He has joy. What’s my problem?

Posted on by Spanky Rouse

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So, he doesn’t look very happy here. He had never seen a camera before and was checking it out. He also loved suckers and could unwrap them and put them in his mouth by using  just his feet. That is talented!

“Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart…”                        “I desire to do your will O my God…”                                                                                                  “You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing…”                                          “He fulfills the desires of those who fear him…”                                                                         (Psalms 37:45; 40:8; 145:16,19)

 

Every so often I think about this boy. I meet him on one of our trips to Uganda when we use to mobilize a mobile medical clinic to serve the local churches out in the bush (the middle of no where Africa).

I get caught up in what I need, want, and am working towards and forget about where true joy and satisfaction comes from. I find my self operating in the mind-set that, if I can get my needs meet, wants provided for, and goals accomplished I will be happy, feel complete, and experience real peace. It is all a lie!

I know it is a lie because I have met this little guy. He was born with no arms and has very little possessions and success in this world. He lives in a dirt floor hut, eats less than he should eat everyday (if he eats everyday), has no regular medical care near him, wears the same clothes day after day, and did I mention he has no arms. This little guy has Jesus and a joy that is unlike most in this world.

I know that those things I think will bring me joy are nothing more than surface layer desires and some even distorted desires. Let’s be honest when we get what we are striving after are we satisfied? If I reach a certain goal does it quench that longing in side of me? When I have those experiences like an amazing vacation is life really all that fulfilling? Not really. Ok, to be fair it is all good for a moment or a season and I am not saying to not pursue these or that they are bad. It’s just that I usually find my self back in that place of need, want, and seeking after to gain joy and satisfaction pretty soon, if not immediately.

So what now? How can I obtain this joy that this little boy who has barely life has?

Good news, there is a “fix to all” to this. It does cost me something but the cost is really isn’t that much of a cost to me. Surrender (abandon oneself entirely to, give in to, hand over the controls to). When I surrender and surrender daily to the love of the Father that is when I find my deepest longings and desires can be completely meet. He is the one and only (I AM) that can quench my thirst. He created me with desires and passions, therefore why would I not let Him be the one who satisfies those things in me.

What is the biggest desire you have today? It probably just came to mind, didn’t it?

Think about it for a moment. If you got that thing, had that relationship, accomplished that goal, etc., would you really be happy?

Take some time to prayerfully consider, “what is it I desire more than anything”. Surrender that to the One who loves you more than anything and let Him fulfill your deepest longings. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal your deep longings and desires so the Father can engage with you in a way you have never experienced before.

“Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart…”                        “I desire to do your will O my God…”                                                                                                  “You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing…”                                          “He fulfills the desires of those who fear him…”                                                                         (Psalms 37:45; 40:8; 145:16,19)

Battle for the Heart

Posted on by Spanky Rouse

Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men of courage, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love. 1 Corinthians 16:13-14 

Above all else, guard your heart,
    for everything you do flows from it. Proverbs 4:23

This past weekend I was privileged to attend a retreat with some guys that I work with here at UWM (United World Mission). Honestly, I had too much going on and this felt like just an event that I couldn’t wait to be over. Little did I know the Father was going to meet me there. And He was going to radically transform my heart that will then offer life and growth to every other part of my life.

The Battle for the Heart is a long weekend but it is so much more than an event. I was blessed to go with 4 other men that serve with UWM and spend 4 days outside Birmingham, Al learning about this battle that is going on inside each of us. This time was about each one of us learning who God has created us to be as men, what He has chosen each of us to do, how evil is hunting my heart constantly, and how a community/fellowship can protect and propel me into the Larger story of life…His ultimate story.

After the first night I went to bed thinking that my head was going to explode! It was like drinking water from a fire hose. I was ready to go home. I felt like I had only begun to realize just how messed up I was and felt like I was a big ball of tangled mess.

