i have recently moved to north carolina to finish school and to become a part of the FIRE community in concord. thank you for your patience in awaiting my newest posting.
i came across this file on the internet and i want to share this with you. it is very powerful and i pray that it touches you.
a new generation of children in america
for the world-wide renown of His sovereign glory...
19 December 2005
04 December 2005
[life, liberty and the pursuit of selfishness]
the scriptures are clear that Christ Jesus came to give us life. not just life, but abundant life. the truth is freeing- the truth sets us free. so, our life and freedom is contingent upon the truth of Christ. no believer doubts this. the problem, though, is with what it actually means.
the christian-living section of many bookstores offer up titles that serve non-religious christianity, or a geo-centric "me-ology" where we are the central figure of the gospel- after all, He came with me in mind. "because of the freedom we have in Christ," they write, "and His grace covers our sin when we make mistakes, we can live like the world, without it being sinful, because it has already been washed away." there are many truly freeing titles worth reading but there are just as many, if not more, that throw true christianity out the window with the bath water. the reasoning is that as long as it doesn't cause anyone else to stumble, then you should go for it! after all, you're only living life to the fullest!
that is, unless you have to be convinced that it is ok... our consciences are given for a reason. God had a purpose for putting a voice of reason within us. the Holy Spirit will often use our consciences to speak to us when we are faced with a moral decision. if we have to rationalize a decision to do something immoral then we are doing little more than making rational-lies.
God doesn't exist for our pleasure. we exist for His pleasure. He doesn't need us to remind Him that He is God. He knows it; He will never forget it. what are we then? we are His creation and we are supposed to be reflections of Him. with this knowledge, what are we reflecting if we drink alcohol? what are we reflecting if we smoke? or if we surf the internet for pornography? or steal office supplies? or lie? or covet? or lust? who and what are we reflecting?
our freedom didn't just come for free. our freedom wasn't just paid for with some great cost to someone that we just inherited. our freedom wasn't merely the cost of one man's life. it wasn't the price of a good man's life. our freedom wasn't simply purchased by the death of a holy man; it was paid for by the death of a holy God who became a man to pay the penalty for sin for once and for all for those who choose to believe.
if a tree is known by it's fruit and Jesus is the vine and we are the branches, is our fruit desirable? is our fruit accessible? and, most importantly, is our fruit edible? if our fruit is none of these, then either the branch needs to be pruned off, or we are a part of the weed that is wrapped around the vine... is Christ worth it? is God worth the effort to remove ourselves from the grasp of selfish pursuits?
once we realize that the Gospel is not centered around us and our needs, wants, desires, and lusts, we will begin to see the larger picture. to grasp the idea that how we act impacts how people hear what we have to say. their attenuation is based off of our lifestyles. for many, we may be the closest they ever come to seeing Jesus, and if they see more of us than they do of Him, then we are offering them no hope. we tell them that by saying certain things and acting a certain way one day a week, then they will be putting on invisible fire suits to play in the raging forest fire for the rest of the week. the emporer will pay an incredible price, but he will have nothing but his undergarments to show for it. he will be exposed for all the world to see.
our freedom isn't the liberty to do whatever we desire. our freedom is the liberty to live outside the shackles of sin. we may still stumble and fall, but as long as we're willing to get up again, He is right there to help us; to wipe away our tears and kiss away our pain.
for the world-wide renown of His sovereign glory...
the christian-living section of many bookstores offer up titles that serve non-religious christianity, or a geo-centric "me-ology" where we are the central figure of the gospel- after all, He came with me in mind. "because of the freedom we have in Christ," they write, "and His grace covers our sin when we make mistakes, we can live like the world, without it being sinful, because it has already been washed away." there are many truly freeing titles worth reading but there are just as many, if not more, that throw true christianity out the window with the bath water. the reasoning is that as long as it doesn't cause anyone else to stumble, then you should go for it! after all, you're only living life to the fullest!
that is, unless you have to be convinced that it is ok... our consciences are given for a reason. God had a purpose for putting a voice of reason within us. the Holy Spirit will often use our consciences to speak to us when we are faced with a moral decision. if we have to rationalize a decision to do something immoral then we are doing little more than making rational-lies.
God doesn't exist for our pleasure. we exist for His pleasure. He doesn't need us to remind Him that He is God. He knows it; He will never forget it. what are we then? we are His creation and we are supposed to be reflections of Him. with this knowledge, what are we reflecting if we drink alcohol? what are we reflecting if we smoke? or if we surf the internet for pornography? or steal office supplies? or lie? or covet? or lust? who and what are we reflecting?
our freedom didn't just come for free. our freedom wasn't just paid for with some great cost to someone that we just inherited. our freedom wasn't merely the cost of one man's life. it wasn't the price of a good man's life. our freedom wasn't simply purchased by the death of a holy man; it was paid for by the death of a holy God who became a man to pay the penalty for sin for once and for all for those who choose to believe.
if a tree is known by it's fruit and Jesus is the vine and we are the branches, is our fruit desirable? is our fruit accessible? and, most importantly, is our fruit edible? if our fruit is none of these, then either the branch needs to be pruned off, or we are a part of the weed that is wrapped around the vine... is Christ worth it? is God worth the effort to remove ourselves from the grasp of selfish pursuits?
once we realize that the Gospel is not centered around us and our needs, wants, desires, and lusts, we will begin to see the larger picture. to grasp the idea that how we act impacts how people hear what we have to say. their attenuation is based off of our lifestyles. for many, we may be the closest they ever come to seeing Jesus, and if they see more of us than they do of Him, then we are offering them no hope. we tell them that by saying certain things and acting a certain way one day a week, then they will be putting on invisible fire suits to play in the raging forest fire for the rest of the week. the emporer will pay an incredible price, but he will have nothing but his undergarments to show for it. he will be exposed for all the world to see.
our freedom isn't the liberty to do whatever we desire. our freedom is the liberty to live outside the shackles of sin. we may still stumble and fall, but as long as we're willing to get up again, He is right there to help us; to wipe away our tears and kiss away our pain.
for the world-wide renown of His sovereign glory...
14 November 2005
[not exactly normal]
we plan our lives in phases. we set goals. to take in the whole picture all at once usually tends to overwhelm us and even scare us sometimes. one step at a time, we tell ourselves. we can handle it if we take it one step at a time. if we take small bites, we can consume the largest tasks; so long as our patience or the patience of someone else doesn't wear thin. our ability to overcome is contingent upon our resolve.
when our plans are reflected in God's plan, or perhaps, when our plans are a mirror image of God's plan, we have a part to play but the outcome is not contingent upon our resolve or zeal. it will be accomplished, with or without us. with us. or without us.
when we feel like failures, when we feel like the whole world has fallen on us, when we lose our focus, God stands waiting for us to approach Him. He is ok with us collapsing in His arms and weeping. He doesn't mind if we tell Him that we can't handle it by ourselves. He smiles, His arms are wide open and He cries with us.
He is not a "good-time only" God. He doesn't leave us when times get tough. He is a true gentleman. He is a complete Lover. He fought for us. He died for us. He overcame the grave for us.
our transparency shows off His strength. our openess glorifies His grace. the less of "us" that we put on in the morning, the more room for people to see God in all of His magnificent glory at work in our lives. This is what John the Baptist meant.
even if we feel terrible. even if we feel like the world is closing in. when we allow for God to come and take over, people are drawn to Him. This doesn't mean that when we feel terrible and people ask us how we are doing that we put on plastic facades and and pretend that we're ok. it does mean that when we're asked, we are transparent and still point to Jesus. "you know, i'm struggling a little bit with... but by the grace of God, i am overcoming it." not exactly normal, is it? watchman nee wrote that "we are so used to the subnormal that when we finally encounter the normal we think it is abnormal."
life is a big picture. to try to take it all in at once can be overwhelming. for those of us who are saved, we have read the last chapter (at least, we know the outcome) and it should allow us to put life into perspective. that no matter what, God is still God and as long as we follow Him and His commands, we will come out victorious as heirs with Christ Jesus.
our pain allows us to identify. our struggles offer hope to the hopeless. and our humanity allows us to reach others. if we act perfect and as if nothing can touch us then we elevate ourselves above everyone else and then we have nothing to offer anyone else except the false idea that God makes everything great for a believer.
when our plans are reflected in God's plan, or perhaps, when our plans are a mirror image of God's plan, we have a part to play but the outcome is not contingent upon our resolve or zeal. it will be accomplished, with or without us. with us. or without us.
when we feel like failures, when we feel like the whole world has fallen on us, when we lose our focus, God stands waiting for us to approach Him. He is ok with us collapsing in His arms and weeping. He doesn't mind if we tell Him that we can't handle it by ourselves. He smiles, His arms are wide open and He cries with us.
He is not a "good-time only" God. He doesn't leave us when times get tough. He is a true gentleman. He is a complete Lover. He fought for us. He died for us. He overcame the grave for us.
our transparency shows off His strength. our openess glorifies His grace. the less of "us" that we put on in the morning, the more room for people to see God in all of His magnificent glory at work in our lives. This is what John the Baptist meant.
even if we feel terrible. even if we feel like the world is closing in. when we allow for God to come and take over, people are drawn to Him. This doesn't mean that when we feel terrible and people ask us how we are doing that we put on plastic facades and and pretend that we're ok. it does mean that when we're asked, we are transparent and still point to Jesus. "you know, i'm struggling a little bit with... but by the grace of God, i am overcoming it." not exactly normal, is it? watchman nee wrote that "we are so used to the subnormal that when we finally encounter the normal we think it is abnormal."
life is a big picture. to try to take it all in at once can be overwhelming. for those of us who are saved, we have read the last chapter (at least, we know the outcome) and it should allow us to put life into perspective. that no matter what, God is still God and as long as we follow Him and His commands, we will come out victorious as heirs with Christ Jesus.
our pain allows us to identify. our struggles offer hope to the hopeless. and our humanity allows us to reach others. if we act perfect and as if nothing can touch us then we elevate ourselves above everyone else and then we have nothing to offer anyone else except the false idea that God makes everything great for a believer.
09 November 2005
[a tru revolution]
the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men to do nothing.
no more big puffy clouds. no more enchanting halos. no more pretty pictures. no more rhetoric. no more wimpy christianity. and certainly, no more compromise.
no more tolerance of sin. no more dancing with decadence. no more bowing to the profiling of the world. no more turning a blind eye. no more half-world christianity. and definitely, no more compromise.
no more avoiding the sick and the dying. no more passing the hurting and wounded. no more turning away from the helpless and needy. no more watered down christianity. and absolutely no more compromise.
no more "alamo syndrome." no more escapist mentality. no more avoidance "me-ology." no more self-centeredness. no more living in fear. no more compromise.
no more empty air. no more glass cathedrals. no more dirty little secrets. no more compromise.
there is a gathering storm. an undercurrent of unrest. a growing rift. a coming earthquake. a great shaking. there is a three-way collision mounting. the Divine, the earthly and the demonic are all set to collide soon.
the table is set for the greatest revival, a true revolution is arising. holiness must be our banner. lives sold-out to Jesus must be in the open, not in a closet. Who we represent must be visible.
the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.
with respect, it's deeper than that mr. burke.
for the world-wide renown of His sovereign glory...
no more big puffy clouds. no more enchanting halos. no more pretty pictures. no more rhetoric. no more wimpy christianity. and certainly, no more compromise.
no more tolerance of sin. no more dancing with decadence. no more bowing to the profiling of the world. no more turning a blind eye. no more half-world christianity. and definitely, no more compromise.
no more avoiding the sick and the dying. no more passing the hurting and wounded. no more turning away from the helpless and needy. no more watered down christianity. and absolutely no more compromise.
no more "alamo syndrome." no more escapist mentality. no more avoidance "me-ology." no more self-centeredness. no more living in fear. no more compromise.
no more empty air. no more glass cathedrals. no more dirty little secrets. no more compromise.
there is a gathering storm. an undercurrent of unrest. a growing rift. a coming earthquake. a great shaking. there is a three-way collision mounting. the Divine, the earthly and the demonic are all set to collide soon.
the table is set for the greatest revival, a true revolution is arising. holiness must be our banner. lives sold-out to Jesus must be in the open, not in a closet. Who we represent must be visible.
the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.
with respect, it's deeper than that mr. burke.
for the world-wide renown of His sovereign glory...
08 November 2005
[the word and fire]
i've swum the ocean of regret. in the midst of all my pleasure, i've felt the pain of remorse. though i cried unto God and my ears heard no response, i knew in my heart that He heard my voice and moved on my behalf.
it is in the difficult times that God forges our character. i think we all get that. that knowledge doesn't always keep us from getting frustrated over our circumstances. we get lost in ourselves, our plans and our goals and we forget to look for the One who is Wonderful.
when you place a log into a burning fire and watch it, the first thing you will see is the flames spread around the log. as it is cooler, the water on the surface sustains the log and keeps it from the burning flames. but as the heat overcomes the surface water, the flames dance closer. the flames begin to lick the surface. shortly, the flames are no longer content to stay on the surface. soon, you can hear the crackling, hissing and popping as the wood inside dries out. quickly discontented with the drying process, the flames leap to consume the wood. once the log breaks apart, it has become coals that are no longer ON fire, but rather, CONTAIN fire.
we must prepare ourselves for the hard place. that is not to say we must set up walls and and blockages to cushion the pain; but that we ought to prepare our hearts and spirits for the onslaught of the enemy allowed by God that enables us to be refined- and defined.
make no mistake, the attacks are coming if they have not yet begun. suffering is not a sign of God's displeasure, rather it is a symbol of our status. we are not to endure suffering, but (as john piper argues from romans 5) we are to rejoice in it. tribulation works patience. every pain we experience works out for His glory. our exposed weaknesses proves to expose His strengths.
all over the world, the price of being a christian is rising. the cost of being a christian is going up. it has always been high, but at this time in history, there is a form of spiritual inflation at work and we are being asked if we are willing to pay the price.
what do we do with 2 timothy 3:12? i once heard john piper preach a sermon in which he spoke of a renowned bible smuggler who was teaching a group of local pastors. at one point in the meeting, a well-respected romanian pastor entered the room who had spent the previous twelve years in prison for his faith. he asked the younger smuggler about the conditions of the gospel in his home nation. to which the smuggler replied, "we have none." the romanian pastor asked how this could be, and the smuggler thought for a moment and responded, "i think that perhaps it is because we do not take advantage of all the opportunities that we are presented with." and then the romanian pastor asked his final question: "brother, what do you do with 2 timothy 3:12?" at this point, the young smuggler, opened his bible and began to read aloud to the group of local pastors: "indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted." the smuggler closed his bible, and said, "forgive me dear brother, but we do nothing with 2 timothy 3:12."
when we contain fire of a godly life in Christ Jesus, we will be persecuted, and we will stand as a light to others.
for the world-wide renown of His sovereign glory...
it is in the difficult times that God forges our character. i think we all get that. that knowledge doesn't always keep us from getting frustrated over our circumstances. we get lost in ourselves, our plans and our goals and we forget to look for the One who is Wonderful.
when you place a log into a burning fire and watch it, the first thing you will see is the flames spread around the log. as it is cooler, the water on the surface sustains the log and keeps it from the burning flames. but as the heat overcomes the surface water, the flames dance closer. the flames begin to lick the surface. shortly, the flames are no longer content to stay on the surface. soon, you can hear the crackling, hissing and popping as the wood inside dries out. quickly discontented with the drying process, the flames leap to consume the wood. once the log breaks apart, it has become coals that are no longer ON fire, but rather, CONTAIN fire.
we must prepare ourselves for the hard place. that is not to say we must set up walls and and blockages to cushion the pain; but that we ought to prepare our hearts and spirits for the onslaught of the enemy allowed by God that enables us to be refined- and defined.
make no mistake, the attacks are coming if they have not yet begun. suffering is not a sign of God's displeasure, rather it is a symbol of our status. we are not to endure suffering, but (as john piper argues from romans 5) we are to rejoice in it. tribulation works patience. every pain we experience works out for His glory. our exposed weaknesses proves to expose His strengths.
all over the world, the price of being a christian is rising. the cost of being a christian is going up. it has always been high, but at this time in history, there is a form of spiritual inflation at work and we are being asked if we are willing to pay the price.
what do we do with 2 timothy 3:12? i once heard john piper preach a sermon in which he spoke of a renowned bible smuggler who was teaching a group of local pastors. at one point in the meeting, a well-respected romanian pastor entered the room who had spent the previous twelve years in prison for his faith. he asked the younger smuggler about the conditions of the gospel in his home nation. to which the smuggler replied, "we have none." the romanian pastor asked how this could be, and the smuggler thought for a moment and responded, "i think that perhaps it is because we do not take advantage of all the opportunities that we are presented with." and then the romanian pastor asked his final question: "brother, what do you do with 2 timothy 3:12?" at this point, the young smuggler, opened his bible and began to read aloud to the group of local pastors: "indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted." the smuggler closed his bible, and said, "forgive me dear brother, but we do nothing with 2 timothy 3:12."
when we contain fire of a godly life in Christ Jesus, we will be persecuted, and we will stand as a light to others.
for the world-wide renown of His sovereign glory...
