“If you could have heaven, with no sickness, and with all the friends you ever had on earth, and all the food you ever liked, and all the leisure activities you ever enjoyed, and all the natural beauties you ever saw, all the physical pleasures you ever tasted, and no human conflict or any natural disasters, could you be satisfied with heaven, if Christ were not there?”
John Piper God is the Gospel
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Taxi Ride...
This story makes me want to slow down and remember that God is orchestrating circumstances and putting people in my life every day!
I arrived at the address and honked the horn. After waiting a few minutes I walked to the door and knocked.. 'Just a minute', answered a frail, elderly voice. I could hear something being dragged across the floor.
After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 90's stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940's movie.
By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets. There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos and glassware.
'Would you carry my bag out to the car?' she said. I took the suitcase to the cab, then returned to assist the woman. She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb. She kept thanking me for my kindness. 'It's nothing', I told her. 'I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated.”
'Oh, you're such a good boy, she said. When we got in the cab, she gave me an address and then asked, 'Could you drive through downtown?' "It's not the shortest way,' I answered quickly. 'Oh, I don't mind,' she said. 'I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a Hospice...
I looked in the rear-view mirror. Her eyes were glistening. 'I don't have any family left,' she continued in a soft voice.. 'The doctor says I don't have very long.' I quietly reached over and shut off the meter. 'What route would you like me to take?' I asked.
For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator. We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl. Sometimes she'd ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.
As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, 'I'm tired.. Let's go now'. We drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico.
Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were solicitous and intent, watching her every move. They must have been expecting her. I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair.
'How much do I owe you?' She asked, reaching into her purse. 'Nothing,' I said. 'You have to make a living,' she answered. 'There are other passengers,' I responded.
Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly. 'You gave an old woman a little moment of joy,' she said. 'Thank you.' I squeezed her hand, and then walked into the dim morning light.. Behind me, a door shut. It was the sound of the closing of a life.
I didn't pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly lost in thought. For the rest of that day, I could hardly talk. What if that woman had gotten an angry driver, or one who was impatient to end his shift? What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away? On a quick review, I don't think that I have done anything more important in my life.
We're conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments. But great moments often catch us unaware-beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one.
PEOPLE MAY NOT REMEMBER EXACTLY WHAT YOU DID, OR WHAT YOU SAID, BUT~THEY WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER HOW YOU MADE THEM FEEL.
I arrived at the address and honked the horn. After waiting a few minutes I walked to the door and knocked.. 'Just a minute', answered a frail, elderly voice. I could hear something being dragged across the floor.
After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 90's stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940's movie.
By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets. There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos and glassware.
'Would you carry my bag out to the car?' she said. I took the suitcase to the cab, then returned to assist the woman. She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb. She kept thanking me for my kindness. 'It's nothing', I told her. 'I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated.”
'Oh, you're such a good boy, she said. When we got in the cab, she gave me an address and then asked, 'Could you drive through downtown?' "It's not the shortest way,' I answered quickly. 'Oh, I don't mind,' she said. 'I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a Hospice...
I looked in the rear-view mirror. Her eyes were glistening. 'I don't have any family left,' she continued in a soft voice.. 'The doctor says I don't have very long.' I quietly reached over and shut off the meter. 'What route would you like me to take?' I asked.
For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator. We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl. Sometimes she'd ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.
As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, 'I'm tired.. Let's go now'. We drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico.
Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were solicitous and intent, watching her every move. They must have been expecting her. I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair.
'How much do I owe you?' She asked, reaching into her purse. 'Nothing,' I said. 'You have to make a living,' she answered. 'There are other passengers,' I responded.
Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly. 'You gave an old woman a little moment of joy,' she said. 'Thank you.' I squeezed her hand, and then walked into the dim morning light.. Behind me, a door shut. It was the sound of the closing of a life.
I didn't pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly lost in thought. For the rest of that day, I could hardly talk. What if that woman had gotten an angry driver, or one who was impatient to end his shift? What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away? On a quick review, I don't think that I have done anything more important in my life.