The second day things began to move to my heart as I processed them with my group and alone with the Lord. The mix of large group times, small group conversations, and time sitting in the woods asking the Father to speak to me were pretty moving!

The third day was all about the Father revealing His amazing love for us and me seeing me the way He truly sees me. I had a face to face moment with God that completly blew me away.

On Sunday, the last day of the retreat, I was able to start putting all of the pieces together. I was also able to share them with a group of men that were now brothers not just co-workers of mine. We spent that morning telling one another what we see God doing in each persons life, affirming the unique glory of the Father coming out of their life, and challenging one another to live out His purpose in their life, family, marriage, work, ministries, etc. This was a powerful moment!

Before this weekend I had heard two friends at work talk about this retreat and how it was the most impactful thing that they have ever been a part of other than receiving Jesus. I honestly thought it was a sales pitch to get us there. I even told one of them that and he said, “well, what do you think now?” After going through this weekend and now knowing that get to walk with these men for the next year, I am sold! It honestly is the best, most important, impactful, life changing, transformational thing that I have been a part of other than Jesus saving me from my sin!!! My life, marriage, children, ministry, and every other relationship in life will never be the same again! My HEART will never be the same again, Praise the Lord!

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I could talk for days about my experience and how the Lord meet with me! It was a sweet, sacred time that I am so thankful for. Instead of talking about everything that I heard, learned, and experienced I thought I would list just 5 of the 1000’s of quotes or truths gained:

  1. I am His Beloved, I am enough just the way I am, and I am an image bearer of God Himself.
  2. Deceitful Desires: Expecting fulfilment of a surface desire – any material, experiential, positional, or relational desire – to satisfy a deeper desire. Only God can satisfy a deep desire.
  3. Our deepest desires aren’t bad. They were put in us by the Father himself because they reflect who He is and who I truly am.
  4. I can have impact not only by what I can do but simply by being – being who God created me to be.
  5. Evil is hunting me today because I am a danger to him. Evil is going to cleverly try to get me off track through fear, anxiousness, and pride so I am not able to live and love as the man God created me to be to my domain (life, marriage, family, work, ministry, friends, etc.)

I would strongly encouarge every person I know to attend and go through the Battle for the Heart! If you are interested click here and if you would like to hear more from me about this time I would love to share. Just let me know!

 

Stories from Senegal

Posted on by Spanky Rouse

ctc_04_img0959I received this story from a missionary that I get to serve with in Senegal, West Africa. I asked them if I could share this story and they were glad for me to do this because of the One who gets the glory from it. It is a story of how God is still at work even when the Evil one has such a strong hold. I pray that this encourages you and opens your eyes to see how God is at work in your day and life.

What we are about to share with you is a story of power, a story of who God is , a story of salvation and deliverance. It’s a story that involves you and I and those who are in Christ’s kingdom here in Senegal.

We are still awed at how God works in different ways around the world and yet He never wavers or changes. He is an absolute constant, a faithful Rock. He is all powerful!!

In this story I am going to use different names for the safety of us all.

A STORY OF SALVATION AND DELIVERANCE

Our story unfolds in one of the villages we minster to along with Mission Inter Senegal “MIS”. It is a story about two wives who came to know Christ in a most unusual terrifying way! The entire family is actually saved now.

These two ladies are now part of the church in this village and their story of salvation is mind-blowing and miraculous! A Sene and F Sene are both married to the same husband. There husband was a very evil man and practiced witchcraft. In fact he was the right hand man of a super powerful man witch called a Laga. They deal deeply in demonic activity. In order for A and F’s husband to maintain his power he has to do what the Laga tells him to do. This involved sacrificing his own children.

A, his first wife, only had two children left so the husband tried to take children from his second wife, F, to sacrifice. F was a very outgoing lady and very talkative, boisterous and loud. According to the Laga and demonic spirits they like to perform rituals secretly, under the radar so to speak. F was so loud and talkative about the situation to the village that the Laga and the demons refused to use her children for sacrifices. A and F’s husband had to quickly come up with a child to sacrifice. The Laga, through the influence of the demonic spirits, grew impatient with A and F’s husband and cast a spell on him and he died quickly.

