When the concept came up last night about money being the biggest competitor of God and if we agree. I do truly agree with that. I know somone mentioned "love" being a competitor but God is love:) Anyways, one complete and very real testifier to this concept of money being the biggest competitor to God, I feel I experienced today...
I think that one of the most depressing places I have ever witnesed is the unemployment office. Note, this is only based on my experiences, I am sure there are far more depressing sites than the unemployemnt office. Maybe it was because we have been studying about money and the heart's condition of worship in this manner, but I truly felt a sorrow today while I was waiting for my turn. I was actually trying to read a book and since the wait time is 2+ hours, I was looking forward to finishing this book I was into. Unfortunately I was disrupted by everyone coming through the doors and I began listening to their requests, questions, concerns. You can see solemn on thier faces. There is not a single "fancy" person, adorned in jewels, etc., not a single prideful being, not an outcast...it is a quiet place. A mournful place as people are trying to plead their cases. There is not a single sound of laughter...at all. The end result of visiting this office-money. That is why I was there. My benefits were revoked and I needed to fix the error and I had to go and I was a little nervous wondering if something was wrong with my file. I was nervous that my benefits would end. Nervous about not having this money. I can guarantee there is not a single person that walked into that office today that did not have this fear. This office, the end result being that you will be receiving money was their security. I started to ask myself why I was nervous and question whether I was trusting God in this. Then I thought about the person next to me and the person next to them...do they know Jesus? Do they trust that this is just a procedure and that ultimately God will provide? Do they know Jesus? Can something offer encouragment to them in these grueling 2 hour wait lines, where they have already lost the security of a job? Is that all they place their faith in...money? I don't know. I don't know what is on their mind, but I can see their faces and I can hear the stillness of worry and hardship.
The chapter I was reading all while pausing from the interruptions of the people coming in and out of the office, was noting on the Gospel of Jesus versus the Gospel of Ideas. We as a church can sometimes come to be blamed on leaving the relational aspect out of our understanding of the Bible and base everything purely on scientific, systematic facts. Miller quotes, "In a culture that worships science, relational propsitions will always be left out of arguments attempting to surface truth. We believe, quite simply, that unless we can chart something, it doesn't exist. And you can't chart relationships. Furthermore, in our attempts to make relational propositions look like chartable realities, all beauty and mystery is lost. And so when times get hard, when reality knocks us on our butts, mathematical propositions are unable to comfort our failing hearts." I kind of teared up after reading this, all while sitting in my chair...I cannot see beauty in this room. I cannot offer a solution to thier money issues...I can offer a relationship. But Jesus can offer so much more, and so I began to pray. I can see money as the biggest competitor to God and when money fails....there He is. He still IS.
That tugged on me.
January 23, 2009
January 07, 2009
Planting
I was thinking about the idea of church planting today, not for the sake of actually starting a new church but for the sake of re-planting a current church to see if there could be more blooms... What gardner would not want to see more blooms in the springtime?!
The reason I am thinking along the lines of church-planting is due to the desires of some individuals from the church where I belong; to create more of an opportunity of outreach to the community through the establishment of a new class. I am a part of this team that will, prayerfully, help implement this vision and to be honest, I have no idea what God is going to do (of course!) and in the interim, have no idea what I need to do:) So thru prayer it has come to my thought processes that our efforts of establishing a new class is in a way, similar to planting a new church. Aside from the vision of this new class, 2 goals remain in site; Glorify God and Build His Kingdom. With that being said, I think that we should all be responsible in church-planting, and I will elaborate why.
Church planting.
A concept that has not created enough desire within me to learn more about until...now. Ed Stetzer wrote a book called, "Planting Missional Churches", in which he enscribes that church planters should be: missional, incarnational, theological, ecclesiological, and spiritual. I want to breakdown these 5 terms described by Ed. This is going to be a blog broken down over 2 days. Below will be the general concept of the 5 terms mentioned previous. Tomorrow, hopefully, I will complete my analysis of the terms.
Missional: How we approach people.
Incarnational: What is actually happening.
Theological: Gospel.
Ecclesiological: Church does matter.
Spiritual: Christ-centered.
