Mar 15, 2011
Unsure and unsatisfied with where they are at, Christians I’ve talked to over the past two years have often made me think about how does God use our lives and how we can act on His calling. What are your expectations for how God is to work in your life? Are you like me in that my time and schedule gets filled with work and things so rapidly I feel at a loss? Comparing myself to others, am I just doing okay or poorly?
My heart has burned for different men, women, and couples I’ve talked to that have a burden for the lost but at that time were not pursuing to answer that burden. I wish I had not responded in my natural gentleness but shouted, “Forget all these other things! You just follow Jesus!” In my past I wish I had been so similarly challenged and listened more often. It took me a long time to give up my plans.
God works in similar ways so that we would see His kingdom and His righteousness first, but the timing and how it happens is another issue all together. We’re all at different places in our walks and Christ working on us. We need to act boldly on faith and challenge each other. I’m talking to myself too, because I, like others, was stubborn and it has taken some sludge hammers and lots of humbling experiences for God to get me in a place where I’m willing to be molded by Him. Jesus said you follow me (Read John 21:21-23). We cannot compare or rank our walks with anyone. He just said you follow me, don’t worry about the others. Don’t worry about all these other things, He knows.
I’ve had my share of taking my plans into my own hands with relationships, evangelism, and my calling; all of which tended to not go so well.
My last year of college I was praying for lots of people to get saved, and maybe it could have happened, but there were several problems with my plans. Three things that tend to be the problems for most American Christians: lack of self-sacrifice and discipline, and myself was a key part of the plan of people getting saved. In other words it was a good spiritual goal but at the heart it was about myself.
I did evangelism but it lacked God’s real empowering and spirit because I lacked taking time to pray and read the scripture. I did it alone too, a lone ranger is no good. I didn’t sacrifice what I really needed to accomplish what was burdened on me so that I could sharpen myself spiritually and encourage others to join me.
Secondly it was to accomplish something big, a wonderful thing to catch the attentions of many. Now who wasn’t looking for the crowds? Jesus wasn’t looking for the crowds and even said some scary things that frightened followers away when the crowds got big. The American Christian culture has adopted its mindset of success from the world in many ways–it has to be big, lots of people, and bring in lots of media/interest/money, whatever. Jesus preached to everyone but He didn’t make any stay if they didn’t want to. Jesus’ ministry was successful because he wasn’t seeking to please people but only obey and please God the father.
A strategy in the US is to throw warm bodies, plans, and money at a problem and hope that it will work. Discipline, brokenness before God, righteous living, and practical training in spiritual ministers are typically lacking. The question has to be asked where is the fruit to all the labor, time, and money spent? People are definitely still called to teach, pastor, missions, or a myriad of ministries in America and abroad, but one must ask are they qualified, or will they instead just be a misleading burden, and where is the fruit after the years of work (Side note: of course even if they aren’t qualified God can still use them)? The opposite is totally true as well, becoming so educated as becoming self-reliant and hardened to the Spirit’s leading and instead choosing to follow our own human wisdom. Are the way things being done actually being affective? Is it Spirit led? Are the heathen masses being saved? Or is it just people and money being tossed around in the middle of a program? Am I continually praying and asking for His direction?
On the day the apostles received the Spirit, Peter preached and thousands gave themselves to Jesus. It was by the work of the Spirit, but make note the Spirit was drawing on what had already been taught to them by Jesus. Jesus had been teaching him and the other disciples over a period of 40 days about His resurrection, showing them many proofs of it, and concerning the kingdom of God, which I’m sure was pretty amazing stuff (Act 1:1-3; Luke 24:45)! So after several years with Jesus and having some in-depth teaching time right before the Spirit filled them they were ready to explode and the Spirit could bring forth all that Jesus had taught them.
Sometimes the better question to ask than what is God’s will for me is what is God doing and how can I be part of it? It isn’t so much about ourselves, despite how much me, myself, and I tell myself that it is all about me, which reminds me of the need for brokenness. In the overall picture of God working through us as individuals, it is that we are all called to something different to take part in the body of Christ. Being individuals in one body working toward bringing about the kingdom of God on earth.
While in Asia I met missionary drivers. That sounds crazy, you might think. Who ever reads in a magazine about missionary drivers? Exactly, you don’t. But these are brothers that went through missions and Bible training and did their field training just like the others but would drive people about to and from things and serve. At one of the Bible Colleges I visited there was one particular brother in his mid-twenties, named Joseph, who was the kindest young man. But he was trained and had served in the field too. But looking at his job you wouldn’t say that he was a front line missionary–cleaning, preparing rooms, and serving food. But what a servant’s heart he had. He served us and also many at the Bible College, and was also part of discipling and training the students. These guys served with gratitude just to play the part they had in reaching the lost. Thousands a day are coming to Christ just through the individuals serving where they are. Insignificant as the role may seem, God is doing amazing things through our humble brothers and sisters.
So I have no idea what God has called you too but I would encourage you to analyze your life and ask God how to take up your cross and live with a sense of sacrifice right along with our brothers and sisters in Christ so that the lost may be reached.
I had wanted to be a speaker and an evangelist on the streets. I wanted to be on the frontline. But the most important question to ask is why am I doing what I am? Is it just the common practical thing to do, was it how I was trained to, told I needed to by family, friends, and coworkers, or because that is the way it has been done before? Or is it something that God has directed you to and empowered you in the Spirit to accomplish?
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Feb 15, 2011
Jesus and Little Children
“Then little children were brought to him for him to lay his hands on them and pray. But the disciples scolded those who brought them. But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not try to stop them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” And he placed his hands on them and went on his way.”