Now the Laga was looking for someone to replace A and F’s husband to continue the demonic work in the village. He chose A’s eldest son P to replace his father. A and P were terrified and could not stop the events that were about to take place.

The demons attacked P in the form of a bull but only P could see this bull. It was a terrifying situation for all the family and those nearby even. P was under such fierce combat with the demons he appeared crazy!

A and F remembered how a women by the name of E who was the wife of the pastor in this village, was delivered from demons by a group of people at an evangelical center. They did not know where to turn for help and this was the only thing they could think of that could help A’s son P.

So they sent P to the same place that E received deliverance from the demons. At the evangelical center they prayed for P. He was delivered instantly from the demons. P said he could see the demons fleeing. P gave his life to Christ and returned to his family. When A and F saw P for the first time after being delivered they could not believe their eyes and were amazed. They gave there lives to Christ that day and now the whole family are believers!! Wow, Praise the Lord!

It is hard for us Americans to comprehend the magnitude of this story but it is real and God is victorious over the darkness. Rest assured this is happening in many places in Senegal and around the world. Jesus Christ is showing Himself strong! Hallelujah!

I wanted to share this story with you to remind you that GOD IS AT WORK! And at work in some mighty ways all around this world! Thank you for your prayers and financial support. You are helping and enabling us to serve some great men and woman of faith around the world!

Take just a minute now and pray for West Africa. Pray for the believers that are working hard to spread the good news of Jesus. Pray for the harden hearts to be softened to the love of Jesus. Pray that evil will not win. Pray for our workers that are giving their lives to this great work. God bless!

 

Come on MEN!

Posted on by Spanky Rouse

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Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children in the hands of a man in his youth. Psalms 124:7

I am feeling a little frustrated recently with men in our society, specifically Christian men. It seems that every where we turn there are men that are screwing up their lives, families, and marriages. Either sinful situations or just plain selfish, lazy reasons. I am tired of it! COME ON MEN, let’s be the men that God has created us to be and has given us the opportunity to be to our children and wives. It truly is a great responsibility so lets not drop the ball any longer!

More times than not when you talk to someone who is struggling in life they will say that is steams back to a “Daddy issue”. Can we, as men/dads, really make such an impact on the lives of our children today that will affect them for the rest of their lives??? YES! This truth can feel weighty but it can also give us the push needed to do what is right today. To love them abundantly, cheer them on like no one else does, use kind words, disciple them in all things, discipline them when needed, be present often and model what it looks like to follow Jesus. But it seems this truth just isn’t enough to keep some of us on the right path. So what will it take? I think about a young girl that is ruining her life because she is constantly trying to find the approval and affection of a man. I also think about the many conversations I have had with men that are emotionally cut off and still struggling to know who he really is even as an adult. Life is jaded, hopeless, and empty for so many because of that one person that had the chance to make life great for them…Daddy.

What you do today is going to tell the future of your children. You are raising them to either constantly struggle in life and feel stuck in this dark place because of their damaging relationship with Dad, or you are setting them up to be the healthiest person possible. You have the power to lead your son/daughter to be a person that is vibrant, passionate, confident, loving, joyful, strong, caring, self-aware and light-hearted. This will be a person that will love his/her spouse, children, and others well. This will be a person that others are attracted to and accomplish great things in their life. This will be a person that will go far in their career. This will be a person that will look back at life when they are old and are satisfied how they lived. This is the person we all hope our children would grow up to be. This should be one of the top goals and priorities for what we, as men can accomplish in our life!

MEN how can we best serve our families today? By being intentional to live, love, and lead them well, the way our Heavenly Father would be pleased with. It is not too late to start being the Man of God/dad/husband you want to be today. We all have to start somewhere at sometime. Let today be your time and place you start loving your wife, leading your children, and acting selflessly.

Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children in the hands of a man in his youth. Psalms 124:7

 

Shining Bright

Posted on by Spanky Rouse

I have been in this routine lately of getting up super early during the week. I don’t actually like to geglory1t up early but I do like to get in a work out before the day starts. During the winter months this is extremely difficult to do since I do not enjoy cold weather. Those mornings when it is freezing outside and the sun isn’t up until later are really hard for me. Over the past few weeks however I have enjoyed watching the days get lighter earlier and earlier. Now as I drive home from the gym I can see the sun peaking just behind the tree line shining bright! It reminds me of a child standing ready to tell you all about a big surprise. This morning the sun was high in the sky and exploding with its brightness! So bright that it was blinding me and it was only 6:30am! I love this time of year!

This week I have been finding myself reading some about God’s glory. So, when I saw that radiant sun bursting with light blinding me in the eyes this morning all I could think of was His glory. His glory covers the earth while it also fills my life. He has chosen me to be one that carries and displays His glory! When I am living life fully and abundantly it is His glory shining through. Every morning that I wake up and see the sun coming up is a direct declaration and reminder that my God is alive and pouring out His glory on me! glory3

Let us look for the glory of God in our lives and around us today! If the sun is up His glory is shining!

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.- Psalms 19:1 

Arise, shine, for your light has broken through!
    The Eternal One’s brilliance (glory) has dawned upon you.
2 See truly; look carefully—darkness blankets the earth;
    people all over are cloaked in darkness.
But God will rise and shine on you;
    the Eternal’s bright glory will shine on you, a light for all to see.
3 Nations north and south, peoples east and west, will be drawn to your light,
    will find purpose and direction by your light.
In the radiance of your rising, you will enlighten the leaders of nations. – Isaiah 60:1-3 (The Voice)

“The glory of God is a human being fully alive.” – Emotionally Healthy Spirituality

noun: glory
  • high renown or honor won by notable achievements.
  • praise, worship, and thanksgiving offered to God.
  • magnificence; great beauty.
  • a thing that is beautiful or distinctive; a special cause for pride, respect, or delight.
  • he splendor and bliss of heaven.

verb: glory

  • take great pride or pleasure in.

BIG Things, Legacy, Life’s Purpose….

Posted on by Spanky Rouse
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Grey (left), Mac (center), Elly (right)

I believe that God has created me and called me to do BIG things in this world! Big things that will move the Gospel forward. Big things that will change lives, families, and communities. Big things that will help people know Jesus better and better. Big things that will put a smile on my Heavenly Fathers face and things that will become my legacy.

I have dreams of what these BIG things might be, could be, or want them to be. They all revolve around our life and family’s mission statement…we are going to love people well, serve those in need, and help them know Jesus and grow in a real relationship with him…The BIG things could be endless with a focus like that.

But what if the BIG things that I dream about and hope for are smaller than I initially imagine? I had this thought the other day and it is something that I have really come to ponder a lot over the past couple of years. What if the biggest thing I ever do for God, for those in this world, or as my legacy is NOT to change the world?  When I say change the world what I mean is making a lasting difference wherever and with whoever the Lord puts in front of me.

What if God’s whole purpose for me in life is to simply raise/disciple/train up 3 little people that will then go on to change the world? Not that this is or would be a simple task but at first glance it does seem way smaller than the dreams I have for changing the world.  What a difference could it make if I simply tried to, Be the best, most Godly dad I can be to my children?  I whole heartily believe that if this is one of the main focal points of life that my children will go on to change the world, at least the world around them. They will be people and are people that love others, enjoy serving others, and know the truth that Jesus loves people more than anything else already. If this is who they are today, WOW, who will they be in 10, 20, 40 years from now!!! They will go on to do BIG, HUGE, ENORMOUS, GIGANTIC, UNIMAGINABLE things for God. I get the opportunity to shape these kind of people. That seems like a mission worth pursuing.