...to be continued:)
**And let me know your thoughts!
The reason I am thinking along the lines of church-planting is due to the desires of some individuals from the church where I belong; to create more of an opportunity of outreach to the community through the establishment of a new class. I am a part of this team that will, prayerfully, help implement this vision and to be honest, I have no idea what God is going to do (of course!) and in the interim, have no idea what I need to do:) So thru prayer it has come to my thought processes that our efforts of establishing a new class is in a way, similar to planting a new church. Aside from the vision of this new class, 2 goals remain in site; Glorify God and Build His Kingdom. With that being said, I think that we should all be responsible in church-planting, and I will elaborate why.
Church planting.
A concept that has not created enough desire within me to learn more about until...now. Ed Stetzer wrote a book called, "Planting Missional Churches", in which he enscribes that church planters should be: missional, incarnational, theological, ecclesiological, and spiritual. I want to breakdown these 5 terms described by Ed. This is going to be a blog broken down over 2 days. Below will be the general concept of the 5 terms mentioned previous. Tomorrow, hopefully, I will complete my analysis of the terms.
Missional: How we approach people.
Incarnational: What is actually happening.
Theological: Gospel.
Ecclesiological: Church does matter.
Spiritual: Christ-centered.
...to be continued:)
**And let me know your thoughts!
January 05, 2009
Knowing You
I read earlier today that if I wanted to know how God was going to use my life and my work I must first understand why He created me. I often reverse my thinking and feel that I know why God created me because of the work I was involved in, etc. This reverse thinking only allows me to base my sense of worth on what I have accomplished in my life. And looking back on how little I have accomplished this does not add much worth to my life!
It comes down to understanding the core of my being. It is similar to any part of any working machine. Shocks on a car do not discover their usefulness after they are working in affect on a car. Shocks are absorber parts and knowing that that is why they are assembled on a car; to absorb. I need to understand who I am and who I am in Christ in order to understand how He is going to and how He already is using my life and my work. How do I understand why He created me?
I do know that God created me to know Him and to have an intimate relationship with Him. Jeremiah 9:24 states, "but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who excercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on the earth...". As mentioned in the article I had read earlier, mankind's relationship with God was ruined in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve. He longed to have that relationship restored with mankind and allowed the highest sacrifice of his Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross so that we may have that eternal life and intimate relationship with Him.
Often times we seek to fufill our purpose out of wrong motives, whether it be guilt, pride, relationships, insecurity, etc. I know I fallen into this category several times, just going through the motions and involving myself in activities that will only suffice that insecure feeling I have for who I am. Those feelings of security will fade and then I will become insecure again about who I am and look for that next activity to create false security within me. It is a cycle. But, there is hope! God's desire for us is to be motivated out of love for Him!! That should be our only motivation; love. And how are we to know love but by developing an intimate relationship with Him. As that relationship develops He will begin to reveal His purpose for you, "For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope," Jeremiah 29:11. But he cannot reveal that to us unless a relationship has been established.
There was a song we used to sing in college at our fellowship hall called "Knowing You".
"Now my heart's desire is to know you more, to be found in You and to know as Yours, To posses by faith what I could not earn, All surpassing gift o righteousness, Oh to know the power of your risen life, And to know You in Your sufferings, To become like You in Your death dear Lord, So with You to live and never die."
I pray you sing this song and long to have a deeper relationship with Him and truly come to understand Why it is that He created you!
It comes down to understanding the core of my being. It is similar to any part of any working machine. Shocks on a car do not discover their usefulness after they are working in affect on a car. Shocks are absorber parts and knowing that that is why they are assembled on a car; to absorb. I need to understand who I am and who I am in Christ in order to understand how He is going to and how He already is using my life and my work. How do I understand why He created me?
I do know that God created me to know Him and to have an intimate relationship with Him. Jeremiah 9:24 states, "but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who excercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on the earth...". As mentioned in the article I had read earlier, mankind's relationship with God was ruined in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve. He longed to have that relationship restored with mankind and allowed the highest sacrifice of his Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross so that we may have that eternal life and intimate relationship with Him.
