudom, hogy az ember átugorja ezeket a fejezeteket, ahogy valószínűleg te is ezt tetted, ha valaha is próbáltad elolvasni ezt a könyvet. De ha ezeket a fejezeteket átugorjuk egy nagyon fontos bibliai igazságról maradunk le: mindenki fontos Istennek. Mert hogy nem hiszem, hogy Isten csak a helyet akarná kitölteni, úgyhogy minden, amint Isten mond a Bibliában, az jelent is valamit akkor is, ha nem értjük meg.


Hiszem, hogy az 1 Krónikák első 10 fejezetének nagy üzenete az, hogy Istennek mindenki fontos és értékes. Ez azt jelenti, nem csak te, hanem azok az emberek is, akikkel kapcsolatba kerülsz, attól az embertől kezdve, aki felszolgálja a kávét, addig az emberig, aki mellettünk ül a gyülekezetben. Tehát a kérdés az, hogy hogyan bánunk ezekkel az emberekkel? Vajon követelőző bunkók vagyunk,  mert nem pontosan úgy  csinálták a dolgokat, ahogy mi akartuk? Nem kezeljük le őket, kevesebbre tartva őket magunknál csak mert ők szolgálnak minket? Úgy bánunk velük, mint olyan emberekkel, akik Isten képmásának hordozói?

A Lukács 19-ben van egy történet, amikor Jézus éppen belér Jerikóba. Nyilvánvalóan a hírneve miatt mindenki látni akarja Jézust, úgyhogy az utca tele van emberekkel abban a reményben, hogy egy pillantást vethetnek rá (biztos egyből tették volna fel a képeket a netre, ha lehetett volna!) Volt ott egy Zákeus nevű ember. Ha Jézus híres volt, hát Zákeus inkább hírhedt. Mindenki árulóként tekintett rá, mert bár zsidó volt, eladta magát és a római kormányzatnak dolgozott, mint vámszedő, sőt mi több, valójában ő volt a fő vámszedő ezen a területen. Római erőt használt tehát, hogy beszedje az adókat és egy csomó pénzt keresett, hogy a saját népén"keresztapáskodott". Ő az a fajta fickó volt, akit mindenki ismert és utált. Az érdekes dolog az, hogy ő is látni akarta Jézust, de mivel kistermetű volt fel kellett másznia egy fára, hogy láthassa Jézust. Amikor Jézus bement a városba, felnézett a fára, és nevén szólítotat Zákeust és azt mondta: „Zákeus, szállj le hamar, mert ma a te házadban kell megszállnom.” Elolvashatod Zákeus találkozásának történetét, amely megváltoztatta az életetét a Lukács 19:1-10-ben de a lényeg az, hogy Jézus ismerte Zákeust, és nevén szólította. Sokan megvetették, de Jézus fontosnak tartotta és szerette őt.
Szóval mit is akartam mondani, nos először istudnod kell, hogy Jézus ismer téged, és fontos vagy neki. Lehet, hogy egy "senki" vagy ezen a világon, de te neki "valaki" vagy. Nos, azt hiszem, általában egy csomó ember szívesen venné, ha itt megállnék, tudván, hogy Jézus szeret engem és tudja, ki vagyok. De a lényeg veszne el, ha ezt tennénk. Annyira  énközpontúvá vált az , hogy hogyan tekintünk Jézusra és a kereszténységre, hogy elfelejtjük, hogy Jézus azt mondta nekünk, hogy "szeressük Istent és a szeressünk másokat" nem "szeressük Istent és saját magunkat".

A lényeg, amit ki akartam fejezni az, hogy igen, az emberek értékesek és fontosak Istennek és a másokkal való kapcsolatainkban, függetlenül attól, hogy az emberek a mi gyülekezetünkbe járnak, vagy valaki akit mi "bűnös"-nek tartunk, mint Zákeus, fontos és értékes embereknek kell tartanunk őket, amit megérdemelnek, hiszen Isten képmásának hordozói. Hiszen Zákeusnak is azért változott meg az élete mert Jézus szerette és törődött vele. Azt hiszem, hasonlóan megváltozott életeket láthatunk, ha úgy bánunk az emberekkel, ahogy Jézus.

Lehet, hogy úgy érzed magad, mintha egy senki volnál, de lehet, hogy épp te vagy az a személy, akire valakinek szüksége van. Isten arra akar használni téged, hogy valódi változást hozzon valakinek az életében. Vegyük  le a figyelmünket saját magunkról és úgy szeressünk másokat és úgy törődjünk velük, mint Jézus

Thursday, May 30, 2013

2013 spring/summer update

Dear Friends,

 we'd like to share with you some of the happenings in our life & ministry here in Szeged.

