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.
14 November 2005
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.
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