Like The Criminal On The Cross

It's not often that I take time to put my thoughts on paper. But this morning when I was having my devotions I was convicted very clearly and as thoughts started coming to my mind, I started putting them on paper. Below is what resulted. I share it in hopes that it can encourage those who read it.

Luke 23:32-43New International Version (NIV)

32 Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. 33 When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. 34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”[a] And they divided up his clothes by casting lots. 35 The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.” 36 The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar 37 and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.” 38 There was a written notice above him, which read: this is the king of the jews. 39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.[b]” 43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

 "One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? 

Save yourself and us!”

As I was reading my devotional this morning I was convicted that I’m often like the criminal on the cross, demanding that God do things my way, like I know what’s best. And yet God, who knows all and sees all and is in control of all, works to do things greater and mightier and better then I could ever imagine. As I reflected further, I asked myself, “What if He had listened to the criminal on the cross and saved the criminal and himself from their crucifixions?” Granted, the lives of the criminal and Jesus, would have been physically saved but the criminal and the whole world with him, every person, including you and I, would have been eternally condemned. 

“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”

Surely God knows what’s best. He sees the big picture and I don’t. Like the criminal who was consumed with his own struggle and pain, I too become consumed with my situations, my trials, my pain, my sorrow, my problems to the point that I shout at God, demanding Him to save me now and take me down off my cross and out of my difficulties. And yet I forget that Jesus is right there beside me, carrying my burdens and pains and worries and sin, all the while pleading with me to realize that His ultimate plan will bring me far greater benefits, far greater results, far greater hope and far greater good then I could ever imagine or expect to receive if He immediately swept me up and out of my troubles. 

"For I know the plans I have for you….”

"“Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

How short sighted I am, how consumed I become with me and my problems, how arrogant of me to think that I know what needs to be done better then God himself. Jesus isn’t swayed by my complaining or my demands. He sees His plan through to the end, no matter how many insults or abuse I hurl His way because He knows that His way is the only way, He knows that His way brings salvation, He knows that His way brings hope and life and freedom. He knows that his way is good and right and best. He calls me to relinquish control, to accept the fact that I’m incredibly shortsighted and to trust the truth that even when I can’t, He sees the big picture, He’s in control, He’s working for my good and His ways are higher than my ways and his thoughts are higher than my thoughts. He knows the plans He has for me because He’s a big picture God.