Often times we seek to fufill our purpose out of wrong motives, whether it be guilt, pride, relationships, insecurity, etc. I know I fallen into this category several times, just going through the motions and involving myself in activities that will only suffice that insecure feeling I have for who I am. Those feelings of security will fade and then I will become insecure again about who I am and look for that next activity to create false security within me. It is a cycle. But, there is hope! God's desire for us is to be motivated out of love for Him!! That should be our only motivation; love. And how are we to know love but by developing an intimate relationship with Him. As that relationship develops He will begin to reveal His purpose for you, "For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope," Jeremiah 29:11. But he cannot reveal that to us unless a relationship has been established.
There was a song we used to sing in college at our fellowship hall called "Knowing You".
"Now my heart's desire is to know you more, to be found in You and to know as Yours, To posses by faith what I could not earn, All surpassing gift o righteousness, Oh to know the power of your risen life, And to know You in Your sufferings, To become like You in Your death dear Lord, So with You to live and never die."
I pray you sing this song and long to have a deeper relationship with Him and truly come to understand Why it is that He created you!
January 04, 2009
Grace
We were studying in Ephesians today on chapter 2:5-6...
The word grace is a common placed word throughout this chapter, noting that we have been saved by grace. Grace is undeserved goodness. I have a hard time understanding grace. To know that He claims my life even though I am not deserving of His love. I am not. Yet by His grace, His goodness, He has chosen to raise me up and seat me at his side.
Matthew West sings the song, "Only Grace"-Carefully read the lyrics.
There is no guilt here
There is no shame
No pointing fingers
There is no blame
What happened yesterday
Has disappeared
The dirt has washed away
And now it’s clear
Chorus:
There’s only grace
There’s only love
There’s only mercy
And believe me it’s enough
Your sins are gone
Without a trace
There’s nothing left now
There’s only grace
You’re starting over now
Under the sun
You’re stepping forward now
A new life has begun
Your new life has begun
Chorus:
And if you should fall again
Get back up, get back up
Reach out and take my hand
Get back up, Get back up
Get back up again
Realizing that by choosing to follow Him, our new life has begun and by His grace He will cleanse our sins..thou they be as scarlet, they are now white as snow....
The word grace is a common placed word throughout this chapter, noting that we have been saved by grace. Grace is undeserved goodness. I have a hard time understanding grace. To know that He claims my life even though I am not deserving of His love. I am not. Yet by His grace, His goodness, He has chosen to raise me up and seat me at his side.
Matthew West sings the song, "Only Grace"-Carefully read the lyrics.
There is no guilt here
There is no shame
No pointing fingers
There is no blame
What happened yesterday
Has disappeared
The dirt has washed away
And now it’s clear
Chorus:
There’s only grace
There’s only love
There’s only mercy
And believe me it’s enough
Your sins are gone
Without a trace
There’s nothing left now
There’s only grace
You’re starting over now
Under the sun
You’re stepping forward now
A new life has begun
Your new life has begun
Chorus:
And if you should fall again
Get back up, get back up
Reach out and take my hand
Get back up, Get back up
Get back up again
Realizing that by choosing to follow Him, our new life has begun and by His grace He will cleanse our sins..thou they be as scarlet, they are now white as snow....
January 03, 2009
Forgiveness
This is a tough topic merely because we are allowing to layside all done wrongs, no matter how much hurt those wrongs have brought on us. I was out to breakfast with a friend this morning discussing the topics of forgiveness and reconciliation and the matters of my heart. And what puzzled me the most is the fact that my heart is so far off from Christ's when it comes to forgiveness. Here Christ was dying on the cross, being beaten by these men and he yells out to God, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they are doing!". Here Christ is asking forgiveness on the men who are nailing him on the cross and slashing him with thorns. It was not about Christ in that moment, it never really is...it was about the actions and conscience of those men, it was about loving those men despite any of their harmful ways.
C.S. Lewis states that to be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable, because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you. So forgiveness is accepting the apology and never holding anything against the other again for that act. Sometmes I feel forgiveness means accepting that what was done was really not wrong at all, and that is where I stumble. But looking back, how many times have I done things wrong and sometimes the same things over and over and have asked God for forgiveness on my sins. It is not that He made right what I made wrong it is that He chose to not hold that sin against how He sees me and how He will love me.
It all comes down to the matter of my heart; to be less concerned about my feelings, because those will be restored, and to be more concerned that I am able to love that person unconditionally. True forgiveness is a selfless act.
