Words cannot express the blessing poured into my life over the past two weeks. I went halfway around the world and met my Indonesian family. When sharing about my trip some may expect to hear about the poverty or the oppression of the church or how hard it was to give up the comforts of home...all of these are snapshots of my trip, but all of those snaphots are canvassed against the background of love. On our first day we met the churches at the 2 Compassion sites we partnered with...we were welcomed with open arms. The churches told us that we were their answer to prayer...they had fasted and prayed for us for months. I was so humbled and amazed by their faith. Day after day we came alongside our brothers and sisters in Christ. The women prepared meals for us, the youth and men worked side by side on the construction project. The translators and teachers were gracious in inviting us into their classrooms to teach ESOL every afternoon. The children were beautiful and amazing. We never experienced a communication barrier, because the most important expression was God's love. We gave freely, yet in return we were blessed beyond measure. We gave what we came to give, but their work carries on...day after day they give all they have to raise up children who understand God's love. In a predominantly Muslim nation there is no name for Allah which signifies love. On a weekly basis 500 children experience love...in the teachers, a home cooked meal, a smile, or the encouragement to go a step further, dream a little bigger and hope in a God who is love.
Coming home was hard. Immediately I was confronted by situations where love was not the first language spoken. Inside I want to scream because of the overwhelming touch from God I received. I already see myself caught up in our selfish society...even as Christians we succumb to fulfilling our own agenda. Yet tonight, I was reminded of I Corinthians 13...so familiar, but as so many passages a breath of fresh air because my frame of reference is different. "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails."
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Thursday, July 5, 2007
THE Question
I love hearing a person's story. Each person's encounter with God is unique, which makes it their story to tell. You can't claim my story and I can't claim yours. The first time you met God was your moment...what you did with that encounter started the script and the plot continues to unfold.
One of my favorite people in the Bible is Peter. Upon arriving to heaven and after meeting Jesus (of course!), Peter is definitely next on my list. As one of Jesus' inner circle, Peter had a prime seat to the life and times of Jesus. He was a passionate dude. He took big steps of faith, but he also fell hard. One of the conversations Peter had with Jesus is interesting. The timing is what gets me. Peter had been following Jesus...he accepted the call to become a disciple; he ministered with Christ, and was front row to many of the miracles He performed. Yet Peter’s faith needed to be defined.
Mark 8:29 “And He continued by questioning them, "But who do you say that I am?" Jesus had fed the 5000 and fed the 4000, yet the Pharisees wanted a sign from heaven to prove Jesus was the Christ. Exasperated Jesus took His disciples and their boat away from the Pharisees. In verse 15, He warns them not to be caught up with the “leaven” of the Pharisees or Herod. “Leaven” is referring to zeal and fervor…the Pharisees had zeal. Yet their zeal was for a religion, not God. They were passionate about their rules, they were passionate that God owed them a sign, and they did not lack in fervor for knowledge about God…but they did not really know God. They knew the rules they had been taught, they heard the stories passed down for generations from their ancestors, and they could quote the commandments and Jewish law. Herod had zeal, yet his zeal was to be God.
Peter’s answer was the defining moment: “You are the Christ.” The term Peter used is also Messiah. What is so significant about those 4 words? Peter realized that Jesus was Who He claimed to be. You see, Peter’s relationship with God up until this point had most likely been defined by the Pharisees. The Bible isn’t explicitly clear on his background, but he was Jewish and the Jewish religious education was provided by the Pharisees. Yet something was missing for Peter. His longing was deep enough to step away and follow a man who claimed to be the Messiah his people had been waiting for.
Put yourself in Peter’s place for a moment. If Jesus were to ask, “But who do you say that I am?” What would your answer be?
Passage: Mark 8:1-29
One of my favorite people in the Bible is Peter. Upon arriving to heaven and after meeting Jesus (of course!), Peter is definitely next on my list. As one of Jesus' inner circle, Peter had a prime seat to the life and times of Jesus. He was a passionate dude. He took big steps of faith, but he also fell hard. One of the conversations Peter had with Jesus is interesting. The timing is what gets me. Peter had been following Jesus...he accepted the call to become a disciple; he ministered with Christ, and was front row to many of the miracles He performed. Yet Peter’s faith needed to be defined.
Mark 8:29 “And He continued by questioning them, "But who do you say that I am?" Jesus had fed the 5000 and fed the 4000, yet the Pharisees wanted a sign from heaven to prove Jesus was the Christ. Exasperated Jesus took His disciples and their boat away from the Pharisees. In verse 15, He warns them not to be caught up with the “leaven” of the Pharisees or Herod. “Leaven” is referring to zeal and fervor…the Pharisees had zeal. Yet their zeal was for a religion, not God. They were passionate about their rules, they were passionate that God owed them a sign, and they did not lack in fervor for knowledge about God…but they did not really know God. They knew the rules they had been taught, they heard the stories passed down for generations from their ancestors, and they could quote the commandments and Jewish law. Herod had zeal, yet his zeal was to be God.