                                                                                                      ~ Karlene

Walking in the Spirit in the Wake of the Storm

Odile, a level 3 hurricane, passed through Baja California Sur 3 weeks ago. With winds up to 200+km/h, it buffeted everything, knocked down signs and power poles, and leveled some houses. It was much worse in Los Cabos where they didn't have any land to take the brunt of the winds. Thankfully, not a lot of rain fell, but the winds did most of the damage. I have heard that 6 people died (ABC news says it was 5) because of the storm, 3 in their boats here in La Paz. We have a thriving boat community, mostly made up of people living the dream of retirement and freedom.
For us, it was the first time we had experienced winds of that magnitude. The first rain and winds started at 7 pm, but the winds woke us at 11 pm, howling with a ferocity unlike anything I had heard before. Our children scurried into our room for reassurance that they would be OK. Amazingly the electricity stayed on until about midnight. The windows were rattling so hard, I was starting to doubt they could hold up to the pressure. Noises from the roof had me imagining what could be rolling around up there. We sat on the bed, I told them to be calm, our house had been here for 30+ years and seemed to be strong. We prayed, we sang songs of praise, and we read from the Bible. All of a sudden a loud bang sounded, and we went to look out the back upstairs windows. Imagine our surprise to see a 5000 gallon plastic water tank lying on the cement in our back yard. It didn't come from our yard but from the store roof that is attached to our storage shed.
We played some card games, then we put headphones on the kids with music playing, and they managed to go back to sleep in their rooms.
Karlene noticed water coming in from the window, and I checked downstairs. The wind was blowing the rain around the seals in the windows and under the door. For the next 5 hours, Karlene and I mopped using our towels. Our backs complained, but we were glad we were safe inside, and imagined what it must be like in some of the houses we have seen others live in. At 5, it had slowed down a bit, and we both went to sleep. At 8, I was up, and went to survey the damage. Our Madagascar palm was broken off at the 8 foot mark, about 4 feet broken off. The date palm in the back was uprooted and leaning over. I uprighted it with some wire and hope it grows again.
Then I went outside our fence to see what had happened elsewhere. I could see trees toppled, branches broken off, wires knocked down and neighbours wandering around as I was, checking to see what had happened.
I got some gloves and went to see if I could help anyone else. Our house had nothing serious that needed immediate attention. I helped drag branches from one tree away from the driveway so a car could be used at one house. At another, I helped move pieces of a garage door that were bent up and was being taken apart. I climbed another roof to help a lady assess damage to her roof. But overall, in our neighbourhood, the biggest problem was trees and branches lying everywhere. A few chainsaws were buzzing, and some were using axes or machetes to chop the trees.
As dusk came, I decided to go for a drive to see what it looked like down the road. Keyana and Josiah joined me. Huge signs lay in twisted bars of metal, large deparment stores had parts of their walls blown away, the streets were littered with wreckage that we dodged, and street lights were turned in the wrong direction, or knocked down. Every intersection was a 4 way stop. When we got to Soriana, I was going to turn around, but noticed a small pickup with the hood up in the exit. A man, his wife and 3 kids were stranded. I thought I would be useless with my lack of mechanical knowledge, but then the thought popped in that I could at least give some light. So I turned around and shone my headlights on the truck. After a few minutes, his wife was in the truck trying to start it. It wouldn't fire. I asked what I could do for them. He mentioned a ride to a small hotel would be good. As they got their things together, I had the thought that we had a spare bedroom that they could squeeze into, as well as a couch that folds down. I asked the kids what they thought: one said we should invite them, the other was afraid as we had no idea who they were. These were the same thoughts I had going through my mind. I decided with a little prayer to make the offer, and see what they said. The husband looked surprised but accepted the offer immediately.
As we drove them back to our house, I chatted with Riggo and found out they were on there way home to Los Cabos from a vacation to the north. They had passed through the hurricane in their vehicle to get here. I found out later they had actually slept (if that was possible) in the small one bench toyota pickup as the hurricane passed over them. That with children 1, 3 and 6 years old. The winds had been strong enough to tip semi trucks over!
We didn't have much food to offer that night, so once I dropped off the family, Riggo and I went out to buy some hotdogs from a stand we noticed had opened. The line was long, so after 50 minutes, we headed back with some hot food. They had a cooler with shrimp they wanted to save, so I noticed there were lights on in parts of the city, so we headed out to look for ice. We were lucky to find an ice plant that had a long line...another hour later, we had ice.
We cooked most of the shrimp, placed some huge blocks of ice in the fridges, and iced the rest of the shrimp. Josiah and Keyana were great with the kids and played games with them. At midnight, we said good night.
We slept in a bit, then Riggo and I went to see if his pickup would start. I said a prayer before he tried to start it, and it started on the first try. We went back to our place and found out we didn't have tortillas. That was important to Riggo, so we went out to find some. After 30 minutes we found some in a store that were left over from Saturday.  His wife made shrimp for breakfast, it was excellent!
The kids wanted to play Settlers, so we played for an hour. They packed up and started to say good-byes. It was then that we found out that Riggo's wife had not thought it wise to accept the invitation to stay at a stranger's house, but now they wanted to know why we would do such a kind thing for them. I laughed a little, and said it was God's love that we wanted to share, and the Bible tells us that you never know when you might host angels without knowing it - Heb. 13:2. Riggo had a strange look on his face, then replied, you were the angels to us!
What a blessing it is to be able to bless others. When they drove away, we felt we had made some new friends, and our hearts were full.
Since then, we have been able to be a part of what our church body is doing to reach out to those in need, through cooking food for the hungry, rebuilding houses for those that had them knocked down, or putting roofs back on, and bringing water to areas that didn't have drinking water. We have felt that it was very little we could do, but glad to be able to do something for someone.
We pray that God would use these relationships and needs to draw these people to himself, and that their hearts would be open to Him. Pray with us in this...Jn. 6:44

Encouragement...