I know two things in life. God has created us to be people that love and trust Him wholeheartedly, and He has called each one of us to a specific purpose. If I can live out the first part of that then I will live out the second. As I come to love and trust God with my life I will live out the purpose of raising world changers! I have never been great with words but I do great with numbers therefore, 3 is always better than 1. What the 3 of them will do with their life will make a greater impact than my single life could every make. I can live with that kind of legacy!

 

Is There Value to Short-Term Missions?

Posted on by Spanky Rouse

I was asked last month to do a write up for the UWM blog regarding my thoughts and views of short term mission work. As many of you know Lara and I cut our teeth in missions serving churches through short term mission trips. We had great experiences, learned a lot, and gained a new heart for the world through these years. Unfortunately, not everyones experience with short term mission teams is as good as ours was. Short term missions can too often be disruptive, inconsistent, and harmful…unless they are done with a few long term goals and thoughts in mind. Here is our my story…

 

For many of us we we hear someone say “short-term” missions or a missions trip, and we associate a negative feeling or thought with those phrases. We stereotype what they look like and the impact they could have on the “real” work of missions. We ask questions like: How helpful could this really be? What could short-term trips really accomplish in just a small period of time?  Are they going to be helping or will they just hurt the work we are doing?  If we are really honest with ourselves, we don’t see a great deal of value or need for short-term missions.

What if this way of thinking may not be all there is to short-term missions? What value can we find in short-term work, if any? I have one thought about the benefit of short-term missions.

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My first hike into the jungles of Chiriqui, Panama, 2004

I could share with you many stories, and some of them would be your story, that long-term missionaries have told me about how God led them into missions.  For many missionaries it started with them first participating in a short-term trip.  Many of us have committed to give our life to missions because of a short-term mission trip.  Many of us realized the call of God on our lives when we stepped out of our comfort zones and went on a trip to serve in another country for two weeks.  Many of us experienced how God could use us and wanted to use us.  Many of us received a passion for a specific place, people group, or type of ministry because we said yes to going on a short-term mission trip.

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For me personally, I look back and remember many of the short-term mission trips that I took as a teenager and younger adult.  They were highly instrumental in shaping who I am today as a man, minister, and follower of Christ.  I often think back to a specific short-term mission trip that I took 12 years ago when I clearly heard the call of God on my life to pursue Him and to live intentionally/missionally.  I was sitting in a tent in the middle of the Panamanian jungle when I believe I heard the voice of God call to me.  I was out of my comfort zone, working with local pastors, experiencing a different culture and language when I was awakened to the possibility that God not only could use me but wanted to use me to reach the nations with His Good News.

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Because of that trip my family and I committed our lives to a missional way of living, whether it was in our neighborhood, our school, our church, and/or around the world.

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I understand that short-term missions – if not done correctly or are not closely tied to the long-term goals – can do more harm than good. But, I also believe that they can be a tool that helps fuel the fire of missions around the world!  I have seen and experienced how God can use short- term missions as an on-ramp to a life of leading others in a growing relationship with Jesus while loving and serving them well.

Who is God calling today who will only encounter His purpose for their life through the experience of going on a short-term missions trip?  Many, many more Kingdom workers, I believe!

By: Spanky Rouse, Mobilizer & Coach – Africa & Asia

What Africa really needs

Posted on by Spanky Rouse

This is an article that I read on The Gospel Coalition website a few weeks ago. This story proves why we are focusing on more training of Christian leaders and discipleing believers in Africa at UWM (read to the end to hear more). It is an inspiring story of what God can do through anyone.

Bringing Christ to Castaways

He was cursed before he ever came out of his mother’s womb.