02 November 2005
[stop making excuses: answering seven objections to missions]
1. i am not smart enough!
“where is the one who is wise? where is the scribe? where is the debater of this age? has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? for since, in the widom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.” (1 corinthians 1:20-21)
“consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise.” (1 corinthians 1:26-27)
2. my body and personality are not strong enough!
“Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.” (1 corinthians 1:17)
“[Christ] 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 of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. for the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 corinthians 12:9-10)
3. i am not a good speaker!
“Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.” (1 corinthians 1:17)
“moses said to the Lord, ‘oh, my Lord, i am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but i am slow of speech and of tongue.’ then the Lord said to him, ‘Who has made man's mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? is it not I, the Lord? now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.” (exodus 4:10-12)
4. i am afraid of the horrors i read about in the newspapers!
“be sober-minded; be watchful. your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. and after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” (1 peter 5:8-10)
the greek word “restore” in the previous passage is “katartisei” which means to “mend” or to “repair.” here, peter was saying that once your suffering is complete, the Lord will restore your horribly disfigured body when the lions in the coliseum are through with you.
5. i am afraid i won't be fruitful!
your responsibility is not to be fruitful, but to be faithful.
“and [Jesus] said, ‘the kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. he sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. the earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. but when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.” (Mark 4:26-29)
“i planted, apollos watered, but God gave the growth. so neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.” (1 corinthians 3:6-7)
6. there is plenty to do here!
true, but there is a division of labor and God calls some to MISSIONS, not just evangelism. The difference is seen in romans 15:19-24:
“so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to illyricum i [paul] have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; and thus i make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named. . . now, since i no longer have any room for work in these regions . . . i hope to see you in passing as i go to spain.”
how could paul say there was no room for work when there were millions in that region to be evangelized? because evangelism is not missions.
7. i fear that when i get there it might turn out that i made a mistake and will come home with shame!
which is worse, shame for having endeavored to follow Christ in missions, or fear to venture? shame before others for making a mistake will not hurt you; it will humble you and can make you more useful in a new situation. But fear will make you useless everywhere. consider ecclesiastes 11:4 and what it says about risk: “he who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap.” meaning: without taking the risk of sowing when the seed might be blown away and reaping when the rain might ruin the harvest, you will starve.
31 October 2005
[pause for station identification]
ok. i know i promised a series on voice. but i felt the need to postpone it for a bit. sorry. i know only 4 people read this on a weekly basis anyway...
i felt to share these lyrics with y'all because they've really been pulling at my heart this past week or so...
i felt to share these lyrics with y'all because they've really been pulling at my heart this past week or so...
lifesong*
empty hands held high
such small sacrifice
if not joined with my life
i sing in vain tonight
may the words i say
and the things i do
make my lifesong sing
bring a smile to You
let my lifesong sing to You
let my lifesong sing to You
i want to sing Your name to the end of this day
knowing my heart was true
let my lifesong sing to You
Lord i give my life
a living sacrifice
to reach a world in need
to be Your hands and feet
so may the words i say
and the things i do
make my lifesong sing
bring a smile to You
hallelujah
hallalujah
let my lifesong sing to You
*[special props to mrs. roxana rogers for telling me about the lifesong album]
24 October 2005
voices
i'm excited.
i'm finally going to blog something that i've wanted to work on for a while. no, it's not in this post. but i'll be posting the first part later sometime later this week.
i hope that my previous posts have served to be enriching and uplifting; not condescending or demeaning. i really don't have a clue how they're affecting people's lives as there are very few comments left behind. [that is not a hint for you to leave comments; you should never feel pressured to do anything that you do not wish to do.]
most of you who read this blog on a semi-regular basis will note that most of my blogs in the past have run along a similar vein: they appear to be a series of a sort. well, for the most part they are; albeit an unintentional series. but they were still a series.
lately, i haven't written much; barely managing a blog a week. perhaps, it was due to lack of time. i would prefer to see it as a lack of planning on my behalf. which brings me to my soon to be written posts.
i believe God is leading to pen a four-part series on voices.
as of yet, i have no clue how many posts this will cover; but i do know that the very thought at starting this elates me.
two weeks ago, i believe God gave me a basic outline for this series, so i hope i serve His purposes well...
part one is finding your voice: what is your voice? what do people hear when they hear you speak?
part two will be recovering your voice: have you compromised your voice?
part three will be empowering your voice: what does your time schedule about you? do you actively plan to utilize your voice?
and finally, part four will cover using your voice: what good is a voice if you never use it?
for the world-wide renown of His sovereign glory...
i'm finally going to blog something that i've wanted to work on for a while. no, it's not in this post. but i'll be posting the first part later sometime later this week.
i hope that my previous posts have served to be enriching and uplifting; not condescending or demeaning. i really don't have a clue how they're affecting people's lives as there are very few comments left behind. [that is not a hint for you to leave comments; you should never feel pressured to do anything that you do not wish to do.]
most of you who read this blog on a semi-regular basis will note that most of my blogs in the past have run along a similar vein: they appear to be a series of a sort. well, for the most part they are; albeit an unintentional series. but they were still a series.
lately, i haven't written much; barely managing a blog a week. perhaps, it was due to lack of time. i would prefer to see it as a lack of planning on my behalf. which brings me to my soon to be written posts.
i believe God is leading to pen a four-part series on voices.
as of yet, i have no clue how many posts this will cover; but i do know that the very thought at starting this elates me.
two weeks ago, i believe God gave me a basic outline for this series, so i hope i serve His purposes well...
part one is finding your voice: what is your voice? what do people hear when they hear you speak?
part two will be recovering your voice: have you compromised your voice?
part three will be empowering your voice: what does your time schedule about you? do you actively plan to utilize your voice?
and finally, part four will cover using your voice: what good is a voice if you never use it?
for the world-wide renown of His sovereign glory...
14 October 2005
[a broken heart decompresses]
july 5th, 2004, senior airman andrew schliepsiek and his wife jamie were stabbed to death in their home at robins airforce base near macon, georgia. staff sergeant jason king was also stabbed the same night but lived to tell his story.
october 15th, 2005, senior airman andrew witt was sentenced to death for the pre-meditated murders and the pre-meditated attempt on ssgt jason king's life.
now why on earth would i choose to write about this?
*let me preface this by stating that i'm not here to question the death penalty; to ask whether or not there are scriptural grounds for it; or to point fingers and open wounds.
i write about it because it broke my heart.
see, i went to high school with andrew witt. i played on the same high school basketball team before he transfered schools. 8 years ago, we sat in many of the same classes. today, he sits on death row and i sit at a computer. but what really breaks my heart is that i see what his family is going through right now. i see it because i know them.
no one denies his guilt. he was there that night. he did it. the witness lived to testify. there is no justifiable motive for murder. murder is what it is. killing an innocent human being is a terrible tragedy and in many areas, in accordance with the law, it is punishable by death.
my first reaction to the initial news that andrew witt had murdered a couple, was to google andrew and jamie schliepsiek. what i came across were some harsh words leveled at their murderer. and my heart broke.
it didn't break for andrew witt. it broke for those who had lost their friends; their son; their daughter; their sister; their brother.
i saw pain. and i hurt for them. i couldn't and cannot hurt with them.
now today, my heart has broken again. i've taken andrew witt's brother out to dinner. his name is sam. he's in the sixth grade. and he knows. i've sat with his sister at high school soccer games. her name is katie. she is in the eigth grade. and she testified at her brother's death penalty hearing.
my heart breaks because i can see the fall-out from poor decision making. and i am determined, more than ever, to live a revolutionary christian life.
andrew witt. was raised in a christian home. went to a christian school. attended a christian college. entered the military. and made some poor decisions.
i want, so badly, to be more than someone who shakes their head and questions the parents; because his parents didn't make his decisions for him.
i want to live an extraordinary life that glorifies God; not a life that leaves people questioning Him.
october 15th, 2005, senior airman andrew witt was sentenced to death for the pre-meditated murders and the pre-meditated attempt on ssgt jason king's life.
now why on earth would i choose to write about this?
*let me preface this by stating that i'm not here to question the death penalty; to ask whether or not there are scriptural grounds for it; or to point fingers and open wounds.
i write about it because it broke my heart.
see, i went to high school with andrew witt. i played on the same high school basketball team before he transfered schools. 8 years ago, we sat in many of the same classes. today, he sits on death row and i sit at a computer. but what really breaks my heart is that i see what his family is going through right now. i see it because i know them.
no one denies his guilt. he was there that night. he did it. the witness lived to testify. there is no justifiable motive for murder. murder is what it is. killing an innocent human being is a terrible tragedy and in many areas, in accordance with the law, it is punishable by death.
my first reaction to the initial news that andrew witt had murdered a couple, was to google andrew and jamie schliepsiek. what i came across were some harsh words leveled at their murderer. and my heart broke.
it didn't break for andrew witt. it broke for those who had lost their friends; their son; their daughter; their sister; their brother.
i saw pain. and i hurt for them. i couldn't and cannot hurt with them.
now today, my heart has broken again. i've taken andrew witt's brother out to dinner. his name is sam. he's in the sixth grade. and he knows. i've sat with his sister at high school soccer games. her name is katie. she is in the eigth grade. and she testified at her brother's death penalty hearing.
my heart breaks because i can see the fall-out from poor decision making. and i am determined, more than ever, to live a revolutionary christian life.
andrew witt. was raised in a christian home. went to a christian school. attended a christian college. entered the military. and made some poor decisions.
i want, so badly, to be more than someone who shakes their head and questions the parents; because his parents didn't make his decisions for him.
i want to live an extraordinary life that glorifies God; not a life that leaves people questioning Him.
10 October 2005
[what if?]
i've been working with allie rogers lately on her missions promotional video [it's almost done!] and one question keeps popping into my head.
what if?
the variables are never the same, but, just for once, what if?
what if someone approached us with a solid business plan that provided maximum return on investment? how much capital would we invest?
what if we emptied our busy schedules to open them up for what we think really matters? would what we choose to fill the time with satisfy us?
what if the world were infected with some horrible virus that was killing us all off? what if the only cure was if the only person who wasn't infected had to die?
what if?
what if God asked us to do something that was guaranteed? what if what He asked us to do was to help expand His kingdom?
what if the only thing that matters is the one thing we drag our feet to do?
what if Jesus had refused to die for you or me?
what if?
what if i lived my life for the world-wide renown of His sovereign glory?
[what if i truly believed what that means?]
what if?
the variables are never the same, but, just for once, what if?
what if someone approached us with a solid business plan that provided maximum return on investment? how much capital would we invest?
what if we emptied our busy schedules to open them up for what we think really matters? would what we choose to fill the time with satisfy us?
what if the world were infected with some horrible virus that was killing us all off? what if the only cure was if the only person who wasn't infected had to die?
what if?
what if God asked us to do something that was guaranteed? what if what He asked us to do was to help expand His kingdom?
what if the only thing that matters is the one thing we drag our feet to do?
what if Jesus had refused to die for you or me?
what if?
what if i lived my life for the world-wide renown of His sovereign glory?
[what if i truly believed what that means?]
01 October 2005
[violent prayer and walmart; changing the atmosphere where you work]
it is no great secret that i am currently working at walmart to help to build my finances to move on to the next phase of my life. what happened last week, no one could have seen coming.
what began as regular customer-associate interaction quickly became something greater. a customer had a keychain with a leather cutout of africa and i asked her if she had ever been there. she said she had. and not just to any part of africa, she had been to tanzania- the very place i have just returned from three months ago. we talked for a few minutes in english and broken swahili and then she left.
the next customer walked up to the counter and asked me why i had gone over there. after i told him, he had all sorts of questions: do you miss it? would you ever go back? did you witness any miracles? why do you think more miracles happen over there than here in america? what do you think about exorcism?
i answered the questions as they came, but that last one took me a bit by surprise. i explained demonic oppression and how people who are set free from it often tend to be healed from diseases.
then he told me about his 4-year-old grandson who was adopted out of a drug-addict home. despite having adhd, whenever the child was told of Jesus, he would shriek and cry Jesus doesn't like me!
and he asked if i would pray for jaime. i told him i would and that we could pray right then too.
i'd like to tell you that he came back that afternoon and told me jaime was set free; but he didn't. i'd like to tell you that the prayer changed the lives of everyone present; but i only know how it affected mine. i'd like to tell you that people were saved that day in walmart; but from what i know, nothing else extraordinary happened.
i know it wasn't a short, sweet and quiet prayer; but i wasn't pacing (i wanted to) and i wasn't shouting (in tongues or otherwise). it was a violent prayer. i know this because it changed the atmosphere in my little section of walmart. other customers had bowed their heads and were praying along. no one who could get me in trouble wandered through. and after he left, walmart felt different. and it still feels different.
the kingdom of heaven suffers violence and the violent take it by force
do you feel that you need to separate your work life from your personal life? do you feel that you need to separate your religious life from your secular life? allow me to let you in on a big secret: there is no separation. if you try to separate the two you will be miserable and oppressed.
no man can serve two masters, he will hate one and serve the other; you cannot serve God and [things].
no one's opinions should ever dictate your spiritual life.
for the world-wide renown of His sovereign glory...
what began as regular customer-associate interaction quickly became something greater. a customer had a keychain with a leather cutout of africa and i asked her if she had ever been there. she said she had. and not just to any part of africa, she had been to tanzania- the very place i have just returned from three months ago. we talked for a few minutes in english and broken swahili and then she left.
the next customer walked up to the counter and asked me why i had gone over there. after i told him, he had all sorts of questions: do you miss it? would you ever go back? did you witness any miracles? why do you think more miracles happen over there than here in america? what do you think about exorcism?
i answered the questions as they came, but that last one took me a bit by surprise. i explained demonic oppression and how people who are set free from it often tend to be healed from diseases.
then he told me about his 4-year-old grandson who was adopted out of a drug-addict home. despite having adhd, whenever the child was told of Jesus, he would shriek and cry Jesus doesn't like me!
and he asked if i would pray for jaime. i told him i would and that we could pray right then too.
i'd like to tell you that he came back that afternoon and told me jaime was set free; but he didn't. i'd like to tell you that the prayer changed the lives of everyone present; but i only know how it affected mine. i'd like to tell you that people were saved that day in walmart; but from what i know, nothing else extraordinary happened.
i know it wasn't a short, sweet and quiet prayer; but i wasn't pacing (i wanted to) and i wasn't shouting (in tongues or otherwise). it was a violent prayer. i know this because it changed the atmosphere in my little section of walmart. other customers had bowed their heads and were praying along. no one who could get me in trouble wandered through. and after he left, walmart felt different. and it still feels different.
the kingdom of heaven suffers violence and the violent take it by force
do you feel that you need to separate your work life from your personal life? do you feel that you need to separate your religious life from your secular life? allow me to let you in on a big secret: there is no separation. if you try to separate the two you will be miserable and oppressed.
no man can serve two masters, he will hate one and serve the other; you cannot serve God and [things].
no one's opinions should ever dictate your spiritual life.
for the world-wide renown of His sovereign glory...