Please don't take this in anyway except to mention the importance of encouragement. Because I was feeling discouraged lately. It has been an up and down ride as we continue the slow process of learning Spanish. At times we have all wondered why God calls us to a place where we need to learn another language. Perhaps it is important to humble the missionary, to make them feel like a baby who can't communicate, who is dependent on others...just like we need to feel if we try to serve without God.
I have taught for more than 15 years. I have taken a few Bible studies that helped to discern what spiritual gifts God has given me. Teaching has come up as the #1 or 2 item every time. Even so, now that I am in Mexico, I don't feel like a very capable teacher. That is why I was surprised when a friend from church told me that he thought I need to focus on teaching adults in church. He said it was my strength, that he sees it as a gift that God has given me. Now this man has attended a few Bible studies that I have led and seen me communicate in Spanish. Yet despite my awkward tongue and poor pronunciation, he felt I need to step out and start teaching more.
I then was surprised that about a week later, a leader in the church asked me what I thought my gifts were, and where I saw myself working in the church. I mentioned sports ministry, youth ministry and discipleship. He asked if I would be interested in teaching the men in the church how to be leaders in the church. I was surprised, and asked why he thought I should do that. He mentioned as well that he thought I was gifted in teaching. I told him I was willing to consider it.
Then 2 different people mentioned that a lady who attends our cell group has really been enjoying it. She feels she is learning a lot. I am not the main teacher, but have taught about 40% of the time. This was another encouragement, that I need to use the gift God has given, even if it is in Spanish. To rely on Him completely seems more important than ever as I teach in Spanish. Walking in the Holy Spirit and depending on Him for strength, wisdom and the words to teach are my prayer for every study.
And this chain of encouragements boost my faith that God can use me, in Spanish, to teach from His Holy Word, for it is He who has gifted each one of His saints with power from on high.

Ephesians 3:16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. 17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. 18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. 19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. 21 Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.

As you see in this passage, that if anything is accomplished, it is because of God's mighty enabling. Therefore our dependence must be on God to fill us with the Holy Spirit, to lead us and guide us, as the weak sheep that we are. And we know he is able and willing to do so. Therefore, I am encouraged to go forth to teach and share God's word with those around me even more boldly, for God is with me and will bless His word as it goes forth. Go therefore and make disciples...

Visa Fun!

Not the credit card, though those can be fun too. The "you can stay in the country" kind. It was just over a year ago that we were approved for our first temporary resident visa. It had its own era of "fun" as we had to go back to Canada to apply, which with the flooding in Calgary, and the missed mentioning of a document that we needed from Mexico, it turned into a 3 month return to Canada.
We have 2 weeks left on that visa, but on Friday, we gave them up. That is what you have to do when you apply for a renewal. They take your visa card and staple it to the folder with all of the papers you filled out. The agent was very patient and helpful, as apparently I should have brought the folders too, and they have a sign that says they don't photocopy, but he did. It was my 4th visit I believe, but we have officially been registered as having applied. This means we can stay in the country until they reject. If they don't reject us, we will have a 3 year visa!! Which means less time spent filling forms and trying to figure out what the agent told us to do...still hard to keep up with the translating in my head.
Funny thing is it depends a lot on which agent you get. We went in the morning, were told one thing, so I brought our children so they could sign papers, and perhaps give fingerprints. The next fellow didn't want anything from our children so they sat for the 30 minute process and missed some school. He also tossed out 2 other papers the first agent had asked for in the morning.
So, here goes praying that what this last agent asked for matches what the next agent is looking for. And praying that my signatures pass the test...last year I had to return twice to resign papers...my signature looks similar, but never identical. If it is identical, then it is a forgery for sure!