When I am caught with the struggle of forgiving someone I just need to remind myself of who I am like Paul did when he proclaimed himself the "chief of sinners"...I am the "chief of sinners", yet He still forgives me....
C.S. Lewis states that to be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable, because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you. So forgiveness is accepting the apology and never holding anything against the other again for that act. Sometmes I feel forgiveness means accepting that what was done was really not wrong at all, and that is where I stumble. But looking back, how many times have I done things wrong and sometimes the same things over and over and have asked God for forgiveness on my sins. It is not that He made right what I made wrong it is that He chose to not hold that sin against how He sees me and how He will love me.
It all comes down to the matter of my heart; to be less concerned about my feelings, because those will be restored, and to be more concerned that I am able to love that person unconditionally. True forgiveness is a selfless act.
When I am caught with the struggle of forgiving someone I just need to remind myself of who I am like Paul did when he proclaimed himself the "chief of sinners"...I am the "chief of sinners", yet He still forgives me....
January 02, 2009
"Go out"
There are so many unknowns in this world... so we can choose to live life excitedly by just placing our trust in God to lead us or we can shelter ourselves into the mindset of over-preparing and prepping our life, or equipping ourselves rather without ever considering the guidance from our Maker. Now don't get me wrong we need to be equipped, as in wearing the full-armor, but we need to lie aside worry and our "plans" to make way for that unknown in our life, that which is God's plans. Being called to ministry is not something that should be looked at as going away to desolate areas and preaching the word of God on the barren streets to starved beings. Being called to ministry is allowing Christ to reign in your hearts and living the life He has called us to live...he will equip us.
I have been called to be a part of a leadership team at the church where I belong. At times, I don't feel equipped and ready to take on such a large task. I don't feel my heart is right and the choices I make allow me to lead others. But I also know that it is through those moments, in which we falter, that God is there trying to break more ground in our hearts, trying to create us as disciples for His kingdom.
I was reading in Hebrews today in Chapter 11; the events that occured when people had faith...verse 8 reads, "By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going." Wow. Complete trust in God. I lack that complete trust at times. Am I willing to go out in every area of my life and trust God entirely? I am working on that. Oswald Chambers writes, "Let the attitude of your life be a continual willingness to "go out" in dependence upon God, and your life will have a sacred and inexpressible charm about it that is very satisfying to Jesus. You must learn to "go out" through your convictions, creeds, or experiences until you come to the point in your faith where there is nothing between yourself and God".
I surrender.
I have been called to be a part of a leadership team at the church where I belong. At times, I don't feel equipped and ready to take on such a large task. I don't feel my heart is right and the choices I make allow me to lead others. But I also know that it is through those moments, in which we falter, that God is there trying to break more ground in our hearts, trying to create us as disciples for His kingdom.
I was reading in Hebrews today in Chapter 11; the events that occured when people had faith...verse 8 reads, "By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going." Wow. Complete trust in God. I lack that complete trust at times. Am I willing to go out in every area of my life and trust God entirely? I am working on that. Oswald Chambers writes, "Let the attitude of your life be a continual willingness to "go out" in dependence upon God, and your life will have a sacred and inexpressible charm about it that is very satisfying to Jesus. You must learn to "go out" through your convictions, creeds, or experiences until you come to the point in your faith where there is nothing between yourself and God".
I surrender.
A New Year
I attempted blogging a few months ago with efforts of jounaling everyday and somehow my blog got lost in space and I was no longer able to access my old "thoughts". With a New Year there is always new resolutions. I am not resoluted-is that a word?- that I will blog everyday, I am resoluting that I will share with you, throughout the year, how He is working in my life and how I am learning to surrender the wants and desires that keep me from allowing me to know Christ wholely and essentially allowing you to experience the freedom of knowing Christ as your Lord and Saviour. Hence the title of my blog, Surrender. I could follow the Chinese tradition and call this the year of the Ox-but what does that really mean aside from the "good luck" and fortune I will receive. The only "luck" that exists is the blessings we receive that are not yet made aware that they are of God. Hence I will create a tradition in this vary moment to consider 2009 the year of Surrendering. For I can only imagine that when surrendering exists we are then able to receive more intimacy with Him. That is what I want. That is what I want for you. Come take this journey with me, I think I can be a lot of fun to listen to:)
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