April, 2008

Spiritual deprivation is a plague beyond fathom that has polluted the earth since the fall. I have no need to elaborate the importance of revival to you, as you could just as easily turn on the news channel and see for yourself. While it is crucial to disciple believers to a place of maturity in which they can reach the lost, it is also important to teach people to live as responsible adults. In many ways, living a life as a responsible adult will speak of Jesus through its actions in a way that is glorifying to him. Whether it is the way you handle scenarios, money, or raise your children, you have an opportunity in everyday life to exemplify Jesus. In this day and age, there are very few parental figures that will model a responsible lifestyle in which to be followed. Instead, there is a rampant tolerance for complacent and apathetic behavior which, if not stopped, could become a pattern of laziness that will be passed down from generation to generation. While Jesus calls us to forsake our lives in this world, I don’t believe that means we are to cut ourselves off from the “real life” altogether.

If there is anything I could be thankful for about RAD, it would be that they not only teach you to live a life of holiness with a radical Christ-like model, but also to live in a real world with real scenarios. I not only feel ready to step into an intimate relationship with God, but also into living life. The leadership emphasis in RAD isn’t limited to the ability to lead others, but also to lead yourself. While I don’t get it right all the time, my experience thus far in RAD has helped me get to a place of diligence that I never imagined I could live in. As many of you know, I have been home schooled since sixth grade. In that environment, I did whatever I felt like doing when I felt like doing it and most of the time that consisted of doing nothing. So, to be wise with time was the most moronic idea I could have ever thought, as I felt like I had all the time in the world, but the truth is, I do not. I have certainly begun to see and experience the harsh ramifications of a poor use of time. The biggest example for me is when I skip or skim over a time of devotion in my day. I don’t know about you all, but my day totally sucks in almost every way, shape, and form if I don’t spend some time with the Lord.

The team and I are undergoing the third and final three months of RAD, which emphasizes on a seven-week internship. It is set up in hope that RAD can fix you up with an internship which corresponds with your personality, preferences, and most importantly your Godly desires. This internship is by no means just an experience, but a way of monitoring and observing your performance and diligence so that you might see what your life may look like after RAD. It gives you the chance to take a final look at your life while you are in RAD in hope that you can identify some areas in which you need to grow. For me, it has done just that, for I have been placed in an environment where the attention of others is constantly needed.  In doing that, I have to work myself around those people, and that requires a great deal of myself. The requirement I speak of isn’t simply paying their attention and serving them, but how I handle my life behind the scenes. What I really mean to say is that I can’t expect people to get on my schedule at my convenience anymore. There is no better way for me to realize that it isn’t about me anymore. With that being said, I have to make time for other things which I used to have all the time in the world for. Again, not that I have it down all the way or anything, but I can’t over-emphasize my thankfulness for my crash course in diligence.

My internship has been set up in Asheville, North Carolina under the supervision of Robert Nicolas, who is a great friend of RAD. He has also set me up with his church, King of Glory, which has made me available to work with many of its ministries and pastors, namely Tom Camacho, the youth pastor. I have been here close to two weeks. As soon as I got here, I was blessed with the opportunity to work with an arborist—a tree surgeon, if you will, which was totally awesome because I have been wanting to learn about that work for some time. In the midst of that, I became involved with some prayer ministries within the church that have a tremendous emphasis on intercessory prayer with a variety of different focuses. My biggest role here seems to be investing in the youth in King of Glory and in their what seems to be sister church, New Life. That has been as simple as having pizza with them, or as intense as walking them through healing prayer. Either way, it gives me an amazing opportunity to really be the man God has called me to be—a lover of and a fighter for His people.

I also spent three days in Atlanta with Robert, where I helped him with his antique business and I stayed with Master’s Commission’s Dream Center. It was smack in one of the hardest parts of inner city Atlanta, but it was so rewarding to bring love to those streets. I spent a lot of time walking with several of the guys in Masters meeting and praying for people, which was really amazing. It is always awesome to experience new people and new ways of doing things, but the difference between RAD and Masters was very extreme. It was hard to walk out RAD’s community and into something completely different. However, it was for the good because while I was around a lot of those guys, I found myself comparing myself to their convictions, or what they were going through. I somehow felt as though my not being on par was a shortcoming on my end, but it is instead very dishonoring to the Lord, as he has made me who I am and is faithfully walking me in His timing. In other words, I’m not anyone else, but myself—Matthew.

I’m looking forward to what’s ahead on my internship and post-RAD. However my challenge is to keep my focus here and out of the future, so please pray for that! I have the opportunity to help Tom Camacho in his ministry to the Cherokee nation. I believe we will be going to the reservation, where we will love on and radically bless some of the people that live there. He has done what he calls an “Extreme blessing makeover,” where he and a few others totally redo someone’s house for no reason. So, I really hope to be a part of that. I also will be helping Robert prepare and run his discipleship weekend, “Catapult,” which RAD assisted in running last month and that is a total blast because you have the youth from the two churches I named, plus from often five others. The opportunity to pour into them is really awesome because you spend intimate time with them at a quiet retreat, without all the distractions of everyday life.

Thank you so much to all of you who are supporting me in doing what I am doing—and that is not limited to finances. Your prayers, e-mails, MySpace comments, and letters mean the world to me and are very encouraging. I love all of you and I look forward to updating you once again!

-Matthew