Home Alone

I have been in La Paz for just over a week by myself. Lots of extra time on my hands, so it feels. Lots of time to read, study spanish and visit. At times the hours drag by, and other days went quickly. I didn't have any intruders in the house, other than cockroaches, ticks and mites - the insects love the hot desert. But what I am learning is the importance of taking time to connect, to talk and to love on others. I pray that God continues to teach me these lessons and more in the next 5 days as I have some more extra time on my hands.
P. S. Karlene and the kids are in Canada for a quick visit before summer vacation from school is over.

Surprise Blessing

Yesterday ended with a surprise blessing though it started with difficulty. We didn't have water coming to any of the taps. I flipped the switch on the pump by our reserve tank in the ground, but it wouldn't start. I called the landlady who called the plumber. While waiting, I climbed on the roof from our balcony to see if there was water in the tank on our roof. It was empty. But I did find my missing garbage can! It had been left there by the plumber the last time he came, lol! I then checked the pump again, but it wouldn't start.
I thought I would have to miss Wednesday Bible Study at the church at 7, as that is when the plumber said he could come. At 7:30, I tried the pump again, just to see if I could hear a buzzing noise, and for some reason it worked now. So I hurried to church, an hour late. The topic was prayer, (which is something I need to practice more and read less about:))
After the study, a lady turned around and started to chat in English with me. Another turned to listen, so we switched to Spanish. Then another lady joined us, and soon I was visiting with 3 ladies in Spanish, and didn't want to stop. It was really neat to have them want to visit with me, and I wasn't feeling like my spanish skills were holding me back!!
I was then asked spur of the moment to help in a skit for father's day. I agreed as I am allowed to read the lines, but I need to practice the pronunciation a few times before Sunday. The director has a passion for drama, and was very excited to have me give the lines in English and Spanish, like a sports announcer. I then took him out for burritos, and visited some more. I am meeting with him fairly regularly to encourage him. He encourages me as well as helps me practice spanish. I got home after 11pm. But it was great!

Knowing God...Prove it!

What Kind of God Do I Serve?

Raw self-evaluation can be scary, but not many other things can accelerate personal growth like it does. Spiritually, it can be done daily at the end of the day, simply asking myself a few tough questions.

Here is one...What do I believe about God?

It is one thing to say what I believe about God...it is quite another to look at my life and let my life style and choices reveal what I believe about God. Actions and/or inaction speak louder than words...

When I forget to have devotions, or put it off, does that show God really is the #1 priority in my life? Do I wake up with God on my heart, when I lie down, are his precepts before me, do I meditate on his word all day long, do I pant for him like a deer does for water? Does 5 minutes, 15 or 30 give God the attention and time to really listen to his small still voice?

When I have small dreams, small ideas, small vision, does this show that I really have a big, BIG God who can do all things through me? Do I limit what God does in and through me with my small thinking, lack of boldness, lack of prayer?

When I am impatient and can't wait for things to: move forward, change, happen, does that show that I have a God who holds all things in His hands, that all things happen in His time?

When I am filled with emotions, yet joy isn't king, does that show that I believe in the One who gives me all good gifts, according to his goodness and pleasure? Am I satisfied to know and be known by the giver of life?

When I worry about finances, present or future, do I believe that God is Jireh, our provider? Can I trust him with my family and their future as well? Worrying has not helped me yet, so why do I return to it

My point is that it is one thing to say I believe something about God, but it is much more clear and true that I believe something if I live it out. If I say I believe that I will die if I eat contaminated fish from the ocean, but eat it anyways, I doubt anyone would think I really believed what I said.