Maxwell Blay grew up in Ghana as an outcast of his tribe, stigmatized as unclean by virtue of being the tenth-born of his mother. The Bulu curse branded him and all those around him. Yet he had not been aborted before birth—the fate of his kind—or killed or abandoned in the jungle. Instead, his parents chose to keep him, even in the face of condemnation. His mother, strengthened by her Christian faith, put her trust in the Lord in sending Maxwell to them.

The belief in Bulu or Badu, the Ghanaian name meaning tenth-born child, springs from dark tribal folklore in remote areas of the country, and marks people as cursed. This same superstition applies to so-called “spirit children,” those born disabled or diseased, or whose mothers die in childbirth.

Though no official statistics exist, it’s believed that thousands of babies have been put to death. Untold more are abused, exploited or abandoned.

Maxwell, whose wife, Joana, is also the tenth-born in her family, carries a heavy burden for castaways. Through God’s miraculous providence, he became founder and president of Ransom Foundation, an indigenous Christian charity. In 2007 he partnered with the Children’s Hunger Fund Mercy Network (CHF)to reach out to people in dire poverty. To read more….http://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/bringing-christ-to-castaways

In 1910, 9% of Africans professed to be Christian. Today, that number is 38%. This tremendous growth has left Africa in a desperate need of discipleship and leadership training. By 2050, it is estimated that 1 in 3 Christians in the world will be African.

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One of the ways we, UWM and the RouseHouse, are tackling this great need is through a ministry in South Africa called East Mountain. They are dedicated to developing Christian leaders from Africa as well as the US. Participates in the East Mountain program receive practical experience in local ministry while being mentored spiritually and theologically by seasoned leaders. These participated return to their local communities more equipped to be effective, godly leaders. m,mm

I am very excited to share with you that Lara and I will have the chance to visit East Mountain in Cape Town this month! We both feel blessed to have this opportunity to travel together as well as it is the first time in 5 years that both of us have been in Africa!!! Please pray for us as we prepare and travel to South Africa. We will be sure to send some vlogs (videos blogs) while we are there.

Thank you for all that you do in partnering with the RouseHouse!

 

 

 

Super Heros or Missionaries

Posted on by Spanky Rouse

(None of these pictures are UWM personnel or ministry sites) 

  I LOVE missionaries! Since the age of 14 I have had a draw to those who are living out there faith in big ways among another culture…why I ask. 

  
I am standing here in a time of worship with a group of missionaries and I begin to wonder what is it that is so remarkable about them. They truly are amazing people and families, so what is it about them? 

  This is a personal reflection that I have listed out that I thought I would share with you. I share it because I believe that they aren’t some super Christians or more anointed children of the King than anyone of us have the right to, but when you are with them you realize there is something more about them. So, here is what I have noticed…

  • They pursue God all out with their life! 
  • Worship is sweeter to them
  • Prayer is more powerful to them
  • That care deeply for others
  • Their love is not just a theory but an action
  • They are normal people that believe God can use them
  • They have the idea that life is short so enjoy it…they know how to have fun! 
  • They care less about themselves and more about others
  • They see people as those loved by God 
  • They are adventurous
  • They are a bit crazy (in a good way)which leads them in faith not rationalizm 
  • Their joy is attractive 
  • They are steadfast and strong

  
Missionaries are encouraging, inspiring, and in my mind, resemble Jesus. The hero’s of faith that I look up to and use as guides to who God wants me to be actually have faces and names that the majority of this world will never know…I thank God that I have the previledge of knowing many of them that are true world changers! 

 

Thailand weekly update, 2016

Posted on by Spanky Rouse

Earlier this year I decided to start vlogging instead of just writing blogs. I’m still trying to get the hang of it. One reason for this change was to give others an opportunity to experience the amazing places I get to visit and people I work with. Unfortunately, here in Asia I am not able to disclose many of our field personnel due to safety measures but I can share the beauty of God’s creation like here in Thailand! 

This week is the annual UWM Asia Conference and here is an update of me sharing what I have been able to experience and get out of this time. Thank you for following along!