26 September 2005
[(the real) me]
Just when I think I'm humble, I'm proud. Just when I think I'm accepting, I'm judgemental. Just when I think I'm mature, I'm immature. Just when I think I finally get it, I realize I know nothing. Just when I think I'm loving, I'm selfish. Just when I think I'm giving, I'm greedy. Just when I think I'm compassionate, I'm spiteful.
"that which i do not want to do, i do; that which i do want to do, i do not do."
yeah, paul, i get it now.
for the world-wide renown of His sovereign glory...
"that which i do not want to do, i do; that which i do want to do, i do not do."
yeah, paul, i get it now.
for the world-wide renown of His sovereign glory...
16 September 2005
[exploring love; an exposition on increase]
it has been my observation that those people who feel they are not giving enough to help the world are the ones who are already giving much. maybe they see ways to improve upon their giving, maybe they don't. but the ones who give the most feel they are not giving as much as they can.
it seems, to them, that the more they give away, the more they actually have.
having been in the pentecostal/charismatic circle a while, i have heard all the teachings on "give to God's work and watch Him give you back 30, 60 and 100-fold."
many preachers, evangelists and ministers use these Scriptural promises for personal gain or to further their ministries, but they are lacking one key ingredient when they serve up their offering requests.
they stop after saying the more you give to God, the more He gives back to you. many of them say "give out of your need" and it should be translated, "give out of your greed."
it has been estimated that the global christian church rakes in 11 trillion dollars annually (that's individual christians). if the people only gave what they were required (ten percent), that's 1.1 trillion dollars. (1.1 TRILLION!) that's definitely enough money to make a difference. so where does that money go? it goes into homes, food, cars, toys, education, etc.
the average christian spends 700% more on entertainment than they do on anything religious. the average christian spends 70x's more money on dogfood than on world-evangelization. and thirty times more on sodas than on international aid.
where does the money that does come in go? 86% of all money given in the past decade has gone into church building funds. 90% of that was in churches that didn't particularly need a new building. 65% of what was left over went towards local programs (which isn't necessarily a bad thing, because people here need the Gospel message just like the people in other countries). i was talking to a friend of mine a few days ago and they were telling me about a road in their city that has six or eight multi-hundred million dollar facilities on a short stretch of it! what are we doing?
we horde our cash and save it until it can buy us massive buildings and facilities and then parade and preen like peacocks while millions of people starve to death. we whoop and holler about how we are blessed and do little to help the millions of people dying without hope. we say how good our God is yet we betray His goodness by showing off our congregational greed.
it's time for us to get off of our blessed assurance [props to bro. dwight] and go do what we say we believe. we've talked about it; we reminisce about it. we can't change our past. what's done is done and there's no use trying to smooth things over and trying to cover it up. it's time to stop pretending and time to start being.
a different friend of mine [yes, i have more than one...] recently gave me something to read from the classic story the velveteen rabbit. skin horse is telling rabbit what it takes to be real:
it doesn't happen all at once like being wound up, but bit by bit. it doesn't happen all at once. you become. it takes a long time. that's why it doesn't happen to people who break easily, or who have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. generally, by the time you are real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. but these things don't matter at all because once you are real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand.
my friend, who is one of my heroes is at a religious learning institute [think mainline bible college], went on to pen,
"christians today need stop being so fearful about spending time with the 'wrong' kind of people, get in the world, and really start reaching the lost. people don't care to see how perfect we are; they need to see how perfect God is. they don't think that christians don't sin; they need to know about God's amazing forgiveness. the lost don't need to hear that they need to change their lives; they need to know how God will change their lives. they don't need to hear us talk about the truth, they need to see us trusting and living out the truth."
amen.
let's increase our giving, but not to the building fund. let's increase our time with the people. let's increase our exposure to the needs of others. let's increase our exposure to God and decrease our exposure to ourselves.
[live the revolution!]
for the world-wide renown of His sovereign glory...
it seems, to them, that the more they give away, the more they actually have.
having been in the pentecostal/charismatic circle a while, i have heard all the teachings on "give to God's work and watch Him give you back 30, 60 and 100-fold."
many preachers, evangelists and ministers use these Scriptural promises for personal gain or to further their ministries, but they are lacking one key ingredient when they serve up their offering requests.
they stop after saying the more you give to God, the more He gives back to you. many of them say "give out of your need" and it should be translated, "give out of your greed."
it has been estimated that the global christian church rakes in 11 trillion dollars annually (that's individual christians). if the people only gave what they were required (ten percent), that's 1.1 trillion dollars. (1.1 TRILLION!) that's definitely enough money to make a difference. so where does that money go? it goes into homes, food, cars, toys, education, etc.
the average christian spends 700% more on entertainment than they do on anything religious. the average christian spends 70x's more money on dogfood than on world-evangelization. and thirty times more on sodas than on international aid.
where does the money that does come in go? 86% of all money given in the past decade has gone into church building funds. 90% of that was in churches that didn't particularly need a new building. 65% of what was left over went towards local programs (which isn't necessarily a bad thing, because people here need the Gospel message just like the people in other countries). i was talking to a friend of mine a few days ago and they were telling me about a road in their city that has six or eight multi-hundred million dollar facilities on a short stretch of it! what are we doing?
we horde our cash and save it until it can buy us massive buildings and facilities and then parade and preen like peacocks while millions of people starve to death. we whoop and holler about how we are blessed and do little to help the millions of people dying without hope. we say how good our God is yet we betray His goodness by showing off our congregational greed.
it's time for us to get off of our blessed assurance [props to bro. dwight] and go do what we say we believe. we've talked about it; we reminisce about it. we can't change our past. what's done is done and there's no use trying to smooth things over and trying to cover it up. it's time to stop pretending and time to start being.
a different friend of mine [yes, i have more than one...] recently gave me something to read from the classic story the velveteen rabbit. skin horse is telling rabbit what it takes to be real:
it doesn't happen all at once like being wound up, but bit by bit. it doesn't happen all at once. you become. it takes a long time. that's why it doesn't happen to people who break easily, or who have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. generally, by the time you are real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. but these things don't matter at all because once you are real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand.
my friend, who is one of my heroes is at a religious learning institute [think mainline bible college], went on to pen,
"christians today need stop being so fearful about spending time with the 'wrong' kind of people, get in the world, and really start reaching the lost. people don't care to see how perfect we are; they need to see how perfect God is. they don't think that christians don't sin; they need to know about God's amazing forgiveness. the lost don't need to hear that they need to change their lives; they need to know how God will change their lives. they don't need to hear us talk about the truth, they need to see us trusting and living out the truth."
amen.
let's increase our giving, but not to the building fund. let's increase our time with the people. let's increase our exposure to the needs of others. let's increase our exposure to God and decrease our exposure to ourselves.
[live the revolution!]
for the world-wide renown of His sovereign glory...
12 September 2005
[a divine falling out: the wrath of God and the institution of religion]
in a previous post, i briefly pointed out scriptures that show that God does not destroy the wicked without first issuing a warning.
today, i would like to focus on the initial striking point of God's wrath on the earth today. what, exactly, is the wrath of God? have we seen it evidenced in modern times? are sept. 11, 2001 hurricane katrina and the tsunami of 2005 agents of God's wrath on this fallen world?
or, have we simply forgetten eschatology and that God promises storms and wars just before the end of the world?
we need to look at wrath in both a historical and a prophetic light. the earth has only once experienced the full-fury of God's wrath and even then i am hesitant to use the word "full."
our visions and ideas of hell come more from dante's inferno than from biblical evidence. all we know is that it will be a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth and anyone who goes there will be forever cut off from God.
our concepts of wrath stem from the fall-out of human interaction. both of these are incomplete visualiztions of wrath because they stem from human experiences and ideas. jonathan edwards sermon "sinners in the hands of an angry God" is the most eye-opening (not to mention the scariest) visualization i have ever heard of or read of the wrath of God. [disclaimer: notice i said that i have heard of read; i realize that this is subjective and not merely objective, but i am convinced that anyone who reads this sermon would agree that it is one of the most powerful pieces of writing on the wrath of God if not the most powerful aside from the Scriptures.]
many christians would draw the conclusion of God's wrath when referring to hurricane katrina and september 11, 2001. hurricane katrina, more so for it's apparent similarities to the destruction of sodom and gomorrah. but here is my question: when God's wrath is poured out on people, the land suffers but the people are utterly destroyed; they are wiped out. no one survives save for the few God selected to rescue (i.e. lot and his family; noah and his family; joshua, caleb, moses and the children of israel under 21; etc.).
with this precedence, if katrina was God's fury, why were so many people saved?
now here's a question i get all the time: if God is a God of love then how can He be a God of wrath. the answer to that is not that He isn't a God of wrath, but that He is a God of justice and His wrath was not intended for humans. His wrath was intended for sin. He won't simply earse sin from the world. why not? because doing so would be against His nature. He is a God of love. to erase sin and force mankind into living in righteousness is not love. love gives the receiver the choice- not the giver. pure love does not seek it's own. He wants us to make the choice between what we choose to love and Him. He is not giving us a blind choice, we know that the wages of sin is death and those who claim not to know chose ignorance. those who do wrong and say they were unaware of the consequences are lying. they may want to believe that there are no adverse consequences, but they will discover their faith was in vain. only an insane person will believe in something they know to be false.
God is only angered by sin. He hates sin. He wants nothing to do with sin. however, He loves His creation, specifically the part that He formed in His own image- the part that He breathed His breath into. if we are sinful people, how can He love us? He loves the individual and despises what they do- in short, He has loads of patience for each individual.
now, i know you're wondering where the institution of religion part plays into what i've written. so here it goes: the institution of religion (particularly psuedo-christianity) states that when something bad happens to a primarily wicked lot of people, it is God's judgement. they claim the tsunami was God's judgement on the hindu, buddhist and muslim world; that september 11, 2001 was God's judgement on feminism, homosexuality, sexual promiscuity, lust and greed; and that hurricane katrina was God's judgement on sexual debauchery and homosexuality.
while some of these target groups might actually be reasons for a specific event, it is not God's judgement when He allows something of the magnitude of the tsunami, sept 11, 01 and hurrican katrina. He allows those things to draw people back to Him.
the institution would have you believe that God was angry and He destroyed those people to purge those areas, actual Scripture suggests that it is allowed so that people can return to the Lord, their Creator; their Maker.
the divine fall out is here: *[the institution of religion feeds on fear, the notion of God's wrath in all things adds to the fear. but God is Love Personified. He is Perfect Love. and we know that perfect love casts out all fear]*
there is a lesson to be learned from this though. first, looking back at amos 4, God clearly has set a precedent for allowing disaster to strike to draw men back to Him.
our second lesson can be learned from luke 13:1-5.
now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the galileans whose blood pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. Jesus answered, "do you think that these galileans were worse sinners than all the other galileans because they suffered this way? i tell you, no! but unless you repent, you too will perish. or those eighteen who died when the tower in siloam fell on them- do you think that they were more guilty than all the others living in jerusalem? i tell you, no! but unless you repent, you too will perish."
[for the world-wide renown of His sovereign glory...]
today, i would like to focus on the initial striking point of God's wrath on the earth today. what, exactly, is the wrath of God? have we seen it evidenced in modern times? are sept. 11, 2001 hurricane katrina and the tsunami of 2005 agents of God's wrath on this fallen world?
or, have we simply forgetten eschatology and that God promises storms and wars just before the end of the world?
we need to look at wrath in both a historical and a prophetic light. the earth has only once experienced the full-fury of God's wrath and even then i am hesitant to use the word "full."
our visions and ideas of hell come more from dante's inferno than from biblical evidence. all we know is that it will be a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth and anyone who goes there will be forever cut off from God.
our concepts of wrath stem from the fall-out of human interaction. both of these are incomplete visualiztions of wrath because they stem from human experiences and ideas. jonathan edwards sermon "sinners in the hands of an angry God" is the most eye-opening (not to mention the scariest) visualization i have ever heard of or read of the wrath of God. [disclaimer: notice i said that i have heard of read; i realize that this is subjective and not merely objective, but i am convinced that anyone who reads this sermon would agree that it is one of the most powerful pieces of writing on the wrath of God if not the most powerful aside from the Scriptures.]
many christians would draw the conclusion of God's wrath when referring to hurricane katrina and september 11, 2001. hurricane katrina, more so for it's apparent similarities to the destruction of sodom and gomorrah. but here is my question: when God's wrath is poured out on people, the land suffers but the people are utterly destroyed; they are wiped out. no one survives save for the few God selected to rescue (i.e. lot and his family; noah and his family; joshua, caleb, moses and the children of israel under 21; etc.).
with this precedence, if katrina was God's fury, why were so many people saved?
now here's a question i get all the time: if God is a God of love then how can He be a God of wrath. the answer to that is not that He isn't a God of wrath, but that He is a God of justice and His wrath was not intended for humans. His wrath was intended for sin. He won't simply earse sin from the world. why not? because doing so would be against His nature. He is a God of love. to erase sin and force mankind into living in righteousness is not love. love gives the receiver the choice- not the giver. pure love does not seek it's own. He wants us to make the choice between what we choose to love and Him. He is not giving us a blind choice, we know that the wages of sin is death and those who claim not to know chose ignorance. those who do wrong and say they were unaware of the consequences are lying. they may want to believe that there are no adverse consequences, but they will discover their faith was in vain. only an insane person will believe in something they know to be false.
God is only angered by sin. He hates sin. He wants nothing to do with sin. however, He loves His creation, specifically the part that He formed in His own image- the part that He breathed His breath into. if we are sinful people, how can He love us? He loves the individual and despises what they do- in short, He has loads of patience for each individual.
now, i know you're wondering where the institution of religion part plays into what i've written. so here it goes: the institution of religion (particularly psuedo-christianity) states that when something bad happens to a primarily wicked lot of people, it is God's judgement. they claim the tsunami was God's judgement on the hindu, buddhist and muslim world; that september 11, 2001 was God's judgement on feminism, homosexuality, sexual promiscuity, lust and greed; and that hurricane katrina was God's judgement on sexual debauchery and homosexuality.
while some of these target groups might actually be reasons for a specific event, it is not God's judgement when He allows something of the magnitude of the tsunami, sept 11, 01 and hurrican katrina. He allows those things to draw people back to Him.
the institution would have you believe that God was angry and He destroyed those people to purge those areas, actual Scripture suggests that it is allowed so that people can return to the Lord, their Creator; their Maker.
the divine fall out is here: *[the institution of religion feeds on fear, the notion of God's wrath in all things adds to the fear. but God is Love Personified. He is Perfect Love. and we know that perfect love casts out all fear]*
there is a lesson to be learned from this though. first, looking back at amos 4, God clearly has set a precedent for allowing disaster to strike to draw men back to Him.
our second lesson can be learned from luke 13:1-5.
now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the galileans whose blood pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. Jesus answered, "do you think that these galileans were worse sinners than all the other galileans because they suffered this way? i tell you, no! but unless you repent, you too will perish. or those eighteen who died when the tower in siloam fell on them- do you think that they were more guilty than all the others living in jerusalem? i tell you, no! but unless you repent, you too will perish."
where those who were lost to these great tragedies any worse than the rest of us sinners? no. don't wonder why they died. be concerned that you remained alive and that your life may be required of you at any moment.
sobering words.[for the world-wide renown of His sovereign glory...]