Too deepen and live out my belief in, relationship with, and knowledge of God, I plan to read Knowing God by J.I. Packer, as well as Knowing God the Way He Wants You to Know Him By Chip Ingram, then meditate on what that would look like in a life completely sold out to God. Maybe I will have an update in a little while:)

"His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires." 2 Peter 1:3-4

Youth Camp...Hot, Dusty, Ordained

Easter week, middle of April, the time that El Faro church has a 4 day youth camp, and my first time assigned to lead part of a group effort. I was the sports/games leader, and I was excited and apprehensive at the same time. What made it a double challenge was that I still struggle to make myself understood clearly in Spanish, as well as not really having a grasp of the youth culture. To crank up the heat and pressure more, I was to keep the youth entertained and happy for 3 hours at a time.
Time to fall on my knees and ask God to help me in my weakness. He promises to do so 2 Cor. 12:19 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. NIV. So I knew I could count on God, my fortress, shield and high tower!
The first day was slow for me, getting a tent set up, looking around the camp for places to play the different games, and meeting people. I managed to put my tent under a tree, that happened to be flowering so I could wake up to the sound of a thousand buzzing bees, and within a few meters of all the tents belonging to the boys from our church. We had 17 youth come!!
The next day, after breakfast, it was time to start. I wanted to start with something easy to organise and a favourite for Mexicans - soccer. Because we had 5 teams formed from all of the youth from the many churches attending, from ages 12-18, I also had ultimate frisbee, which I had heard they had enjoyed in previous years. I left the soccer for them to organise, which they did without a problem.
I took the frisbee group a ways from the centre of the camp to find some open flat dirt/dust. After 20 minutes, we rotated through the teams. One team got to rest, which turned out to be very important. It wasn't long before we were glad for water and shade, as it reached about 30 degrees C. Overall the youth participated well, we improvised when the frisbee broke and used a football instead, and the soccer ran itself with the team leaders doing a great job.
The next day was much more work, as we had what they call a rally. I wanted a variety of stations or a circuit that would make them work as a team, use different talents and skills, and keep them from collapsing in another +30 degree day. We had exercise competitions, crawling through obstacle course, running over obstacles and climbing, solving puzzles, walking through a land mine course, pyramid building, smoosh boarding, piggy backing and wheelbarrows.
In the end, I think it was a hit, though the exercise station will need to be removed next time. We had a few youth collapse, and even had a hospital run (praise the Lord, everything turned out fine!) But the kids were sure wiped by the end.
The last day, we had a gladiator type of event. Each team chose participants to challenge other teams in events like egg toss, balloon toss, walking on your hands the farthest, sumo wrestling, and tug of war (several variations). This event was less time, and you could see that the youth were running short on energy towards the end. They had a great time cheering and participating where they were needed.
My one sadness is that I didn't get to use all of my ideas for games (Candy Man for sure next year, as well as some more water events!) One more day would have been great!
We trust that God was glorified at camp, through the many different things that happened, from preaching, prayer, devotions, and games. Thanks to all you who prayed me through this all.

Dependence

I (Anthony) admit to feeling really weak yesterday. We were hosting a youth group meeting at our house. We have done this before. We have enjoyed leading youth together. Why I feel so weak is I have never led in Spanish. I have not taken charge of anything in Spanish. So I realised yesterday about 6 hours before the event that I really needed to pray specifically. I shut the door to our spare room, knelt before God and let Him know I felt inadequate and weak. "Lord, I don't feel I know enough about youth here in Mexico to plan an event, or to communicate clearly. Lord, I need your help!"
It is God's desire that I live my life like this all the time. That is why He brings me to my knees before Him with situations that are difficult, stretching and scary. Praise be to God for His continued patience and love, as He draws me to Him and to my knees!

John 15:5 “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.

Psalm 40:3 He has given me a new song to sing,

    a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see what he has done and be amazed.

    They will put their trust in the Lord.

My trust needs to return to God and not in my strength, training, experiences or even gifts that God has given, but in God alone. 