We're conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments. But great moments often catch us unaware-beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one.
PEOPLE MAY NOT REMEMBER EXACTLY WHAT YOU DID, OR WHAT YOU SAID, BUT~THEY WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER HOW YOU MADE THEM FEEL.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Friday, October 29, 2010
My Life is a Mission Trip...
If you’ve ever been on a mission trip, especially one to a third world country, you’ll understand exactly what I mean when I say there’s a wave of emotions that you experience while on the trip. It’s hard to put into words, but every aspect of the trip is encouraging. Even if things go wrong, as they often will, no one seems to worry because everyone understands that God is in control of the trip. We are traveling for His glory and trying to reach people with His gospel and therefore whatever happens, happens. The team spends time praying together and studying the Bible; we encourage each other, we watch out for each other, and in the end most of us come back forever changed. We return with a sense of gratitude mixed with fear, happiness, thankfulness and honor to be serving a holy God on His mission.
Unfortunately the spiritual high, at least for me, seems to be short lived. I get back home, get into my routine, and before long I’m stuck in the grind of everyday life. That bothers me…a lot. Yeah, I completely understand that life is not all about the highs and there will always be times in your life when you’re on a high and times in your life when you’re low. I also understand that even people who are working in full time ministry, like missionaries, experience the same range of emotions.
But I think the reason it bothers me so much is that when I read the Bible, especially the books about the early church, I see a group of people experiencing exactly what I described in the first paragraph. Now I can try and argue with myself all I want that times were different back then and it was easier to live that way, but we both know that’s not true. My life doesn’t look anything like theirs and to make matters worse I rarely experience the radical things they speak of in the New Testament.
But should I really be surprised? Think about it…the early church was completely focused on God's will. Their priority in life was growing the kingdom and reaching other people. So should I be surprised that when I would rather live my life the way I choose instead of being completely focused on God's will that I constantly long for those mission trip experiences.
At the end of the day it’s pretty simple. The reason I don’t experience life and faith and power like the early church did is because I often separate my life into the secular and the sacred. Work is over here, and Jesus is over there. I earn money over here and work as hard as I can on the secular side and then when I’m helping others and trying to reach out to people on the sacred side that’s when Jesus can be involved in everything. I know it sounds weird but most of us live our lives in that exact way. Jesus over there on Sundays and my life over here every other day of the week.
I begin noticing this in my own life a few years ago and have truly made strong strides to make a change. I pray that one day I will fully understand that I am on a 24-7-365 mission trip that does not allow for a secular/sacred divide. Just because I’m in a different country doesn’t mean my focus should shift. My focus should ultimately be the same no matter where I am. Every person I meet and every circumstance I go through is ordained by God and my calling as a Christian is to reach out to the people around me that God has placed in my life.
I really want everyone reading this to understand that the Christian life is not this lame, boring existence filled with rules and legalism. I know it often appears that way and unfortunately that's because even people in the church sometimes just don't get it. But please know this, the Christian life when lived as God has designed it, is an adventure, orchestrated by a wonderful loving God whose desire is for you to be on mission with him.
Unfortunately the spiritual high, at least for me, seems to be short lived. I get back home, get into my routine, and before long I’m stuck in the grind of everyday life. That bothers me…a lot. Yeah, I completely understand that life is not all about the highs and there will always be times in your life when you’re on a high and times in your life when you’re low. I also understand that even people who are working in full time ministry, like missionaries, experience the same range of emotions.
But I think the reason it bothers me so much is that when I read the Bible, especially the books about the early church, I see a group of people experiencing exactly what I described in the first paragraph. Now I can try and argue with myself all I want that times were different back then and it was easier to live that way, but we both know that’s not true. My life doesn’t look anything like theirs and to make matters worse I rarely experience the radical things they speak of in the New Testament.
But should I really be surprised? Think about it…the early church was completely focused on God's will. Their priority in life was growing the kingdom and reaching other people. So should I be surprised that when I would rather live my life the way I choose instead of being completely focused on God's will that I constantly long for those mission trip experiences.