07 September 2005
[learning experiences: a quarter century of closed doors, poor decisions and burned bridges]
ok, so it's not anywhere near my 25th birthday yet, but it sounded good in the title line...
yeah, so i was reflecting on my life this morning (at 3:52 a.m.) and i saw a pattern emerge. a pattern that i don't really think i like and one that i don't want the next quarter century to be filled with.
it's easy to write of missed chances, bad choices and wrong roads taken (two roads diverged in a yellow wood, and i- i took the one most traveled by...), well for me it is, i guess. it's easy to talk of them and reminice (yeah, so i spelt it wrong, who cares?) on how i felt when those choices were made and sometimes it's a tough pill to swallow to see how those decisions have affected who i am today.
what makes us better is when we acknowledge our errors, get back up off the ground, brush ourselves off and move on. i am as close to being who i was yesterday as i am to who i was 5 years ago.
all i know is that what i'm doing right now, this taking care of business, is what it will take to cool the burning bridges, to cover the closed doors and to pave the way for better decisions.
i know this too... i know that where i am is not where i want to be. i know that where i plan to be soon is not my final destination and what i am doing is not what i want to do with my life.
i know this as well... i know that, like simon birch, God has a plan for me, and that even if it means i die early (actually, it would be right on time), then i will have done something for Him. some how, in some way or another, my life will touch others. and it will be greater than it has already. these hands belong to david joseph huffman, and one day they will touch millions. these feet belong to david joseph huffman, and one day they will walk in nations. these lips belong to david joseph huffman, and one day they will speak to a generation.
yes, my name is david joseph huffman, and i've filled a quarter century with mistakes. but the next few years don't belong to me, they belong to God and are for Him to write the story.
two roads diverge in a yellow wood, and i- i choose the one God travels by.
[for the world-wide renown of His sovereign glory...]
yeah, so i was reflecting on my life this morning (at 3:52 a.m.) and i saw a pattern emerge. a pattern that i don't really think i like and one that i don't want the next quarter century to be filled with.
it's easy to write of missed chances, bad choices and wrong roads taken (two roads diverged in a yellow wood, and i- i took the one most traveled by...), well for me it is, i guess. it's easy to talk of them and reminice (yeah, so i spelt it wrong, who cares?) on how i felt when those choices were made and sometimes it's a tough pill to swallow to see how those decisions have affected who i am today.
what makes us better is when we acknowledge our errors, get back up off the ground, brush ourselves off and move on. i am as close to being who i was yesterday as i am to who i was 5 years ago.
all i know is that what i'm doing right now, this taking care of business, is what it will take to cool the burning bridges, to cover the closed doors and to pave the way for better decisions.
i know this too... i know that where i am is not where i want to be. i know that where i plan to be soon is not my final destination and what i am doing is not what i want to do with my life.
i know this as well... i know that, like simon birch, God has a plan for me, and that even if it means i die early (actually, it would be right on time), then i will have done something for Him. some how, in some way or another, my life will touch others. and it will be greater than it has already. these hands belong to david joseph huffman, and one day they will touch millions. these feet belong to david joseph huffman, and one day they will walk in nations. these lips belong to david joseph huffman, and one day they will speak to a generation.
yes, my name is david joseph huffman, and i've filled a quarter century with mistakes. but the next few years don't belong to me, they belong to God and are for Him to write the story.
two roads diverge in a yellow wood, and i- i choose the one God travels by.
[for the world-wide renown of His sovereign glory...]
03 September 2005
[reflections on katrina: was katrina God's judgement?]
two days ago i received an email from a friend regarding hurricane katrina. this friend had forwarded an email list from an organization claiming to speak for God.
the gist of the list was that because the city of new orleans openly celebrated it's sin and welcomed homosexuality in particular (mardi gras, girls gone wild videos and abortion clinics all get honorable mentions), God chose to decimate it. then, in one final attempt to solidify that this storm was, indeed, an act of judgement, the author leaves the reader with these words from matthew 5:45- [God] sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
my problem with this "judgement" logic is simply this: God is not random. God does not dispense wrath at random. biblically, all judgements have been preceded by prophetic warnings. God has always given people a warning and a way out.
God told abraham in genesis that He was about to destroy sodom and gomorrah. He sent two angels to rescue lot and his family so that the city could be destroyed. when those who heard the warnings laughed or didn't repent, they were destroyed. God even promised abraham that, if even ten righteous people could be found there, then sodom and gomorrah would not be destroyed.
in exodus, at the foot of sinai, israel was full of sin. God's anger burned within Him and He told moses that He would simply destroy israel and begin again. moses' intercession was enough to save his people.
and finally, just to show that i didn't pick out two random references to build my platform on: when God sent jonah to ninevah, He did it to warn the people of the impending judgement, to give them an opportunity to repent and change their ways.
now tell me, or show me, who was giving the specific warning? who did God use to warn the people of new orleans and how specific were they about His message? if katrina was God's judgement, and the people were warned, where were the intercessors praying for restoration?
i don't believe katrina was a judgement. i believe what God says about storms and disease in amos chapter 4. He did it to draw us to Him. He is showing us that He has the real power and that we are so dependent on our labels of independence that we are slaves to our egos.
yes, we need to repent as a nation. yes, we need to relearn how to approach the Holy One. but katrina is not a judgement. katrina was created to cause us to reflect on how we are living our lives, what we can do to change our lives and how we can live our lives for the glory of God.
katrina was a wake-up call, not a farewell speech.
[for the world-wide renown of His sovreign glory...]
the gist of the list was that because the city of new orleans openly celebrated it's sin and welcomed homosexuality in particular (mardi gras, girls gone wild videos and abortion clinics all get honorable mentions), God chose to decimate it. then, in one final attempt to solidify that this storm was, indeed, an act of judgement, the author leaves the reader with these words from matthew 5:45- [God] sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
my problem with this "judgement" logic is simply this: God is not random. God does not dispense wrath at random. biblically, all judgements have been preceded by prophetic warnings. God has always given people a warning and a way out.
God told abraham in genesis that He was about to destroy sodom and gomorrah. He sent two angels to rescue lot and his family so that the city could be destroyed. when those who heard the warnings laughed or didn't repent, they were destroyed. God even promised abraham that, if even ten righteous people could be found there, then sodom and gomorrah would not be destroyed.
in exodus, at the foot of sinai, israel was full of sin. God's anger burned within Him and He told moses that He would simply destroy israel and begin again. moses' intercession was enough to save his people.
and finally, just to show that i didn't pick out two random references to build my platform on: when God sent jonah to ninevah, He did it to warn the people of the impending judgement, to give them an opportunity to repent and change their ways.
now tell me, or show me, who was giving the specific warning? who did God use to warn the people of new orleans and how specific were they about His message? if katrina was God's judgement, and the people were warned, where were the intercessors praying for restoration?
i don't believe katrina was a judgement. i believe what God says about storms and disease in amos chapter 4. He did it to draw us to Him. He is showing us that He has the real power and that we are so dependent on our labels of independence that we are slaves to our egos.
yes, we need to repent as a nation. yes, we need to relearn how to approach the Holy One. but katrina is not a judgement. katrina was created to cause us to reflect on how we are living our lives, what we can do to change our lives and how we can live our lives for the glory of God.
katrina was a wake-up call, not a farewell speech.
[for the world-wide renown of His sovreign glory...]
01 September 2005
adventures in divine discontentedness
that's right, the title is not a mistake. we're all looking for that one thing that can make a us content. the beauty of God's design for discontentment is that is draws the seeker to Him. sure, we sometimes step away, or our eyes catch something pretty or flashy.
while other people tout God as being the answer to our divine discontedness, i believe it goes beyond that. i am restless and discontent, yet i "worship" God. now why on earth did i just put worship in quotes? because i am about to re-define worship. worship is both a noun and a verb. it is our fault that worship is considered a noun (person, place, thing or idea). we define our meetings by calling them "worship" services. there are two types of verbs (uh-oh! a grammar lesson!) there are action verbs (think about things that you can do all around a room- run, jump, laugh...) and then there are being verbs (think exist).
can you worship around the room? of course. does worship define our services? not as much as it should.
i truly think emerson was inspired by God when he penned the words, i see young men, my townsmen, whose misfortune it is to have inherited farms, houses, cattle, and farming tools; for these are more easily acquired then got rid of. better if they had been born in a field and suckled by a wolf, that they might have seen with clearer eyes what field they were called to labor in.
while emerson was referring to men who were working in fields while having the dreams and, in some cases, the skills to be working a different job; his statement translates so easily into the spiritual world.
while other christian leaders have written books about divine discontentment in reference to God being the only One who can make us content, my intent is to show that unless we become the christians we are supposed to be, we will still be discontent.
the beauty of discontent is that it pushes us to find contentedness. it doesn't allow us to settle. it drives us onward in our journey.
i see my friends, my collegues, my fellow christians, whose misfortune it is to have inherited hopelessness, taken jobs and careers, and purchased toys that break; for these are more easily got than got rid of. better they had begun humble in the beginning, that they might have seen with clearer eyes what field they were called to labor in.
while other people tout God as being the answer to our divine discontedness, i believe it goes beyond that. i am restless and discontent, yet i "worship" God. now why on earth did i just put worship in quotes? because i am about to re-define worship. worship is both a noun and a verb. it is our fault that worship is considered a noun (person, place, thing or idea). we define our meetings by calling them "worship" services. there are two types of verbs (uh-oh! a grammar lesson!) there are action verbs (think about things that you can do all around a room- run, jump, laugh...) and then there are being verbs (think exist).
can you worship around the room? of course. does worship define our services? not as much as it should.
i truly think emerson was inspired by God when he penned the words, i see young men, my townsmen, whose misfortune it is to have inherited farms, houses, cattle, and farming tools; for these are more easily acquired then got rid of. better if they had been born in a field and suckled by a wolf, that they might have seen with clearer eyes what field they were called to labor in.
while emerson was referring to men who were working in fields while having the dreams and, in some cases, the skills to be working a different job; his statement translates so easily into the spiritual world.
while other christian leaders have written books about divine discontentment in reference to God being the only One who can make us content, my intent is to show that unless we become the christians we are supposed to be, we will still be discontent.
the beauty of discontent is that it pushes us to find contentedness. it doesn't allow us to settle. it drives us onward in our journey.
i see my friends, my collegues, my fellow christians, whose misfortune it is to have inherited hopelessness, taken jobs and careers, and purchased toys that break; for these are more easily got than got rid of. better they had begun humble in the beginning, that they might have seen with clearer eyes what field they were called to labor in.
deitrich bonhoeffer penned the words: time lost is time when we have not lived a full human life, time unenriched by experience, creative endeavor, enjoyment and suffering.
[for the world-wide renown of His sovereign glory...]
30 August 2005
[prayers]
hey y'all, i'm just writing a quickie to say that i am coveting your prayers.
i've just sent off a manuscript to a literary agent to have it considered for publication. while i know it's all in God's hands, i just pray that whatever happens with it, it blesses someone's life.
[sprinting towards the world-wide renown of His sovereign glory...]
i've just sent off a manuscript to a literary agent to have it considered for publication. while i know it's all in God's hands, i just pray that whatever happens with it, it blesses someone's life.
[sprinting towards the world-wide renown of His sovereign glory...]
28 August 2005
hearsay&the_race.reloaded...
they say that life is a marathon.
they say we need to pace ourselves to finish the race.
they that pushing ourselves past the limit is unhealthy.
they say if we test our strength we will discover our weakness.
they say that too much, too fast will lead us to an early grave.
they say we need to look to the future and plan for tomorrow.
they say work today and play tomorrow.
they say we have all the time in the world.
they say life is a marathon.
rachel joy scott: 17 years old; martyred at coumbine high school; 1999. jim eliot: 29 years old; martyred in ecuador; 1956. keith green: 28 years old; died in a plane crash in texas; 1986. cassie bernall: 17 years old; martyred at columbine high school; 1999. oswald chambers: 37 years old; died in surgery in egypt; 1917. david brainerd: 29 years old; died in a blizzard in new england; 1747. john stam: 27 years old; martyred china; 1934. betty stam: 28 years old; martyred in china; 1934. frances havergal: 43 years old; died of fever in wales; 1879. philip bliss: 38 years old; died in a train wreck in ohio; 1876.
they say these died too early. they say their ministries were cut short.
jesus the christ: 33 years old; tortured and crucified in jerusalem; a.d. 30.
did He? was His?
what's worth more- a long life or a full life?
i've never run in a marathon, but i have played sports that require loads of training and running. my life has been full of sprints. i've lost, a lot. i've won, a few. i've quit, at times. and most of all, i've learned.
if you never give up on anything, you won't have something to regret for the rest of your life.
so, yeah, i get miserable and melancholy at times because i lose focus. i see the mistakes of my youth and how in certain areas, i am a prisoner to consequences. in one way, it is my thorn in the flesh.
i don't know how to express all that i feel inside. i am a paradox of emotions. i am excited about the future, but i feel petrified of the future. i can't wait to see what God is up to and it seems like it's taking forever, and yet time seems to be speeding away.
my goal, my passion, my all-consuming desire is to sprint. long life means nothing to me if it is not full. we are not in a marathon. today is an all-out sprint. we have this moment to make a difference. we have this breath to decide what we are going to leave behind.
one said, progress waits for no man. one said, he is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. one said, by life or death. one said, i ask only for one soul. one said, yes, i believe in God. one said, it is a joy to be so close to the gates of heaven. one said, never compromise your faith. one said, this will be my last year, Lord. one said, let the lower lights be burning.
He said, go...
He never said anything about coming back...
for the world-wide renown of His sovereign glory...
22 August 2005
[join the revolution video]
hey y'all, this is a little something i dreamed up and threw together over the last few days. you need windows media player to view it.
for high speed connections (38 kbps and above) click here.
for low speed connections (dial-up or below 38 kbps) click here.
for more information on creating a promotional video or a video to help raise finances for missions, email me directly.
of course, you can always leave a comment or any form of feedback...
for high speed connections (38 kbps and above) click here.
for low speed connections (dial-up or below 38 kbps) click here.
for more information on creating a promotional video or a video to help raise finances for missions, email me directly.
of course, you can always leave a comment or any form of feedback...
21 August 2005
lessons from a young cave dweller
we all have 'em. days when we feel we need some air. when we go outside and still feel like we're suffocating. days when we feel overwhelmed. days that make us want to run away but we know we can't run far enough. days when the ravenous wolves are snapping at our heels. yeah, we have them all right. they usually follow hard right after we let our guard down after a victory. the arrow that pierces it's target was not well-placed, only well-timed. a moment earlier and it would have harmlessly bounced off the shield.
where is your arrow resting?
the wound is only fatal if you let it be; if no attention is sought; if you hole up inside of yourself. maybe we feel that no one we know has been there; has had an arrow pierce them when they should have been their most protected. and maybe that's why it hurts so much. the trauma of the wound is compacted with our wounded pride. because we have been shown our place. because our pride was bloated.
maybe that's a lesson to learn from the scared youth who hid in caves and wept by himself even though he was surrounded by 200 strong men who pledged themselves for him. it's ok to be scared. it's ok to cry out. it's healthy to need others. it's good to open up. it is only abnormal to be fake. in fact, reality is the only thing normal.