(NET)
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Jan 26, 2011
Exhortation Not to Worry
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear. For there is more to life than food, and more to the body than clothing. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn, yet God feeds them. How much more valuable are you than the birds! And which of you by worrying can add an hour to his life? So if you cannot do such a very little thing as this, why do you worry about the rest? Consider how the flowers grow; they do not work or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory was clothed like one of these! And if this is how God clothes the wild grass, which is here today and tomorrow is tossed into the fire to heat the oven, how much more will he clothe you, you people of little faith! So do not be overly concerned about what you will eat and what you will drink, and do not worry about such things. For all the nations of the world pursue these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, pursue his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.
(NET)
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Jan 20, 2011
A few nights ago, I got woken up by a horrible dream, or so I thought. here’s the journal entry I wrote with the intention of sharing it all with you sometime soon:
“It’s 3:08 AM right now, but as of now, I don’t care. God just spoke to me so vividly through a dream and His Word and I have to share it with you.
Here’s what I dreamed:
I was on vacation, where South Carolina, Pennsylvania and some other state were connected and there was a mini ‘war’ dispute going on between them. But I was on vacation, talking to God the entire time. I rode on my 4 wheeler with a bike strapped to the back and the bare minimum for survival. I had been documenting the whole things with my camera.
I was having a great time on my own, till I got to this spot where I forgot my camera, because I had left it on the 4 wheeler. So I biked as fast as I could back to the 4 wheeler, so I could take a picture of this simply breath taking sight of something I’m not sure how to describe. As I reached the 4 wheeler, I saw a car pull up. I didn’t think anyone knew where I was, so this kind of shocked me a bit, and as I saw who it was in the car, I got kinda happy to see Wendy taking the keys from the ignition. But then I saw the look on her face and immediately my heart dropped.
‘What was wrong? What happened?’ I thought
She walked towards me and from her face, I thought someone had died or something.
Once we were close enough for me to hear her, she said that my brother had been biking to reach some homeless guys when he was hit by a car. He was in the ER now with both kidneys failing, and broken bones all over his body, the doctors weren’t sure if he’d make it.
My heart fell and felt like it had stopped altogether. And then she said something that I didn’t catch at first. Although he was in immense pain and suffering, he was still smiling and saying God has it all under control.
Then I woke up. I wanted to text my mom right away to see if everything was okay. Instead, I prayed about it, meditated on it for about 10-15 minutes. After that, here’s a bit of what I texted to my mom:
‘Hey mommy, just woke up from a dream that really shocked me and made me cry. I woke up from this dream and was thinking about it, trying to get my heart back to a normal pace, I sat up and started wondering why had I dreamed it? Was something really wrong with him that God would place him so strongly on my heart? I don’t know. After praying a bit, I decied to text you to find out what’s up. Is he okay? Are you okay? Is there something more specific I can pray for? I love you both terribly and want nothing more than to hug you both right now and never let go. I’m actually crying a bit right now as I type this because I love you both so much… I’m wondering why God would let me dream so vividly like that. And I think it’s to show how comfortable things can get, and when things are comfy, we forget whats really important in life, things can pass by and we wouldn’t even know. Maybe He was preparing me for a mentality that I have to be okay with giving everything to Him, even the two people in this world I love and cherish the most. I don’t know but I do know that I think I’m ready to surrender all to Him. Not that I want to lose you both, my goodness no. but I have to have the mentality that you and Brandon are bought and paid for, specially made, hand crafted by God and His property. I have to be okay with Him doing His will for your lives, even if it is so hard I cannot bear it on my own. So…this text is really long, Love you guys, praying for you both!’
After that, I couldn’t sleep, so I went to the living room and decided to have quiet time with God. As I was crying to Him, He gave me some verses.
Deuteronomy 4:9 and then Psalm 9
Then I cried and sent my mom more texts. here’s the general message of them:
‘Was I really forgetting all that He has done for me? For you? For Brandon? I never thought I could, and it’s making me cry just thinking that I would forget. How could I forget? HE IS SO GOOD! I never thought it possible…seems I’ve been havig a lot of dreams of Brandon dying or getting so ill I couldn’t help him in my own power…but it took this last time to really open my eyes as to what God had been trying to teach me from it.
Romans 8:28 and that includes dreams'”
Sorry for how long this post is… just wanted to share with you what God’s teaching me right now, and how He’s doing it. 🙂
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Dec 25, 2010
The Birth of Jesus
2:1 Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus to register all the empire for taxes. 2:2 This was the first registration, taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 2:3 Everyone went to his own town to be registered. 2:4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family line of David. 2:5 He went to be registered with Mary, who was promised in marriage to him, and who was expecting a child. 2:6While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. 2:7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
2:8 Now there were shepherds nearby living out in the field, keeping guard over their flock at night. 2:9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were absolutely terrified. 2:10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid! Listen carefully, for I proclaim to you good news that brings great joy to all the people: 2:11 Today your Savior is born in the city of David. He is Christ the Lord. 2:12 This will be a sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a manger.” 2:13 Suddenly a vast, heavenly army appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
2:14 “Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among people with whom he is pleased!”
2:15 When the angels left them and went back to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, that the Lord has made known to us.” 2:16 So they hurried off and located Mary and Joseph, and found the baby lying in a manger. 2:17 When they saw him, they related what they had been told about this child, 2:18 and all who heard it were astonished at what the shepherds said. 2:19 But Mary treasured up all these words, pondering in her heart what they might mean. 2:20 So the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen; everything was just as they had been told.
(NET)
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