When the first 3 came, I was calm and just sat and visited, asking questions, trying to get to know the youth. As more came we started to play a game of spoons, which was a lot of fun. The youth that came laughed as I laughed about my Spanish mixups and 5 year old vocabulary, they smirked as I read some Bible verses in Spanish, but I trust that God will use the evening for His glory, as I committed the night to Him. It is His church, it is His youth group, and the results are up to Him. That really does make the load light (Matthew 11:28-30) and allow me to smile more freely.

At the end of the night, we were introduced to the grandparents of one youth who live beside our house. We hope we will be able to develop a relationship with them as well. We were also told that our neighbours across the street have a young man who is best friends with a youth who attended. We pray that we will be able to be an encouragement and that God will give us opportunity to reach out to our neighbours more and more, as we step out of our comfort zone. 

Where are you stepping out? Tell us how you get to know your neighbours!

Discernment

The Fosters, Karlene's parents, were here for Chrismtas. One day they decided to go for a walk with our kids (we don't have coffee in our house:). A lady stopped to talk to them when she saw that the kids were riding bmx bikes. She spoke english well as she is a teacher. After some visiting, she told them of a ministry she had started when she realised her son was spending many late hours riding all over the city with his friends, with little purpose to his activities. She wanted to stay close to her son, protect him from bad influences and help him pursue something he loved.
This led to the start of a non-profit organisation for youth and she has been running it for 6 years. She came to our house and asked me to get involved, either teaching classes or helping with asking the government to build a park for the bikers. They don't have a place to practice, as all the parks built are for skateboarders, and specifically have banned bikers. I met her son and they showed me videos, folders of papers and plans for parks. What she needs are focus, teachers/leaders and funds. She is very open to a missionary becoming a leader in this little organisation called bici o vici, which translated means bikes not vices.
Josiah could hardly contain himself, and had already promised her that I would do it. He kept saying, you can do this Dad, you can do this! He loves to ride his bike and had tried some stuff in a bike park when we lived in Guadalajara. But I am not much of a bike person. I can ride, but am too old to try learning any tricks, and can't even do a good job of maintaining my bikes, let alone teach others.
So I am filled with fear and doubts about if/how I can help.
I am praying though, as it seems that God may have placed me here for this very purpose. We don't want to assume it, but it is pretty neat how someone who has a passion for reaching youth crossed my path so soon after we settled into a house in La Paz.
To discern is to be able to separate the gold from the dross, to pull the wheat from the chaff, to hear God's voice among all the competing noises. As a new year begins, so does another opportunity. In fact this doesn't come only when a new year turns, but every morning is a new day, a gift from God.
As we are becoming more acquainted with La Paz, El Faro church and TEAM members, we are seeing different needs, opportunities and choices. This is exciting but also difficult. Our prayer is that God gives us finely tuned ears to listen to Him, as we need guidance and wisdom. To give you an idea, I will list some of the neat opportunities that may be ahead:
- youth group leaders (this is our main assignment, and we are embracing it! we already are having the youth to our house on Saturday)
- young adult group leaders
- basketball camps
- coaching at a school, or maybe even a college
- teaching English to individuals or at a school
- kayak ministry
- bmx/stuntbike ministry
- leading/hosting a cell group
- mentoring youth and young men
- marriage/couples ministry
- prison ministry
- teaching music/voice lessons (Karlene only I am sure!)
- fighting against human trafficking
- radio ministry (our pastor has had this on his heart for some time, Karlene has experience with radio)
What is neat and exciting is that this is a quick brainstorm of things mostly mentioned to us by others. This isn't what we have thought of ourselves. So you can see there isn't much shortage of ideas, but more a shortage of time and energy. There are many needs. So it is important to seek God, to follow His lead. It is easy to get caught up doing and doing, and in the end, there will have been much done, but possibly nothing eternal. We pray for God's amazing leading in this discernment of many voices.
Please be in prayer for us, that God would graciously open and close doors according to His will.

 Ephesians 2:8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, createdin Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.