"we have grown so accustomed to the subnormal that when we finally encounter the normal, we think it abnormal." -watchman nee
maybe it's our pride that utilizes plastic when steel is what is needed. we paint pretty pictures and use dazzling effects when there's turmoil deep inside. fear can paralyze; fear does paralyze. fear makes us want to run away and stay to hide at the same time. it's hard when those who experience things with you turn seem to turn against you.
remember when the young man and his men were out and some of their enemies came in and took all their possessions, their wives and their children? the men were so angry with their leader they wanted to kill him. but the scared young man hid in a cave and poured out his heart to God- the only One who could do anything anyway. the next words say it all: he encouraged himself in God. see, david realized that they wouldn't kill him because samuel the prophet had anointed him as the next king. how could he be king if he was dead?
none of those strong men held him as he wept. young david's comfort was not in that he wasn't going to die, but that God did have a plan for his life- and as long as that plan wasn't fulfilled, he had things to live for.
the scared boy emerged from the cave a victorious man. he rallied his men to chase after their enemies and took back what belonged to them and more! he was more than a conqueror- he was an overcomer.
for the world-wide renown of His sovereign glory...
where is your arrow resting?
the wound is only fatal if you let it be; if no attention is sought; if you hole up inside of yourself. maybe we feel that no one we know has been there; has had an arrow pierce them when they should have been their most protected. and maybe that's why it hurts so much. the trauma of the wound is compacted with our wounded pride. because we have been shown our place. because our pride was bloated.
maybe that's a lesson to learn from the scared youth who hid in caves and wept by himself even though he was surrounded by 200 strong men who pledged themselves for him. it's ok to be scared. it's ok to cry out. it's healthy to need others. it's good to open up. it is only abnormal to be fake. in fact, reality is the only thing normal.
"we have grown so accustomed to the subnormal that when we finally encounter the normal, we think it abnormal." -watchman nee
maybe it's our pride that utilizes plastic when steel is what is needed. we paint pretty pictures and use dazzling effects when there's turmoil deep inside. fear can paralyze; fear does paralyze. fear makes us want to run away and stay to hide at the same time. it's hard when those who experience things with you turn seem to turn against you.
remember when the young man and his men were out and some of their enemies came in and took all their possessions, their wives and their children? the men were so angry with their leader they wanted to kill him. but the scared young man hid in a cave and poured out his heart to God- the only One who could do anything anyway. the next words say it all: he encouraged himself in God. see, david realized that they wouldn't kill him because samuel the prophet had anointed him as the next king. how could he be king if he was dead?
none of those strong men held him as he wept. young david's comfort was not in that he wasn't going to die, but that God did have a plan for his life- and as long as that plan wasn't fulfilled, he had things to live for.
the scared boy emerged from the cave a victorious man. he rallied his men to chase after their enemies and took back what belonged to them and more! he was more than a conqueror- he was an overcomer.
for the world-wide renown of His sovereign glory...
20 August 2005
from essence to catalyst: smelling like God
i find it fitting that the psalmist writes "as the deer pants for water so my soul longs after You." i see two images of desperation here.
first there is the traditional rendering, that, like a deer gets thirsty and returns to the water to quench its thirst, so our souls are thirsty for God. the parallel here is that our souls need we God more than once or twice a week, but closer to three or four times a day.
the other image i draw from this passage is that of a deer being hunted by dogs. with an estimated 200 million+ scent receptors in their noses, it is difficult to lose a dog that has obtained a scent to track with. the only hope for the deer then is a rainstorm or a body of water. in this image, water goes from being the essence of life to the catalyst for life. it becomes the deer's salvation- the only means by which it can live. a deer cannot outrun a dog's tracking ability without the aid of a rainstorm.
i believe both images are integral to our understanding and application of this passage. like the psalmist, we can only run to the River to both find renewed strength and find life. we must run to the River multiple times a day. we must also realize that the enemy of our souls is a skilled and crafty hunter and that the only way he can "lose our scent" is if we smell like God.
the quest moves beyond quenching our thirst to a desperate search for life.
for the world-wide renown of His sovereign glory...
first there is the traditional rendering, that, like a deer gets thirsty and returns to the water to quench its thirst, so our souls are thirsty for God. the parallel here is that our souls need we God more than once or twice a week, but closer to three or four times a day.
the other image i draw from this passage is that of a deer being hunted by dogs. with an estimated 200 million+ scent receptors in their noses, it is difficult to lose a dog that has obtained a scent to track with. the only hope for the deer then is a rainstorm or a body of water. in this image, water goes from being the essence of life to the catalyst for life. it becomes the deer's salvation- the only means by which it can live. a deer cannot outrun a dog's tracking ability without the aid of a rainstorm.
i believe both images are integral to our understanding and application of this passage. like the psalmist, we can only run to the River to both find renewed strength and find life. we must run to the River multiple times a day. we must also realize that the enemy of our souls is a skilled and crafty hunter and that the only way he can "lose our scent" is if we smell like God.
the quest moves beyond quenching our thirst to a desperate search for life.
for the world-wide renown of His sovereign glory...
16 August 2005
conclusions.revisited
since returning to america from time spent in east africa, i have taken a temporary job in the tire and lube express at wal-mart to cover bills and prepare to re-enter college. on a daily basis, customers come in and complain about such menial things as the length of time of a 15-point oil change and inspection, or why they were charged a 70 cent disposal fee to discard their tires.
every day my heart is broken...
over the course of an 8-hour shift, an estimated 14,400 children die in africa of malaria. the cost of an oil change could treat nearly 40 children infected with the world's deadliest virus. the spread of malaria-carrying mosquitoes could be drastically diminished by the simple act of properly discarding automotive tires.
in the time it takes the average reader to view my blog, 10 children will have died. depressing? it could be. overwhelming? it may be. conclusion? prayer and action.
prayer first. why prayer first? with God, the world; without Him, not even over the threshold. a praying man (or woman) has the opportunity to join hands with the King of kings, he gains access to the King's vaults and armories, and, like joseph, he becomes a steward of justice in the land.
action second. why action second? with God, the world; without Him, not even over the threshold. without the focus attained through prayer, our cluttered minds, though originally intentful, may soon be overtaken by the more remedial. where at once, we were focused on making a difference, we may now be resigned to the thought that perhaps the only difference we can make is one made at great length.
some are called to making a difference from a distance but many who feel as though they are really aren't. they have seen the need but became overwhelmed by the scope of it instead of being overwhelmed by the size of God and His mercy and grace.
am i called to making a difference from a distance, or am i called to experience it first-hand?
it's a valid question. but i think we go about laying our fleeces with the wrong impression of what fleece laying is. we say that we need to know if this trip is where God is leading us. we need to know if it's God's plan. abram did not tell God that he needed to know, he just went not even knowing his destination. we lay our fleeces believing they will determine for us what God is saying. when gideon laid his fleece, his intention was to clarify whether he was hearing the Lord correctly- not to use it like it were some divine fortune cookie.
i think our apprehension of pursuing what we think God might be leading us to do may stem, in part, from a fear of failure. we like to make calculated risks. we don't like stepping into the unknown. how do i know this? the popluarity of books such as the purpose driven life, your best life now and who moved my cheese as well as countless other books on why we're here and dealing with change on the best seller lists suggests it. the other part of our apprehension of pursuing what God might be leading us to do may stem from our fear of inadequecy.
when God opens the door for us to go on a short trip for His glory, just what is it, exactly, that He is asking of us? to seek justice, encourage the oppressed. defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow. (isaiah 1:17)
for the world-wide renown of His sovereign glory...
every day my heart is broken...
over the course of an 8-hour shift, an estimated 14,400 children die in africa of malaria. the cost of an oil change could treat nearly 40 children infected with the world's deadliest virus. the spread of malaria-carrying mosquitoes could be drastically diminished by the simple act of properly discarding automotive tires.
in the time it takes the average reader to view my blog, 10 children will have died. depressing? it could be. overwhelming? it may be. conclusion? prayer and action.
prayer first. why prayer first? with God, the world; without Him, not even over the threshold. a praying man (or woman) has the opportunity to join hands with the King of kings, he gains access to the King's vaults and armories, and, like joseph, he becomes a steward of justice in the land.
action second. why action second? with God, the world; without Him, not even over the threshold. without the focus attained through prayer, our cluttered minds, though originally intentful, may soon be overtaken by the more remedial. where at once, we were focused on making a difference, we may now be resigned to the thought that perhaps the only difference we can make is one made at great length.
some are called to making a difference from a distance but many who feel as though they are really aren't. they have seen the need but became overwhelmed by the scope of it instead of being overwhelmed by the size of God and His mercy and grace.
am i called to making a difference from a distance, or am i called to experience it first-hand?
it's a valid question. but i think we go about laying our fleeces with the wrong impression of what fleece laying is. we say that we need to know if this trip is where God is leading us. we need to know if it's God's plan. abram did not tell God that he needed to know, he just went not even knowing his destination. we lay our fleeces believing they will determine for us what God is saying. when gideon laid his fleece, his intention was to clarify whether he was hearing the Lord correctly- not to use it like it were some divine fortune cookie.
i think our apprehension of pursuing what we think God might be leading us to do may stem, in part, from a fear of failure. we like to make calculated risks. we don't like stepping into the unknown. how do i know this? the popluarity of books such as the purpose driven life, your best life now and who moved my cheese as well as countless other books on why we're here and dealing with change on the best seller lists suggests it. the other part of our apprehension of pursuing what God might be leading us to do may stem from our fear of inadequecy.
when God opens the door for us to go on a short trip for His glory, just what is it, exactly, that He is asking of us? to seek justice, encourage the oppressed. defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow. (isaiah 1:17)
for the world-wide renown of His sovereign glory...
14 August 2005
the desire of our souls
in the path of your justice, o Lord, we wait for You; your name and renown are the desire of our soul. ~isaiah 26:8~
what is the desire of our soul? it's a question i ask myself almost daily. at the root of our actions lies our desires and our desired outcome. why do we do certain things? what does the outcome signify? better question, who does the outcome point to? who does the means point to? who do those two things glorify? if we can learn to give up doing things strictly for me, myself and i then we will discover the joys of doing things for them for the glory of Him!
God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him. what gives us satisfaction? what is more satisfying than worship?
the highest form of worship is not beautiful choirs and glorious singing- if it were, heaven's choirs are larger and more in tune than ours. the highest form of worship isn't the postures of lifting hands or prostration of our bodies- if it were, the twenty four elders have been doing that for eternity.
no, the highest form of worship is a life lived continuously for the glorification of God. and, as i stated before, like john piper and s.j. hill argue from the scriptures, God is most glorified in us, when we are most satisfied in Him.
how do we pursue this life of worship? pure and undefiled religion is this: giving aid to the oppressed and justice for the fatherless and to keep yourself clean from evil. (paraphrase mine)
what is the desire of our soul? it's a question i ask myself almost daily. at the root of our actions lies our desires and our desired outcome. why do we do certain things? what does the outcome signify? better question, who does the outcome point to? who does the means point to? who do those two things glorify? if we can learn to give up doing things strictly for me, myself and i then we will discover the joys of doing things for them for the glory of Him!
God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him. what gives us satisfaction? what is more satisfying than worship?
the highest form of worship is not beautiful choirs and glorious singing- if it were, heaven's choirs are larger and more in tune than ours. the highest form of worship isn't the postures of lifting hands or prostration of our bodies- if it were, the twenty four elders have been doing that for eternity.
no, the highest form of worship is a life lived continuously for the glorification of God. and, as i stated before, like john piper and s.j. hill argue from the scriptures, God is most glorified in us, when we are most satisfied in Him.
how do we pursue this life of worship? pure and undefiled religion is this: giving aid to the oppressed and justice for the fatherless and to keep yourself clean from evil. (paraphrase mine)
10 August 2005
justice or vengeance?
it is no secret that we serve a God of justice- or is it? why do people today view God as sitting on His throne with a bolt of lightening in His hand ready to strike dead anyone who fails or falls? the more i reflect on it, the more i realize that some of our ideas of who God is may be entangled with mythology.
we've all had the images in our heads from childhood when we watched all those disney movies and other cartoons. God is this really old guy with shocking white glowing hair and a really long flowing beard. He wears a golden crown that is partially hidden by the hair that has been growing since before eternity existed. He wears a white toga a lá cæser with a golden sash and golden sandals. His blazing eyes of fire are darting about the earth for anyone to strike dead when they screw up.
those without disney movies and other cartoons to guide their misconceptions of God had the help of sunday school felt boards (remember those?). and God became a sort of anti-santa claus. where santa looked for the good boys and girls to give good things to, God looked for the bad ones to strike with lightening.
now, that's a bit played up, but the premise is still the same. the obvious issue with this is that if that's what God were really looking for- to destroy people who do evil, the earth would have been empty long ago. in fact, we know that His eyes wander the earth looking for those who are righteous. He is seeking those who seek justice.
the difference between justice and vengeance is simple. revenge is the act of seeking to hurt someone as harshly (or worse) as they hurt us while hiding under the disguise of justice. revenge usually includes public humiliation of those who hurt us, whether they hurt us in public or not. if we give way to our anger and seek revenge, we feel good only in that moment of triumph. but as soon as we discover the damage we have left in our wake, that is when we become confused because we feel lower than when they hurt us.
the reason God says that vengeance is His is because He sees all things for what they are. while it may seem to take forever for God to act on our behalf, what we don't see is what we think is His inaction is actually His reaction on our behalf. if He were to come down hard on this person for offending us, He would also have to come down hard on us for offending someone else because He is a God of justice. justice is not the act of bringing or restoring peace but the act of paying a legal debt. life is the price of the debt owed. for the christian, Christ has paid the debt with His death on the cross. for the unsaved, justice still waits to be served.
for the world-wide renown of His sovereign glory...
we've all had the images in our heads from childhood when we watched all those disney movies and other cartoons. God is this really old guy with shocking white glowing hair and a really long flowing beard. He wears a golden crown that is partially hidden by the hair that has been growing since before eternity existed. He wears a white toga a lá cæser with a golden sash and golden sandals. His blazing eyes of fire are darting about the earth for anyone to strike dead when they screw up.
those without disney movies and other cartoons to guide their misconceptions of God had the help of sunday school felt boards (remember those?). and God became a sort of anti-santa claus. where santa looked for the good boys and girls to give good things to, God looked for the bad ones to strike with lightening.
now, that's a bit played up, but the premise is still the same. the obvious issue with this is that if that's what God were really looking for- to destroy people who do evil, the earth would have been empty long ago. in fact, we know that His eyes wander the earth looking for those who are righteous. He is seeking those who seek justice.
the difference between justice and vengeance is simple. revenge is the act of seeking to hurt someone as harshly (or worse) as they hurt us while hiding under the disguise of justice. revenge usually includes public humiliation of those who hurt us, whether they hurt us in public or not. if we give way to our anger and seek revenge, we feel good only in that moment of triumph. but as soon as we discover the damage we have left in our wake, that is when we become confused because we feel lower than when they hurt us.
the reason God says that vengeance is His is because He sees all things for what they are. while it may seem to take forever for God to act on our behalf, what we don't see is what we think is His inaction is actually His reaction on our behalf. if He were to come down hard on this person for offending us, He would also have to come down hard on us for offending someone else because He is a God of justice. justice is not the act of bringing or restoring peace but the act of paying a legal debt. life is the price of the debt owed. for the christian, Christ has paid the debt with His death on the cross. for the unsaved, justice still waits to be served.
for the world-wide renown of His sovereign glory...