At the end of the day it’s pretty simple. The reason I don’t experience life and faith and power like the early church did is because I often separate my life into the secular and the sacred. Work is over here, and Jesus is over there. I earn money over here and work as hard as I can on the secular side and then when I’m helping others and trying to reach out to people on the sacred side that’s when Jesus can be involved in everything. I know it sounds weird but most of us live our lives in that exact way. Jesus over there on Sundays and my life over here every other day of the week.
I begin noticing this in my own life a few years ago and have truly made strong strides to make a change. I pray that one day I will fully understand that I am on a 24-7-365 mission trip that does not allow for a secular/sacred divide. Just because I’m in a different country doesn’t mean my focus should shift. My focus should ultimately be the same no matter where I am. Every person I meet and every circumstance I go through is ordained by God and my calling as a Christian is to reach out to the people around me that God has placed in my life.
I really want everyone reading this to understand that the Christian life is not this lame, boring existence filled with rules and legalism. I know it often appears that way and unfortunately that's because even people in the church sometimes just don't get it. But please know this, the Christian life when lived as God has designed it, is an adventure, orchestrated by a wonderful loving God whose desire is for you to be on mission with him.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Decisions That Define Us...
Excerpt from the book Decisions that Define Us by David Crone...
We have decided that teaching the Gospel without demonstrating the gospel is not enough. Good preaching, good doctrine, and being good people is not enough. We have decided that having a good church club is not enough, good fellowship is not enough, and just being a member of that club is not enough. We have decided that having good Bible studies is good, but not good enough, that just making it to heaven is not our goal, and that knowing about God without truly knowing and experiencing God is meaningless. We have decided that having good programs is not enough; that change without transformation is intolerable, and that staying the same is not an option. We have decided that gifting without character is futile. We have decided that singing songs without worshiping is hallow and having meetings without God showing up is pointless. We have decided that having faith without works is not enough and having works without love is not acceptable - that our function comes out of our relationship first with the Father and second with each other.
We have decided that reading about the book of Acts without living the book of Acts is unthinkable. We have decided that confident faith is good and bold faith is better. We have decided that hearing about the Holy Spirit without experiencing Him is silly, that believing in His presence without seeing it manifested in signs and wonders is hypocrisy, that believing in healing without seeing people healed is absurd, and that believing in deliverance without people being delivered is absolutely ridiculous. We have decided to be Holy Spirit filled, Holy Spirit led, and Holy Spirit empowered - anything less doesn’t work for us. We have decided to be the ones telling the stories of God’s power - not the ones hearing about them. We have decided that living saved, but not supernatural is living below our privilege and short of what Christ died for. We have decided that we are a battle ship not a cruise ship, an army, not an audience; Special forces not spectators, missionaries not club members. We have decided to value both pioneers and settlers - pioneers to expand our territory and settlers to build on those territories - but we are not squatters - people who take up space others have fought for without improving it. We have decided to be infectious instead of innocuous, contagious instead of quarantined, deadly instead of benign. We have decided to be radical lovers and outrageous givers. We have decided that we are a mission station and not a museum
THEREFORE:
We honor the past - we don’t live in it. We live in the present with our eyes on the future. We see past events - successes and failures - as stepping-stones not stop signs. We pursue learning in order to be transformed, not learning in order to know. We are people of engagement not observation. We focus on what could be, not on what is or has been. We are not limited to the four walls of this building. Our influence is not restricted by location - not even the nations are out of bounds. We raise up world changers - not tour guides. We train commandos, not committees. We are a people of our destiny, not of our history. We have decided that it is better to fail while reaching for the impossible that God has planned for us than succeed settling for less. We have decided that nothing short of His Kingdom come, His will be done in our world as it is in Heaven will satisfy. We have decided that we will not be satisfied until our world freaks out and cries out “Those who have turned the world upside down have come here too.”