Peter’s answer was the defining moment: “You are the Christ.” The term Peter used is also Messiah. What is so significant about those 4 words? Peter realized that Jesus was Who He claimed to be. You see, Peter’s relationship with God up until this point had most likely been defined by the Pharisees. The Bible isn’t explicitly clear on his background, but he was Jewish and the Jewish religious education was provided by the Pharisees. Yet something was missing for Peter. His longing was deep enough to step away and follow a man who claimed to be the Messiah his people had been waiting for.
Put yourself in Peter’s place for a moment. If Jesus were to ask, “But who do you say that I am?” What would your answer be?
Passage: Mark 8:1-29
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Identity
At McLean Bible Church our pastor is doing a series on "Identity" for our Frontline community. As a 20's to 30's community we tend to look at the world around us from a wider lens. We are also a generation with a desire to make a difference...and I truly believe we are. Yet, I also believe that as we seek to make a difference our Identity should be sure. Listening to Lon's sermon I am challenged to examine my Identity.
I identify with Christ. I John 4:10 "If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God." Jesus is the Son of God and that reality alone is the bedrock of who I am.
I can identify with McLean Bible church because their core values are in direct submission to the authority of Christ. Lon made some bold statements regarding where our church stands on controversial issues. Specifically his sermon mentioned abortion and homosexuality. The Bible states that Christ is the head of the Church. If we submit to Christ individually and as a church our stand will be in oposition to the worldview, but we must be set apart. I John 2 states, "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him." The Bible is very clear regarding the consequences of loving the world. It leads to death, which ultimately is separation from God. If a lifestyle or action leads away from God, we need to point the way back to Him. We are instructed to not love "the world", but we must touch individual lives. Time and time again Jesus reached out to those caught in a detrimental lifestyle and turned them toward God.
Lon's sermon also referenced the emergent church. This phenomenon is directed at our generation. Please note the distinction between emergent and emerging. Emerging focuses on changing methodology, but not the message. Emergent is an attempt to break down and redefine the doctrine of the Church. We must be sure of our Identity and not waiver regarding our message. The methodology can change (Frontline is a method), yet our message must stay true to God's authority. Lon will explore this in greater detail over the next two weeks.
Now that you have my view...what is yours? Where should our Identity be? What is our stand to be on controversial issues? What is our stand to be on the emergent church?
I identify with Christ. I John 4:10 "If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God." Jesus is the Son of God and that reality alone is the bedrock of who I am.
I can identify with McLean Bible church because their core values are in direct submission to the authority of Christ. Lon made some bold statements regarding where our church stands on controversial issues. Specifically his sermon mentioned abortion and homosexuality. The Bible states that Christ is the head of the Church. If we submit to Christ individually and as a church our stand will be in oposition to the worldview, but we must be set apart. I John 2 states, "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him." The Bible is very clear regarding the consequences of loving the world. It leads to death, which ultimately is separation from God. If a lifestyle or action leads away from God, we need to point the way back to Him. We are instructed to not love "the world", but we must touch individual lives. Time and time again Jesus reached out to those caught in a detrimental lifestyle and turned them toward God.
Lon's sermon also referenced the emergent church. This phenomenon is directed at our generation. Please note the distinction between emergent and emerging. Emerging focuses on changing methodology, but not the message. Emergent is an attempt to break down and redefine the doctrine of the Church. We must be sure of our Identity and not waiver regarding our message. The methodology can change (Frontline is a method), yet our message must stay true to God's authority. Lon will explore this in greater detail over the next two weeks.
Now that you have my view...what is yours? Where should our Identity be? What is our stand to be on controversial issues? What is our stand to be on the emergent church?
Saturday, June 16, 2007
line in the sand
Each of us has a line in the sand. Our lines may signify different experiences, but we all have points in our lives when we draw our line and refuse to move. These lines are where our reality ends and faith begins. Stepping over the line brings us into a relationship with God that is alive and real.
Last weekend I had the joy of going on a retreat with 16 random people. We are preparing to travel halfway around the world on a short-term missions trip. The weekend was amazing. One of our leaders shared a devotion on laying our burdens down. After the devotion we went out on the beach with stones signifying our burdens. Before returning our assignment was to do business with God and toss our stones into the ocean. I remember standing on the water's edge with a load that I had carried for months. I drew my line in the sand and stood toe to toe with God. After much prayer I let go and hurled my stone into the ocean. The huge vast ocean swallowed up my tiny insignificant stone. God's love is that way...in the grand scheme of life His love will swallow us up. It will forgive our sin, cancel out the debt we owe, and overwhelm us with new life.
"You alone are the Lord. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you." Nehemiah 9:6
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