08 August 2005
seperation
six years ago, i stumbled across amos 4. i say that i stumbled because i didn't just read it and go on, nor did i read it and understand immediately what the Lord was saying. even now, six years later, i don't have a complete grasp of what He was and is saying, but i know more now than i did then.
something about verses four and five really pierced my soul and would cause me to seek what God is saying to us. the amplified brings out a part, but my spirit told me it was still inconclusive.
it took about two years of looking at the verse before i decided to find out what bethel means. the amplified bible tells us that bethel is the place where the golden calf was located, but the word bethel means "the house of God". it is the place where jacob had the vision of the staircase descending from heaven.
gilgal was much more difficult. i began by attempting to define it in order to uncover what God was speaking to me. gilgal means "the rolling away". it began to feel like i was slamming my head into the wall. i then realized it was going to take more study. i researched all the places in the bible that gilgal is mentioned. gilgal is where the israelites first crossed over into the promised land and joshua had the men build an altar from rocks taken from the middle of the jordan river. it became a cermonial altar where israel would return to offer sacrifices.
so, with this “new” information, let's begin by restructuring amos 4:4-5. "come to [the house of God], and [sin]; to [the altar], and [sin even more]; bring your sacrifices every morning, your tithes every three days; offer a sacrifice of that which is leavened, and proclaim freewill offerings, publish them; for so you love to do, o people of israel! declares the Lord God."
like i said before, i don't really know how to approach this. i mean it is so applicable to today's church that it hardly seems right to let it apply only to the old testament israelites like so many preachers and professors would have us believe.
i think the beginning of the passage is quite telling. but i'd like to take a moment to focus on the end of the passage. the Lord is really calling us out.
first, He calls us out on our "sacrifices of excess" or sacrificing that which is leavened. the israelites were required to offer unleavened bread- bread that doesn't have yeast. yeast can double and triple the size of the bread. it can make it look bigger than what it really is. what it refers to is that we take what we need and then add yeast to whatever is left over and give that because it looks big, but it isn't what God requires.
second, He calls us out on our free will offerings. one of the prevalent trends in the church today is the declaration of free will offerings coupled with a publishing of the names of big givers. sure, we may not announce them from the pulpit (or maybe we do), but we publish it in other ways- donor lists, wall plaques, gift lists, and the presentation of gifts to or naming of rooms, wings and additions after big givers. this sort of behavior has two effects. the first effect is that the church is robbed of its blessings because they begin to see the people God may have used to give and the size of their gifts, so the church begins to focus on the individual and not God. the other effect is that the giver is robbed of blessing because their reward has been relegated to whatever the church has given them instead of what God wanted to give them.
now focusing on the beginning of the passage, we discover just who God is speaking to when we read "come to [the house of God]." still confused? He further clarifies it for us with the next statement, "[come] to [the altar] and [sin even more]."
it is alarming, as it should be, that God wasn't (and isn't) speaking to the godless people or to those who worshipped a different god. He was (and is) speaking directly to those called by His name- His people; the ones He chose. the Lord explains that all the tragedies and natural disasters that He allowed to occur were not actual judgements, but rather, He allowed them to occur to draw His people back to Him. today, when tragedy strikes in the form of a natural disaster or a terror attack or whatever, many christian "leaders" are quick to say it is God's judgement on a sin-plagued land. the problem with that is the ignorant rhetoric is unfounded and it paints christians in the same light as muslims. our God goes from a God who is loving and seeks justice to a God who is disgusted with His creation and only wants it destroyed; that our God is heartless and only bent on judgement. don’t believe me? a quick look back to 2001 should be sufficient. how many countless Christians declared that to be God’s judgement?
it is when His people ignore His more gentle calling that He must, by his very nature, seek justice with obvious beckonings. He is a merciful God, and He finds justice either through the death of His Son (for those who choose to believe) or through the death of someone else.in verse 12 He leaves us with a warning that must serve to wake us up. if we continue to ignore Him, we must be prepared to meet Him face to face to account for our injustices.
there is good news though, back when Solomon dedicated the temple (2 chronicles 6-7), the Lord promised the people that if they left their wicked ways and returned to Him that He would hear them.
He desires steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of Him rather than burnt offerings (hosea 6:6).
"but for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. you shall go out with leaping like calves from the stall" (malachi 4:2).
He gives us strength to stand so that when tragedy comes, we can point others to Him. but when we have no strength it leaves the unsaved and unchurched with nothing to hope in.
"and it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions" (joel 2:28).
“God’s men are in hiding until the day of their showing forth. they will come.
let him be as plain as john the baptist. let him for a season be a voice crying in the wilderness of modern theology and stagnant churchianity. let him be as selfless as paul the apostle. let him, too, say and live, “this ONE thing i do.” let him reject ecclesiastical favors. let him be self-abasing, non-self-projecting, non-self-glorifying, non-self-promoting.
let him say nothing that will draw men to himself, let him come daily from the throne-room of a holy God, the place where he has received the order of the day. let him, under God, unstop the ears of the millions who are deaf through the clatter of shekels milked from this hour of material mesmerism.
let him cry with a voice this century has not heard because he has seen a vision no man in this century has seen. God send us this moses to lead us from the wilderness of crass materialism, where the rattlesnakes of lust bite us and where enlightened men, totally blind spiritually, lead us to an ever-nearing armageddon.
God have mercy; send us PROPHETS!” (borrowed from strings for your harp by leonard ravenhill)
for the world-wide renown of His sovereign glory...
something about verses four and five really pierced my soul and would cause me to seek what God is saying to us. the amplified brings out a part, but my spirit told me it was still inconclusive.
it took about two years of looking at the verse before i decided to find out what bethel means. the amplified bible tells us that bethel is the place where the golden calf was located, but the word bethel means "the house of God". it is the place where jacob had the vision of the staircase descending from heaven.
gilgal was much more difficult. i began by attempting to define it in order to uncover what God was speaking to me. gilgal means "the rolling away". it began to feel like i was slamming my head into the wall. i then realized it was going to take more study. i researched all the places in the bible that gilgal is mentioned. gilgal is where the israelites first crossed over into the promised land and joshua had the men build an altar from rocks taken from the middle of the jordan river. it became a cermonial altar where israel would return to offer sacrifices.
so, with this “new” information, let's begin by restructuring amos 4:4-5. "come to [the house of God], and [sin]; to [the altar], and [sin even more]; bring your sacrifices every morning, your tithes every three days; offer a sacrifice of that which is leavened, and proclaim freewill offerings, publish them; for so you love to do, o people of israel! declares the Lord God."
like i said before, i don't really know how to approach this. i mean it is so applicable to today's church that it hardly seems right to let it apply only to the old testament israelites like so many preachers and professors would have us believe.
i think the beginning of the passage is quite telling. but i'd like to take a moment to focus on the end of the passage. the Lord is really calling us out.
first, He calls us out on our "sacrifices of excess" or sacrificing that which is leavened. the israelites were required to offer unleavened bread- bread that doesn't have yeast. yeast can double and triple the size of the bread. it can make it look bigger than what it really is. what it refers to is that we take what we need and then add yeast to whatever is left over and give that because it looks big, but it isn't what God requires.
second, He calls us out on our free will offerings. one of the prevalent trends in the church today is the declaration of free will offerings coupled with a publishing of the names of big givers. sure, we may not announce them from the pulpit (or maybe we do), but we publish it in other ways- donor lists, wall plaques, gift lists, and the presentation of gifts to or naming of rooms, wings and additions after big givers. this sort of behavior has two effects. the first effect is that the church is robbed of its blessings because they begin to see the people God may have used to give and the size of their gifts, so the church begins to focus on the individual and not God. the other effect is that the giver is robbed of blessing because their reward has been relegated to whatever the church has given them instead of what God wanted to give them.
now focusing on the beginning of the passage, we discover just who God is speaking to when we read "come to [the house of God]." still confused? He further clarifies it for us with the next statement, "[come] to [the altar] and [sin even more]."
it is alarming, as it should be, that God wasn't (and isn't) speaking to the godless people or to those who worshipped a different god. He was (and is) speaking directly to those called by His name- His people; the ones He chose. the Lord explains that all the tragedies and natural disasters that He allowed to occur were not actual judgements, but rather, He allowed them to occur to draw His people back to Him. today, when tragedy strikes in the form of a natural disaster or a terror attack or whatever, many christian "leaders" are quick to say it is God's judgement on a sin-plagued land. the problem with that is the ignorant rhetoric is unfounded and it paints christians in the same light as muslims. our God goes from a God who is loving and seeks justice to a God who is disgusted with His creation and only wants it destroyed; that our God is heartless and only bent on judgement. don’t believe me? a quick look back to 2001 should be sufficient. how many countless Christians declared that to be God’s judgement?
it is when His people ignore His more gentle calling that He must, by his very nature, seek justice with obvious beckonings. He is a merciful God, and He finds justice either through the death of His Son (for those who choose to believe) or through the death of someone else.in verse 12 He leaves us with a warning that must serve to wake us up. if we continue to ignore Him, we must be prepared to meet Him face to face to account for our injustices.
there is good news though, back when Solomon dedicated the temple (2 chronicles 6-7), the Lord promised the people that if they left their wicked ways and returned to Him that He would hear them.
He desires steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of Him rather than burnt offerings (hosea 6:6).
"but for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. you shall go out with leaping like calves from the stall" (malachi 4:2).
He gives us strength to stand so that when tragedy comes, we can point others to Him. but when we have no strength it leaves the unsaved and unchurched with nothing to hope in.
"and it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions" (joel 2:28).
“God’s men are in hiding until the day of their showing forth. they will come.
let him be as plain as john the baptist. let him for a season be a voice crying in the wilderness of modern theology and stagnant churchianity. let him be as selfless as paul the apostle. let him, too, say and live, “this ONE thing i do.” let him reject ecclesiastical favors. let him be self-abasing, non-self-projecting, non-self-glorifying, non-self-promoting.
let him say nothing that will draw men to himself, let him come daily from the throne-room of a holy God, the place where he has received the order of the day. let him, under God, unstop the ears of the millions who are deaf through the clatter of shekels milked from this hour of material mesmerism.
let him cry with a voice this century has not heard because he has seen a vision no man in this century has seen. God send us this moses to lead us from the wilderness of crass materialism, where the rattlesnakes of lust bite us and where enlightened men, totally blind spiritually, lead us to an ever-nearing armageddon.
God have mercy; send us PROPHETS!” (borrowed from strings for your harp by leonard ravenhill)
for the world-wide renown of His sovereign glory...
06 August 2005
decisions
for the past four days i've been wrestling in my mind over the decision to post what the Lord has been showing me in a passage of Scripture for the last 6 years. now, some would say,
just post it!
but it's not that simple. what if it's message is so radical, life-altering that it may prove to anger many of those who have been following christianity for more years than i?
good! that message is needed!
some may say. yes, it is needed, but my struggle isn't in the ideas to convey, but in the way in which i present it.
see, i'm a visual type person. and though the medium with which i communicate to you is in words, i look for the way to give you the best mental image i can. not that this is beyond the abilities the Holy Spirit has gifted me with, but that i must seek out the most proper means of speaking the truth in love.
but what if what i have to say doesn't come with a mental image? would it still be received? that's not for me to decide, i guess. it would be for me to decide whether or not to say what i hear the Holy Spirit saying.
uh oh! i think i just challenged myself to remember one of my own posts... Jesus did what He saw His Father do, and spoke what He heard the Spirit say...
i really honestly believe that if we lived our lives as if we actually believed everything that was in the bible, then we would be living radically different lives. there would be no grey areas between the world and christianity. people wouldn't be able to even come close to confusing what is a cult and what is christian discipleship.
so, i hope, over the next few posts, to walk you down this scriptural path that God has taken me down these last six years. and i hope it becomes a challenge to the established belief that the world is flat...
for the world-wide renown of His sovereign glory...
just post it!
but it's not that simple. what if it's message is so radical, life-altering that it may prove to anger many of those who have been following christianity for more years than i?
good! that message is needed!
some may say. yes, it is needed, but my struggle isn't in the ideas to convey, but in the way in which i present it.
see, i'm a visual type person. and though the medium with which i communicate to you is in words, i look for the way to give you the best mental image i can. not that this is beyond the abilities the Holy Spirit has gifted me with, but that i must seek out the most proper means of speaking the truth in love.
but what if what i have to say doesn't come with a mental image? would it still be received? that's not for me to decide, i guess. it would be for me to decide whether or not to say what i hear the Holy Spirit saying.
uh oh! i think i just challenged myself to remember one of my own posts... Jesus did what He saw His Father do, and spoke what He heard the Spirit say...
i really honestly believe that if we lived our lives as if we actually believed everything that was in the bible, then we would be living radically different lives. there would be no grey areas between the world and christianity. people wouldn't be able to even come close to confusing what is a cult and what is christian discipleship.
so, i hope, over the next few posts, to walk you down this scriptural path that God has taken me down these last six years. and i hope it becomes a challenge to the established belief that the world is flat...
for the world-wide renown of His sovereign glory...
02 August 2005
the choice to remain
sometimes we get the idea that we are supposed to attain holiness and purity before approaching God. dennae had a good point when she mentioned those come from the intense love affair between God and man. if we attempt to get there on our own, we will always fail.
the seperation between our lives and sin will make a marked difference in how the world treats us. unfortunately, those critical, cynical or jealous christians will upgrade their rhetoric and their cruel words. we are to be in the world, not of it. we are supposed to be bright beacons of holiness and love in the darkness of sin. the only way to accomplish this is to go outside the four walls of the church out where the lost are. because they believe that they have to "clean up" before they can come in.
paul wrote that he became all things to all people so that by all means, he might win some. that doesn't mean stooping to acts of sin in order to gain the attention of some. paul also wrote in romans that simply because God's grace is abundant it is foolishness to continue sinning in order to get more grace.
like dennae posted, holiness and purity are the overflow from the intense love affair between God and man. if those are not evident in our lives, it begs the question why not? it must be because we have let our passions cool. the once vivid flames are now embers. the fire is still there, it just needs to be stirred up and new wood must be added to rekindle the flames. the question is are we going to choose to remain?
the reasons for the flames going out are as numerous as the number of christians. we all have different backgrounds, different histories, different things affecting us that can put a strain on how we live our lives. even fear of man's opinions contributes to this. but there is a choice to be made. will we choose to remain?
at the first college i went to, i used to hang out with a large group of smokers. i have never lit up once, never wanted to. my grandfather died from lung cancer. after a month of just standing outside with them as the puffed away, they began to ask me why i stood out there and endured the elements while they smoked. so, i began to witness to them. a few actually were saved and quit smoking. others were simply impressed that i was a christian and i wasn't shunning them.
a few of my christian friends pulled me aside one day after a class and told me that if i continued to hang out with smokers then people would assume that i was a smoker too and that i was backsliding and that i could be a bad example- giving christianity a bad name.
after evaluating my motives and searching my heart, i gave them an answer the next day. i invited them to come hang out with me as i witnessed to the smoking community. suffice it to say that no one came, but i was not worried.
if we choose to remain in our passionate pursuit of God we risk be accused of living the same type of lives as the people we are among by the very people we should be supported by. even Jesus was called a drunk and a consorter because of His choice to be out among the outcasts. you don't have to do what they do in order to be labeled.
will we cast off man's opinions and choose to remain?
for the world-wide renown of His sovereign glory...
the seperation between our lives and sin will make a marked difference in how the world treats us. unfortunately, those critical, cynical or jealous christians will upgrade their rhetoric and their cruel words. we are to be in the world, not of it. we are supposed to be bright beacons of holiness and love in the darkness of sin. the only way to accomplish this is to go outside the four walls of the church out where the lost are. because they believe that they have to "clean up" before they can come in.
paul wrote that he became all things to all people so that by all means, he might win some. that doesn't mean stooping to acts of sin in order to gain the attention of some. paul also wrote in romans that simply because God's grace is abundant it is foolishness to continue sinning in order to get more grace.
like dennae posted, holiness and purity are the overflow from the intense love affair between God and man. if those are not evident in our lives, it begs the question why not? it must be because we have let our passions cool. the once vivid flames are now embers. the fire is still there, it just needs to be stirred up and new wood must be added to rekindle the flames. the question is are we going to choose to remain?
the reasons for the flames going out are as numerous as the number of christians. we all have different backgrounds, different histories, different things affecting us that can put a strain on how we live our lives. even fear of man's opinions contributes to this. but there is a choice to be made. will we choose to remain?
at the first college i went to, i used to hang out with a large group of smokers. i have never lit up once, never wanted to. my grandfather died from lung cancer. after a month of just standing outside with them as the puffed away, they began to ask me why i stood out there and endured the elements while they smoked. so, i began to witness to them. a few actually were saved and quit smoking. others were simply impressed that i was a christian and i wasn't shunning them.
a few of my christian friends pulled me aside one day after a class and told me that if i continued to hang out with smokers then people would assume that i was a smoker too and that i was backsliding and that i could be a bad example- giving christianity a bad name.
after evaluating my motives and searching my heart, i gave them an answer the next day. i invited them to come hang out with me as i witnessed to the smoking community. suffice it to say that no one came, but i was not worried.
if we choose to remain in our passionate pursuit of God we risk be accused of living the same type of lives as the people we are among by the very people we should be supported by. even Jesus was called a drunk and a consorter because of His choice to be out among the outcasts. you don't have to do what they do in order to be labeled.
will we cast off man's opinions and choose to remain?
for the world-wide renown of His sovereign glory...