Family news
better late than never! 

  this month I (Kyle) finished my studies at Calvary Chapel Bible College Europe and received a BA in Theology. I was honored to be part of the first class to graduate from the accredited degree program.  I wrote my thesis on Biblical leadership focusing on lots of practical things from the book of Nehemiah. I'm been encouraged to expound on some things (I was limited on space in my thesis) and consider self-publishing this as a short book. It's something I might do over the summer but my real desire would be to have it translated into Hungarian so I can help provide a resource for Hungarian church leaders (good resources are hard to come by in Hungarian).

 we were hoping to make a trip to California this summer but it's just not going to work out for us this year so we're going to being to focus and save for a trip next summer. we're kind of disappointed that we can't go this summer but on the other hand we're excited to be going to Austria in August for the missions conference at the Castle. 

recently we found out about a change in the immigration laws here in Hungary and now because we've been married for over 10 years (coming up on 14 years this summer) I (Kyle) am eligible for the expedited citizenship process meaning I don't have to take a test in Hungarian history and politics that most Hungarians couldn't pass and even better I don't have to pay for the test (about $240 or the entire process). So a couple weeks ago I applied and I should get Hungarian citizenship in 4-6 months. People might think I have to give up my US citizenship but that's not the case. I will be a dual citizen. 

now that the kids are a little older Odi has picked up the guitar once again and has been practicing a lot. Recently she began participating in the worship ministry at church and now regularly leads the music at church at least twice a month. God really as blessed her with an ability to lead in worship & I know the church is blessed when she leads. 

at the end of June we're looking forward to going to a leadership conference with some of the leaders of Golgota Szeged.

We know that finances are tight for many people right now and there are many requests for funding, but we'd like to once again ask if you'd prayerfully consider committing to a monthly donation of $20 to us for 2013. This will allow us to minister to others in a way in which we feel will be beneficial for the Kingdom in Szeged & our region

church news

summer is traditionally a down time for us as a church because many students are gone and people go on vacation. but so far this summer is shaping up to be busier than normal. 

in June the Szeged Baptist church as asked us to partner with them in 2 one week outreach events. the first will be here in Szeged. They will have family programs throughout the day and teaching in the evening. Every afternoon from June 17-21 we'll be teaching kids how to play American Football. On Thursday night I'll be giving a talk called "meeting with friends". I'll be focusing on what Biblical friendship is and how God calls us into friendship with Him through the Gospel. 

the second week of outreach will be in Hódmezővásárhely. The Baptists have a church there and they want to help us plant a Golgota there & to do so they've invited us to be involved in the week long outreach event there. They will have a "Golgota night" there as well where one of our elders, Norbi (who is leading the core group in Vásárhely) will be preaching. The Baptists are doing some advertising there with the local radio station. The organizer of the event there called me and asked if I'd be willing to come over for an hour-long interview on the radio to talk about this outreach. He said that the radio was very interested in having an American on their show, so next Wednesday morning I'll be going to Hódmezővásárhely for a radio interview.
Fekete Sas Cultural Building in Hódmezővásárhely

one thing we're really excited about is launching small groups (we're calling them "cell groups") in September. our desire is to see authentic Christian friendships form in a group that is focused on the Word of God. Our cell groups will be based on the sermon from the previous Sunday. So this fall we're going to be studying through the Sermon on the Mount on Sunday mornings and then we'll be looking at how those principles work out practically in the context of our cell groups. there seems to be great intrest and buzz for the cell groups so we're excited! We're going to spend the months of July & August training cell group leaders and hosts so we can launch in September. 

we continue to be blessed by the reports of God using our online live-streaming of our services & our YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWIyjV_CHWqh75BoM3xLu_g) to reach believers all over the world. In the past couple of months we've heard from Hungarian Christians from Canada & Sweden who are regularly listening to our services along with many others from within Hungary.

we're hoping that our church website can be redesigned and updated soon with more and new content. 

prayer requests

 - for wisdom with possibly writing a book on leadership
 - for Odi to grow in her worship leading skills & for a new guitar
 - for God's continued provision for our family
 - for fruitful outreaches as we partner with the Baptist church here in Szeged & 
   in Hódmezővásárhely.
 - for wisdom & favor as I do a radio interview in Hódmezővásárhely on 
   Wednesday June 5th.
 - that God would bless the cell groups that are launching in September
 - for God's continued blessing upon our social media as the Word is going out 
   online & on YouTube.
 - that we'd be able to get our church website redesigned soon 

thankful for you all!

in Jesus,

 kyle, odi, zara, kiera

stay in touch


If you'd like to have more frequent updates about our lives and ministry here in Szeged here are how you can do so...

 Kyle's facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/kyleodi

 Kyle's twitter - @kyleeckhart -  https://twitter.com/kyleeckhart

 Golgota Szeged's facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Golgota-Szeged/136419214162

 Golgota Szeged's webpage - www.golgotaszeged.hu



giving


If you'd like to support our ministry monthly or a one time gift you can do so through the following websites...

 Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa (in the pull down menu please select us)

 https://www.easytithe.com/f/?k=6SSHN0DEHB4KG6DH

 Calvary Chapel Vista 

 https://webview.shelbyinc.com/app/04423/Default.aspx?tabindex=1&tabid=17

 here you need to designate your offering to "missions" and in then in the note please say that it's for us.


Friday, May 10, 2013

is it worth it? | megéri?

(magyar lent van)

is it worth it?

I know it's been a couple of weeks since I've written. Honestly, I didn't feel like I had anything to write. but that's ok. I was recently thinking about results. the truth is in today's world if results aren't see immediately then you're considered a failure. if results don't increase year on year, then your a failure. but the question for me, as a child of God, someone who has given the last 18 years of their life serving God in Hungary, should I measure my success this way? Long ago I came to understand that what God considers success and what the world considers success are two completely different things. I don't just say this as a way to soothe my soul because I don't see results like the world. I say this because it's true.

After Paul the Apostle explained the reality & the result of the resurrection of Jesus, he told the Corinthian church this, "therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding int he work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain." (1 Corinthians 15:58). Because Jesus is alive, what we do for Him is NOT in vain even if we don't see the results. 

I must admit that I've gone through many a time where I've questioned if my labor for the Lord in Szeged mattered. I've recently (and graciously) been reminded that it does. Recently a new couple came to church on a Wednesday night.Being newcomers I greeted them and asked how they heard about the church & if they were from Szeged. They told me that they were originally from Szeged but they regularly listen to us online because they live in Canada and attend a Hungarian church there. They heard about Golgota Szeged because on of the pastors there has been listening to our services and been preparing his messages from what he's been hearing. Now I must admit this completely blew me away!!

Also I've been witnessing, again and again, how the Gospel is slowly but surely changing people into the image of Christ. How marriages are being restored, how people are coming to faith.

So let me encourage you, that you might not ever see the result of your labor for the Lord wherever you are but be assured that God sees your faithful labor for His Kingdom and your labor is not in vain. So stop thinking that it is and get back on mission and take the Gospel to where God has you.

your fellow laborer,

kyle 

Megéri?

Tudom, hogy már néhány hete, hogy nem írtam, őszintén szólva, nem igazán volt mit írnom. De jól van ez így. Mostanában az eredményeken gondolkozom. Az az igazság, hogy manapság, ha nem látnak eredményeket azonnal, akkor bénának találnak. Ha az eredmények nem növekednek évről évre, akkor sikertelen vagy. De számomra, Isten gyermekeként és olyan valakiként, aki életének utóbbi 18 évét Isten szolgálatának szentelte Magyarországon, az a kérdés, hogy így kell-e mérnem a sikert? Már régen rájöttem arra, hogy amit Isten tekint sikernek és amit a világ, az két teljesen más dolog. Nem csak azért mondom, hogy megnyugtassam a lelkem, mert nem látok a világ szerinti sikereket, azért mondom, mert ez az igazság.

Miután Pál apostol elmagyarázta Jézus feltámadásának valóságát és annak eredményét, azt mondta a korinthusi gyülekezetnek: "Ezért, szeretett testvéreim, legyetek szilárdak, rendíthetetlenek, buzgólkodjatok mindenkor az Úr munkájában, hiszen tudjátok, hogy fáradozásotok nem hiábavaló az Úrban." (1 Korinthus 15:58). Mivel Jézus él, amit érte teszünk, az NEM hiábavaló, még akkor sem, ha nem látunk eredményeket.

El kell, hogy ismerjem, sokszor átmentem már olyan időszakokon, amikor megkérdőjeleztem, hogy vajon az Úrért való munkám Szegeden számít-e? Isten mostanában (kegyelmesen) emlékeztetett arra, hogy nagyon is számít. Nemrégiben egy új házaspár jött a gyülekezetbe az egyik szerda este. Újak lévén, köszöntöttem őket és megkérdeztem, hogy honnan hallottak a gyülekezetről és hogy szegediek-e. Azt mondták, hogy eredetileg szegediek, de rendszeresen online hallgatnak bennünket, mert Kanadában élnek és ott járnak egy magyar nyelvű gyülekezetbe. Onnan hallottak a Golgota Szegedről, hogy az egyik ottani pásztor a mi alkalmainkat hallgatja és abból készül az Istentiszteletre. El kell, hogy ismerjem ettől teljesen elámultam!!
Annak is újra és újra tanúja voltam, ahogy az Evangélium szépen lassan az embereket Krisztus képére formálja. Hogy álltak helyre házasságok, emberek hogyan jutottak hitre.

Had bátorítsalak azzal tehát, hogy lehet, hogy sosem fogod meglátni az Úrért végzett munkád eredményét akárhol is légy, de tudd, hogy Isten látja, hogy hűségesen munkálkodsz az Ő Királyságáért és a munkád nem hiábavaló. Ne gondold tehát, hogy nem számít, hanem menj vissza a misszióba és vidd el az Evangéliumot oda, ahová Isten helyezett téged. 

munka-társad

kyle