These are some of the decisions that define who we are as a community and how we live our lives. These decisions are not destinations - but rather journeys - journeys along an ancient path - we have not found some new way - but rather rediscovered the path as old as Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The same path followed by Moses, Joshua and Caleb - Paul, John, Peter. The path followed by the first century church - a church that revolutionized the culture of the first century and beyond. It is a path that will impact the world we live in today. It is a path of Bold Faith - believing that what God says is really true and acting on it; Outrageous Generosity - giving our life away in order to demonstrate His Kingdom; Radical Love - loving God with everything in us and our neighbor as ourselves.
It is a path of liberty, freedom, and healing. On this path you find significance, purpose, and destiny. This is a path less traveled – however - it is not a path only available to a select few - but to whosoever will - may come. It is for people of every nation, tribe and tongue -for those in any occupation or vocation. No matter where you are in your life journey - there is room on this path for you.
We have decided that teaching the Gospel without demonstrating the gospel is not enough. Good preaching, good doctrine, and being good people is not enough. We have decided that having a good church club is not enough, good fellowship is not enough, and just being a member of that club is not enough. We have decided that having good Bible studies is good, but not good enough, that just making it to heaven is not our goal, and that knowing about God without truly knowing and experiencing God is meaningless. We have decided that having good programs is not enough; that change without transformation is intolerable, and that staying the same is not an option. We have decided that gifting without character is futile. We have decided that singing songs without worshiping is hallow and having meetings without God showing up is pointless. We have decided that having faith without works is not enough and having works without love is not acceptable - that our function comes out of our relationship first with the Father and second with each other.
We have decided that reading about the book of Acts without living the book of Acts is unthinkable. We have decided that confident faith is good and bold faith is better. We have decided that hearing about the Holy Spirit without experiencing Him is silly, that believing in His presence without seeing it manifested in signs and wonders is hypocrisy, that believing in healing without seeing people healed is absurd, and that believing in deliverance without people being delivered is absolutely ridiculous. We have decided to be Holy Spirit filled, Holy Spirit led, and Holy Spirit empowered - anything less doesn’t work for us. We have decided to be the ones telling the stories of God’s power - not the ones hearing about them. We have decided that living saved, but not supernatural is living below our privilege and short of what Christ died for. We have decided that we are a battle ship not a cruise ship, an army, not an audience; Special forces not spectators, missionaries not club members. We have decided to value both pioneers and settlers - pioneers to expand our territory and settlers to build on those territories - but we are not squatters - people who take up space others have fought for without improving it. We have decided to be infectious instead of innocuous, contagious instead of quarantined, deadly instead of benign. We have decided to be radical lovers and outrageous givers. We have decided that we are a mission station and not a museum
THEREFORE:
We honor the past - we don’t live in it. We live in the present with our eyes on the future. We see past events - successes and failures - as stepping-stones not stop signs. We pursue learning in order to be transformed, not learning in order to know. We are people of engagement not observation. We focus on what could be, not on what is or has been. We are not limited to the four walls of this building. Our influence is not restricted by location - not even the nations are out of bounds. We raise up world changers - not tour guides. We train commandos, not committees. We are a people of our destiny, not of our history. We have decided that it is better to fail while reaching for the impossible that God has planned for us than succeed settling for less. We have decided that nothing short of His Kingdom come, His will be done in our world as it is in Heaven will satisfy. We have decided that we will not be satisfied until our world freaks out and cries out “Those who have turned the world upside down have come here too.”
These are some of the decisions that define who we are as a community and how we live our lives. These decisions are not destinations - but rather journeys - journeys along an ancient path - we have not found some new way - but rather rediscovered the path as old as Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The same path followed by Moses, Joshua and Caleb - Paul, John, Peter. The path followed by the first century church - a church that revolutionized the culture of the first century and beyond. It is a path that will impact the world we live in today. It is a path of Bold Faith - believing that what God says is really true and acting on it; Outrageous Generosity - giving our life away in order to demonstrate His Kingdom; Radical Love - loving God with everything in us and our neighbor as ourselves.
It is a path of liberty, freedom, and healing. On this path you find significance, purpose, and destiny. This is a path less traveled – however - it is not a path only available to a select few - but to whosoever will - may come. It is for people of every nation, tribe and tongue -for those in any occupation or vocation. No matter where you are in your life journey - there is room on this path for you.
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