01 August 2005
fundamentals
you can have controversy without revival, but you cannot have revival without controversy. someone, somewhere will always be critical, cynical or jealous. so if we decide we want to see our church revived, we have to be willing to sacrifice our pride, our ambitions, our agendas and our right to be offended. revival is the place where we must choose to give up self for the sake what God is doing in the community.
strange things occur in revivals. people get saved, they get set free- free from drugs, free from alcohol, free from smoking, free from pornography, free from religious spirits, etc. this revolution of souls is what grinds out the most controversy. when God comes, He changes what we see, what we say and what we do. revival is a complete experience- not just an intellectual one. many people will miss heaven and an eternity with Christ by a foot and a half. many christians will miss revival by the same distance- the distance between the head and the heart.
critics claim emotional sensationalism due to lighting, music and atmosphere of the venue is at the heart of modern revival. they claim, and often correctly, that many of the people at the altars are simply christians renewing their commitments. some of these have described it as "feeling as if [they] have just been saved again."
there are modern examples of revivals and outpourings, but God doesn't just want to alter the churchscape in one city, state or country, He wants the church unified in Him around the globe. He is looking for a clean bride who is not wounded, but whole. a bride who is not compromised but pure.
these are sometimes difficult pills to swallow. holiness and purity aren't always things we want to hear about. they can seem to be too elemental and fundamental not free and advanced. the power we have in Christ is more evident in a life of holiness than in a life of selfishness, self-servitude and self-preservation.
as a former athlete, i understand the need for fundamentals. they always caught you when you made a mistake, they were a place to return when you made an error. you can learn all the tricks and fancy plays you want, but without the fundamentals to build on, you're worthless to the team. you may be able to pull off a double cross-over behind your back but if you can't pass or shoot the ball, you won't play. you may be able to shake defenders and run precision routes, but if you can't catch the football, you'll never do anything. you might be able to catch the baseball in a spectacular fashion, but without the ability to hit the ball, you're worthless to the team. it's in the fundamentals that the foundations are laid for improvisation. to quote a movie, "the fun is in the fundamentals." the strength is in the struggle. when we uncover our weakness, we discover His perfect strength.
for the world-wide renown of His sovereign glory...
strange things occur in revivals. people get saved, they get set free- free from drugs, free from alcohol, free from smoking, free from pornography, free from religious spirits, etc. this revolution of souls is what grinds out the most controversy. when God comes, He changes what we see, what we say and what we do. revival is a complete experience- not just an intellectual one. many people will miss heaven and an eternity with Christ by a foot and a half. many christians will miss revival by the same distance- the distance between the head and the heart.
critics claim emotional sensationalism due to lighting, music and atmosphere of the venue is at the heart of modern revival. they claim, and often correctly, that many of the people at the altars are simply christians renewing their commitments. some of these have described it as "feeling as if [they] have just been saved again."
there are modern examples of revivals and outpourings, but God doesn't just want to alter the churchscape in one city, state or country, He wants the church unified in Him around the globe. He is looking for a clean bride who is not wounded, but whole. a bride who is not compromised but pure.
these are sometimes difficult pills to swallow. holiness and purity aren't always things we want to hear about. they can seem to be too elemental and fundamental not free and advanced. the power we have in Christ is more evident in a life of holiness than in a life of selfishness, self-servitude and self-preservation.
as a former athlete, i understand the need for fundamentals. they always caught you when you made a mistake, they were a place to return when you made an error. you can learn all the tricks and fancy plays you want, but without the fundamentals to build on, you're worthless to the team. you may be able to pull off a double cross-over behind your back but if you can't pass or shoot the ball, you won't play. you may be able to shake defenders and run precision routes, but if you can't catch the football, you'll never do anything. you might be able to catch the baseball in a spectacular fashion, but without the ability to hit the ball, you're worthless to the team. it's in the fundamentals that the foundations are laid for improvisation. to quote a movie, "the fun is in the fundamentals." the strength is in the struggle. when we uncover our weakness, we discover His perfect strength.
for the world-wide renown of His sovereign glory...
30 July 2005
brief interlude
to all of you who come and read this blog on a daily basis, i should inform you that for the next week, i may or may not be posting due to malaria. sorry for any inconvenience it may cause.
i do ask for your prayers for a speedy recovery.
i'll try to post when i feel well enough to.
for the world-wide renown of His sovereign glory...
i do ask for your prayers for a speedy recovery.
i'll try to post when i feel well enough to.
for the world-wide renown of His sovereign glory...
29 July 2005
a tale of three congregations
in soviet russia, believers met in secrecy. some met in basements, others met in wooded areas outside the cities. the following are stories documented by voice of the martyrs.
one day, deep into winter, a congregation was raided by the kgb and all the men were arrested. these men were shipped off together to a remote area to be "re-educated." after days of torture in effort to get these men to recant, the kgb still had not caused anyone to give up his faith. the men were then driven out to a lake where they were stripped naked and marched out to the middle of the ice. on the edge of the lake, soldiers dug fire pits and lit warming fires. the men were then informed that if they wanted to warm up, they would have to give up their faith.
the night was harsh, as most russian winter nights are, and the winds whipped about the frozen surface of the lake. the men huddled together to try to keep warm. after remaining for two complete nights, one single man stood, walked to the edge of the lake and gave up his faith.
so compelled by the belief and faith of the men on the ice, a soldier stripped off his clothes and ran to take the other man's place. within a matter of days, all the men had frozen to death out in the middle of the lake.
the second story also comes from russia and is documented by v.o.m.
one night, as a congregation met in secrecy in a wharehouse, it was raided by masked soldiers with automatic weapons. without discharging a single bullet, the soldiers began to shout their simple ultimatum, "whoever wanted to live, had better leave now." after a few minutes and several people left, the men threw down their guns, took off their masks and shouted, "brothers! now that we have weeded out those who don't believe, let us meet with Jesus!"
i have no doubt in my mind that we will see more persecution and martyrdom in the world as we move into tomorrow, and there has been a movement that has energized today's christian youths to be willing to die for their faith, but the next question begs, are they willing to live for their faith? are you? am i? do our lives bear proof of it?
i heard an interesting challenge one day, someone said live your life in such a way that if christianity ever became punishable by death there would be enough proof to convict you. where does the proof come from? from deeds? outward appearances? no. the proof is in a life of holiness.
God doesn't want lip service. we get sick and tired of people lying to us after we've been put over by them two or three times. He's had to endure thousands of years of it. we, as christians, often come to a place of lethargy after we think that we have "arrived." we struggle. as humans, we all struggle. when we as christians struggle, we reach out of the mirey clay and grasp the outstretched hand of God. in that moment, nothing can seperate us from Him. but, when things are going well, we forget to give Him the glory. We forget to seek Him when things are going well. the penalty for not seeking Him is forgetting how.
choosing to live and not just survive will cost something. there will be discomfort, there will be pain, but there will also be the incredible reward of a life well spent. i can’t afford to stroll through life. none of us can. there are too many people on this earth who do not know God. there are too many children waking up each day watching their families die because of disaster, disease, and famine. there are too many people wandering through life not knowing the answers, not knowing their purpose, not understanding what their life could be like.
this is it...we each have somewhere between one more day and 60ish years to run...to be used by God to advance His kingdom. that is not much time...can we afford to put it off one more day?
what's the story of the third congregation? i don't know, you tell me.
for the world-wide renown of His sovereign glory...
one day, deep into winter, a congregation was raided by the kgb and all the men were arrested. these men were shipped off together to a remote area to be "re-educated." after days of torture in effort to get these men to recant, the kgb still had not caused anyone to give up his faith. the men were then driven out to a lake where they were stripped naked and marched out to the middle of the ice. on the edge of the lake, soldiers dug fire pits and lit warming fires. the men were then informed that if they wanted to warm up, they would have to give up their faith.
the night was harsh, as most russian winter nights are, and the winds whipped about the frozen surface of the lake. the men huddled together to try to keep warm. after remaining for two complete nights, one single man stood, walked to the edge of the lake and gave up his faith.
so compelled by the belief and faith of the men on the ice, a soldier stripped off his clothes and ran to take the other man's place. within a matter of days, all the men had frozen to death out in the middle of the lake.
the second story also comes from russia and is documented by v.o.m.
one night, as a congregation met in secrecy in a wharehouse, it was raided by masked soldiers with automatic weapons. without discharging a single bullet, the soldiers began to shout their simple ultimatum, "whoever wanted to live, had better leave now." after a few minutes and several people left, the men threw down their guns, took off their masks and shouted, "brothers! now that we have weeded out those who don't believe, let us meet with Jesus!"
i have no doubt in my mind that we will see more persecution and martyrdom in the world as we move into tomorrow, and there has been a movement that has energized today's christian youths to be willing to die for their faith, but the next question begs, are they willing to live for their faith? are you? am i? do our lives bear proof of it?
i heard an interesting challenge one day, someone said live your life in such a way that if christianity ever became punishable by death there would be enough proof to convict you. where does the proof come from? from deeds? outward appearances? no. the proof is in a life of holiness.
God doesn't want lip service. we get sick and tired of people lying to us after we've been put over by them two or three times. He's had to endure thousands of years of it. we, as christians, often come to a place of lethargy after we think that we have "arrived." we struggle. as humans, we all struggle. when we as christians struggle, we reach out of the mirey clay and grasp the outstretched hand of God. in that moment, nothing can seperate us from Him. but, when things are going well, we forget to give Him the glory. We forget to seek Him when things are going well. the penalty for not seeking Him is forgetting how.
choosing to live and not just survive will cost something. there will be discomfort, there will be pain, but there will also be the incredible reward of a life well spent. i can’t afford to stroll through life. none of us can. there are too many people on this earth who do not know God. there are too many children waking up each day watching their families die because of disaster, disease, and famine. there are too many people wandering through life not knowing the answers, not knowing their purpose, not understanding what their life could be like.
this is it...we each have somewhere between one more day and 60ish years to run...to be used by God to advance His kingdom. that is not much time...can we afford to put it off one more day?
what's the story of the third congregation? i don't know, you tell me.
for the world-wide renown of His sovereign glory...
28 July 2005
the raw reality of sincerity
to those of you who read check this blog on a daily basis, i apologize. i've been dealing with issues of the heart lately. you see, what i am writing isn't something i'm reading in some book somewhere, or something i'm hearing from some evangelist. it's raw, it's real. and for me to pass on to you what God is doing in me, i have to do it.
i was talking to chris some time ago and she asked me about our little blogging community and how God is showing us all awesome things. i think it is amazing what God is doing across the country. i think our little community is a small sample of what God is actually up to all around the world today. sure, on the broad scale it's tiny, but it's sincere. iron sharpens iron, we need to challenge each other to sharpen each other. we need to push each other to deeper depths, and healthier lives.
there are times where i feel like i stand naked, exposed before my God- and i am ashamed. i am a man of unclean lips before a holy God. my soul lies bare and the roughness of its edges are showing for all who have eyes to see. "God," my spirit cries out, "take the coal, cleanse my lips! don't leave me here!"
we, as a culture, as a nation, as a church stand before the holiness of God and treat it with contempt at best. we try to walk with one hand holding the hand of God and the other holding onto the hand of the devil. "he who is not for Me, is against Me." in other words, "he who is apathetic and stands for nothing, is against Me because I stand for justice and love and purity and holiness..."
what do we stand for? freedom? from what? to what? for what? salvation? from what? to what? for what? grace? from what? to what? for what?
we were not made to find satisfaction in anything less than God and His holiness. why do we think we can settle for anything less?
the death of an organization
(this is not about anyone experience of my own. be it made known to any and all who read this, i am not refering to the organization i have recently resigned from. it is based on observations of the deaths of many well-intentioned organizations.) it all started with a conflict of interests. it was so small and miniscule that no one could even know that it happened if they were not searching for it. a compromise was reached, not between two individuals, but in the mind of one individual. the individual (consciously or subconsciously) seeks to institute their compromise (malicious or not) and because of their position or stature or financial background no one stands against them. no one dares to question if it is God's vision. soon, all sorts of things begin to happen. soon larger and more visible rifts begin to occur all because of a seemingly minor compromise in the foundation. if the leader is not careful, they will soon steer the organization into the ground and successfully destroy what had started out as a ministry to others and turned into a service to hubris. one compromise. that's all it takes to make a ministry fold up and die.
my heart echoes the cry of moses, "Lord, if You do not go with us, do not take us up from here..." (exodus 33:15)
i was talking to chris some time ago and she asked me about our little blogging community and how God is showing us all awesome things. i think it is amazing what God is doing across the country. i think our little community is a small sample of what God is actually up to all around the world today. sure, on the broad scale it's tiny, but it's sincere. iron sharpens iron, we need to challenge each other to sharpen each other. we need to push each other to deeper depths, and healthier lives.
there are times where i feel like i stand naked, exposed before my God- and i am ashamed. i am a man of unclean lips before a holy God. my soul lies bare and the roughness of its edges are showing for all who have eyes to see. "God," my spirit cries out, "take the coal, cleanse my lips! don't leave me here!"
we, as a culture, as a nation, as a church stand before the holiness of God and treat it with contempt at best. we try to walk with one hand holding the hand of God and the other holding onto the hand of the devil. "he who is not for Me, is against Me." in other words, "he who is apathetic and stands for nothing, is against Me because I stand for justice and love and purity and holiness..."
what do we stand for? freedom? from what? to what? for what? salvation? from what? to what? for what? grace? from what? to what? for what?
we were not made to find satisfaction in anything less than God and His holiness. why do we think we can settle for anything less?
the death of an organization
(this is not about anyone experience of my own. be it made known to any and all who read this, i am not refering to the organization i have recently resigned from. it is based on observations of the deaths of many well-intentioned organizations.) it all started with a conflict of interests. it was so small and miniscule that no one could even know that it happened if they were not searching for it. a compromise was reached, not between two individuals, but in the mind of one individual. the individual (consciously or subconsciously) seeks to institute their compromise (malicious or not) and because of their position or stature or financial background no one stands against them. no one dares to question if it is God's vision. soon, all sorts of things begin to happen. soon larger and more visible rifts begin to occur all because of a seemingly minor compromise in the foundation. if the leader is not careful, they will soon steer the organization into the ground and successfully destroy what had started out as a ministry to others and turned into a service to hubris. one compromise. that's all it takes to make a ministry fold up and die.
my heart echoes the cry of moses, "Lord, if You do not go with us, do not take us up from here..." (exodus 33:15)
26 July 2005
the choice to revolt
revolution is not accidental. it is not stumbled upon or discovered. the great moves of God didn't just "happen," they were intentional. they were results of choices. the choices of a few can influence a congregation. the choices of a congregation can influence a city. a city can influence a region and a region can influence a nation and the world.
will we choose to push beyond self-sufficiency? will we choose to be unsatisfied in anything less than revolution? will we choose to give up anything and everything for God? that is the key. it is in the act of sacrificing our sacred cows that we discover our hidden idols.
personal renewal is based on three choices. the first of these is the choice to volunteer to God what belongs to Him. He is a jealous Lover, He doesn't want just a part of us, He wants our whole beings. He wants us to be willing to give Him everything even if we feel we're not completely ready. in our weakness He is made perfect, or His strength is tested and discovered to be perfect.
the second choice is to give God what He requires of us, whether we are ready or not- those things that we held back from Him after we made our first choice. when He starts to require things from us, we will discover who or what is our true God. each step along the way is a choice. every step is accompanied by the question, "do you want to go on?" do we? only we can determine how far we go. only we can decide how much is too much, and how much is enough.
the question i have is how content are we with discomfort? it sounds, at first like an impossibility, but in reality, it is a paradox. personal renewal is accompanied by discomfort and discontent. when we decide that we're discontent with where we are, with whatever toys we have been playing with; with whatever other gods we have been serving; with whatever sins we like to keep hidden, then we will pursue personal renewal.
the third choice is to choose to go on with God however long it takes for a breakout. i'm not talking about breakthroughs. a breakout is when a small, tightly-woven community of people passionately pursuing personal renewal begins to see the evidences of a revival in their congregation.
a fourth choice, if i may include one, is that of refusing our own desire to go out and publicize the revival when it first starts to blossom. renewal and revival are two different events. renewal gives way to revival and revival can spark renewal, however, revival cannot occur without renewal occurring somewhere in someone first. now i say we need to not publicize it because we, as humans, have the nature to embellish the story, even though we have good intentions. God doesn't need madison avenue's strategies to draw a crowd- He's been in advertising ever since He created it. He said, "if I be lifted up from this earth, I will draw all men unto Me."
for the world-wide renown of His sovereign glory...
will we choose to push beyond self-sufficiency? will we choose to be unsatisfied in anything less than revolution? will we choose to give up anything and everything for God? that is the key. it is in the act of sacrificing our sacred cows that we discover our hidden idols.
personal renewal is based on three choices. the first of these is the choice to volunteer to God what belongs to Him. He is a jealous Lover, He doesn't want just a part of us, He wants our whole beings. He wants us to be willing to give Him everything even if we feel we're not completely ready. in our weakness He is made perfect, or His strength is tested and discovered to be perfect.
the second choice is to give God what He requires of us, whether we are ready or not- those things that we held back from Him after we made our first choice. when He starts to require things from us, we will discover who or what is our true God. each step along the way is a choice. every step is accompanied by the question, "do you want to go on?" do we? only we can determine how far we go. only we can decide how much is too much, and how much is enough.
the question i have is how content are we with discomfort? it sounds, at first like an impossibility, but in reality, it is a paradox. personal renewal is accompanied by discomfort and discontent. when we decide that we're discontent with where we are, with whatever toys we have been playing with; with whatever other gods we have been serving; with whatever sins we like to keep hidden, then we will pursue personal renewal.
the third choice is to choose to go on with God however long it takes for a breakout. i'm not talking about breakthroughs. a breakout is when a small, tightly-woven community of people passionately pursuing personal renewal begins to see the evidences of a revival in their congregation.
a fourth choice, if i may include one, is that of refusing our own desire to go out and publicize the revival when it first starts to blossom. renewal and revival are two different events. renewal gives way to revival and revival can spark renewal, however, revival cannot occur without renewal occurring somewhere in someone first. now i say we need to not publicize it because we, as humans, have the nature to embellish the story, even though we have good intentions. God doesn't need madison avenue's strategies to draw a crowd- He's been in advertising ever since He created it. He said, "if I be lifted up from this earth, I will draw all men unto Me."
for the world-wide renown of His sovereign glory...
24 July 2005
afraid? of what?
this post is a bit off from what my previous posts have been about, and i'll get back on topic on monday...
i used to be afraid. afraid that if i voiced what God was speaking to me to others that i would then be held to a higher standard. afraid that it would be a standard i couldn't live up to. afraid that the real me wouldn't match up to the perceived me. afraid of being a hypocrite.
i think that fear crippled me for a long time. i am far from perfect. and then i realized, my greatest fear stemmed from opinion. i was opinion-driven. my opinion of myself, other's opinions of me.
and that fear, coupled with the fact that i had no clue of what God has planned for me life... well, i was afraid.
my question is, how can you fail if you don't know what you're doing in the first place? sometimes i wish that someone would come walking through the door and tell me how to do this.
i have begun talking with a new friend lately and she has been challenging me, pushing me. i said it before, but i'll say it again, dennae, your salt makes me thirsty. i was on the phone with her today and discovered where my true joy and happiness stem from. in short, where my satisfaction lies.
yes, i enjoy some temporal things. a good movie now and again is good. a walk in the woods is refreshing. an early morning jog not only keeps my body in shape, but helps me to focus on God. and that's when it hit me... my satisfaction truly comes from Him. i look at movies and see if there are any redemptive analogies to share with people about who God is. i listen for God in music. i find Him in worship, in nature. i feel at home when i am sharing the gospel. my spirit feels satisfied when i am preaching.
God has put something inside us all. He has given each of us the gift of salvation and avenues through which to share it. dennis wrote about it in his current post, how now it is easy for him to transition from asking about a person's financial plan to asking about their eternal plan. if we hold inside of us what God is saying because we are afraid of someone thinking too highly of us and holding us to a higher standard, then we will lose what it is He has put inside of us.
at first, it will be as jeremiah describes, a fire shut up in our bones, and as elihu describes, like new wine in a new wine skin, we have to speak to find our release. but if we continue to hide it and justify our fear by calling it "a desire to be real," the river will begin to slow into a lazy creek. and the lazy creek will turn to stagnant pond.
that's not what i want for my life. it's not a question of asking if i can afford to be real. i am real. i am as real in my mistakes as i am in my triumphs.
am i still afraid? not like i was. i no longer fear the idea of a higher standard. i now know that living to a higher standard challenges me to live a "Godward" life. to put it in the most simple words i can think of, if what i do challenges another person to run hard after God, then i have succeeded. not i, but Christ in me.
for the world-wide renown of His sovereign glory...
i used to be afraid. afraid that if i voiced what God was speaking to me to others that i would then be held to a higher standard. afraid that it would be a standard i couldn't live up to. afraid that the real me wouldn't match up to the perceived me. afraid of being a hypocrite.
i think that fear crippled me for a long time. i am far from perfect. and then i realized, my greatest fear stemmed from opinion. i was opinion-driven. my opinion of myself, other's opinions of me.
and that fear, coupled with the fact that i had no clue of what God has planned for me life... well, i was afraid.
my question is, how can you fail if you don't know what you're doing in the first place? sometimes i wish that someone would come walking through the door and tell me how to do this.
i have begun talking with a new friend lately and she has been challenging me, pushing me. i said it before, but i'll say it again, dennae, your salt makes me thirsty. i was on the phone with her today and discovered where my true joy and happiness stem from. in short, where my satisfaction lies.
yes, i enjoy some temporal things. a good movie now and again is good. a walk in the woods is refreshing. an early morning jog not only keeps my body in shape, but helps me to focus on God. and that's when it hit me... my satisfaction truly comes from Him. i look at movies and see if there are any redemptive analogies to share with people about who God is. i listen for God in music. i find Him in worship, in nature. i feel at home when i am sharing the gospel. my spirit feels satisfied when i am preaching.
God has put something inside us all. He has given each of us the gift of salvation and avenues through which to share it. dennis wrote about it in his current post, how now it is easy for him to transition from asking about a person's financial plan to asking about their eternal plan. if we hold inside of us what God is saying because we are afraid of someone thinking too highly of us and holding us to a higher standard, then we will lose what it is He has put inside of us.
at first, it will be as jeremiah describes, a fire shut up in our bones, and as elihu describes, like new wine in a new wine skin, we have to speak to find our release. but if we continue to hide it and justify our fear by calling it "a desire to be real," the river will begin to slow into a lazy creek. and the lazy creek will turn to stagnant pond.
that's not what i want for my life. it's not a question of asking if i can afford to be real. i am real. i am as real in my mistakes as i am in my triumphs.
am i still afraid? not like i was. i no longer fear the idea of a higher standard. i now know that living to a higher standard challenges me to live a "Godward" life. to put it in the most simple words i can think of, if what i do challenges another person to run hard after God, then i have succeeded. not i, but Christ in me.
for the world-wide renown of His sovereign glory...
23 July 2005
the advancing revolution
what is revival? i have thought about that a lot lately. is the success of revival determined by numbers? if so what numbers? the number of souls saved? the number of people in attendance? the number of dollars that rolls in? what if what we're looking for isn't what we should be looking for?
what is our end-game? i'm not asking about our exit strategy, we are not to have one. we are called to occupy until He returns; to fill the earth and subdue it. again, i ask, what is revival?
the nature of revival is not to get the unsaved saved- that is a fruit of revival. see, the definition of the word revival is "to make vibrant again; the restoration of force, validity, or effect." in order to be revived, one must first have been vibrant. now, this looks like just semantics, but i believe it is a part of why we are not witnessing what we are expecting.
if you can schedule it, host it, hold it or contain it in any way, it is not a revival, it is a counterfeit. if we plan it, we are serving up an over-hyped, emotion-based religious activity- not a true revival.
i see, in the great moves of God that we can trace our personal spiritual heritage back through, three categories contained within those moves. the only part we actively play is making the choice to be used of God in whatever shape or form that may be. we must decide to take the first step. God will never force us to do anything against our own will.
there is, first, the imperative renewal. we must, as individuals be daily transformed by the renewing of our minds. He doesn't want us reformed or conformed, but He wants us transformed. as individuals, we must seek His will for our individual lives as a part of His body, the church. we must do this in our prayer closets alone with God. no christian is greater than his prayer life. to quote ravenhill, "the pastor who is not praying, is playing; the people who are not praying, are straying. the two prerequisites to successful christian living are vision and passion, both of which are born in and maintained by prayer."
as our visions and passions grow and we emerge from our prayer closets to fellowship with fellow believers who are themselves emerging from their prayer closets, our passions merge and begin to spread. others begin to get a taste of our salt. as they lick the salt from their lips, they are made thirsty. the fire begins to grow.
it is at this point in time that the nature of the "revival" is tested. if it stems from anything man-made, it will fail, and be exposed as a fraud. people are truly tired of the counterfeit.
next, we are faced with the impending revival. when we have been so consumed by His holy passion for our lives, He starts to move in ways that are more manifest. as the individuals create small pockets of holy desperation, a vacuum, if you will that sucks the fires of His holiness towards it. those who need pruning will be pruned so that they can grow. what has been pruned is consumed by the fire. those who are dead and have no life left, are destroyed by the fire. it is for this reason alone, i am partially grateful that we have not seen God move this way yet. there are so many people sitting in the church that stand to be exposed when this great move of God sweeps in, and it is by His grace that He has tarried this long. we are still in the springtime of this move of God, He is still pruning, but the time is soon upon us when the pruning will be done. we must check our hearts or we will find ourselves in the ashes after the fire has gone.
the fire has grown throughout the pruning process, fueled by the hunger for His holiness in our lives. and finally we discover the third part of the advancing revolution: the imminent reaching out. not reaching out to bring others into the service- that is not what the services are for. it is not the pastor's job to win your friends to Christ. it is his job to impart into you what God has given him so that you can go and win your friends to Christ. it is a refueling station, a retooling station, and an armory where we can collect the spiritual weapons by which the battle for the hearts and souls of men will be won. and our weapons are lives of holiness, integrity and, above all, love.
revival is not the end-game. it is not a place to simply linger as the end of a journey. it is where we need to come to be refreshed and refilled so we can go back and reach out. i believe it is God's desire that every time we come together as a fellowship of believers that there is a continuous revival. and when we take a step back to see what God has set in order, we will see the advancing revolution tearing the gates off of hell and rescuing lost souls. this great firestorm is the never ending increase of His kingdom and every nation, tribe and people will worship Him from coast to coast, each one in his own land.
for the world-wide renown of His sovereign glory...
what is our end-game? i'm not asking about our exit strategy, we are not to have one. we are called to occupy until He returns; to fill the earth and subdue it. again, i ask, what is revival?
the nature of revival is not to get the unsaved saved- that is a fruit of revival. see, the definition of the word revival is "to make vibrant again; the restoration of force, validity, or effect." in order to be revived, one must first have been vibrant. now, this looks like just semantics, but i believe it is a part of why we are not witnessing what we are expecting.
if you can schedule it, host it, hold it or contain it in any way, it is not a revival, it is a counterfeit. if we plan it, we are serving up an over-hyped, emotion-based religious activity- not a true revival.
i see, in the great moves of God that we can trace our personal spiritual heritage back through, three categories contained within those moves. the only part we actively play is making the choice to be used of God in whatever shape or form that may be. we must decide to take the first step. God will never force us to do anything against our own will.
there is, first, the imperative renewal. we must, as individuals be daily transformed by the renewing of our minds. He doesn't want us reformed or conformed, but He wants us transformed. as individuals, we must seek His will for our individual lives as a part of His body, the church. we must do this in our prayer closets alone with God. no christian is greater than his prayer life. to quote ravenhill, "the pastor who is not praying, is playing; the people who are not praying, are straying. the two prerequisites to successful christian living are vision and passion, both of which are born in and maintained by prayer."
as our visions and passions grow and we emerge from our prayer closets to fellowship with fellow believers who are themselves emerging from their prayer closets, our passions merge and begin to spread. others begin to get a taste of our salt. as they lick the salt from their lips, they are made thirsty. the fire begins to grow.
it is at this point in time that the nature of the "revival" is tested. if it stems from anything man-made, it will fail, and be exposed as a fraud. people are truly tired of the counterfeit.
next, we are faced with the impending revival. when we have been so consumed by His holy passion for our lives, He starts to move in ways that are more manifest. as the individuals create small pockets of holy desperation, a vacuum, if you will that sucks the fires of His holiness towards it. those who need pruning will be pruned so that they can grow. what has been pruned is consumed by the fire. those who are dead and have no life left, are destroyed by the fire. it is for this reason alone, i am partially grateful that we have not seen God move this way yet. there are so many people sitting in the church that stand to be exposed when this great move of God sweeps in, and it is by His grace that He has tarried this long. we are still in the springtime of this move of God, He is still pruning, but the time is soon upon us when the pruning will be done. we must check our hearts or we will find ourselves in the ashes after the fire has gone.
the fire has grown throughout the pruning process, fueled by the hunger for His holiness in our lives. and finally we discover the third part of the advancing revolution: the imminent reaching out. not reaching out to bring others into the service- that is not what the services are for. it is not the pastor's job to win your friends to Christ. it is his job to impart into you what God has given him so that you can go and win your friends to Christ. it is a refueling station, a retooling station, and an armory where we can collect the spiritual weapons by which the battle for the hearts and souls of men will be won. and our weapons are lives of holiness, integrity and, above all, love.
revival is not the end-game. it is not a place to simply linger as the end of a journey. it is where we need to come to be refreshed and refilled so we can go back and reach out. i believe it is God's desire that every time we come together as a fellowship of believers that there is a continuous revival. and when we take a step back to see what God has set in order, we will see the advancing revolution tearing the gates off of hell and rescuing lost souls. this great firestorm is the never ending increase of His kingdom and every nation, tribe and people will worship Him from coast to coast, each one in his own land.
for the world-wide renown of His sovereign glory...
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