Can You Hear It?

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil." -1 Thessalonians 5:16-22

(Anything in quotations that is not scripture is taken from My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers, August 13th and 14th. All emphases are mine.)

"The voice of the Spirit of God is as gentle as a summer breeze - so gentle that unless you are living in complete fellowship and oneness with God, you will never hear it... If you get out of the light, you become a sentimental Christian, and live only on your memories, and your testimony will have a hard metallic ring to it... Whenever the Spirit gives you that sense of restraint, call a halt and make things right, or else you will go on quenching and grieving Him without even knowing it."

I've had My Utmost for His Highest since college, but back in the day was completely blind to how rich it is. Now it's wearing me out. The idea of "never hearing" the voice of the Spirit or "quenching Him without even knowing it" is kind of terrifying to me. James 4:8 says, "Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded." How many of us go about our daily lives absolutely kidding ourselves that we are in fellowship with the Lord because we went to church on Sunday? Can the truth of James 4:8 and 1 Thess 5:16-22 really be that difficult to live out? It's either really hard, or we just don't take it very seriously. I'm leaning towards the latter.

"If our experience of being set apart from sin and being made holy through the process of sanctification is still very shallow, we tend to mistake the reality of God for something else... Allow Him to put you into a right-standing relationship before God... Sanctification is not my idea of what I want God to do for me - sanctification is God's idea of what He wants to do for me. But He has to get me into the state of mind and spirit where I will allow Him to sanctify me completely, whatever the cost."

Ask yourself... "Am I fully prepared to allow God to grip me by His power and do a work in me that is truly worthy of Himself?"

Why Go?

And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of hte Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."  Matthew 28:18-20

And he said to them, "Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned."  
Mark 16:15-16

(Burundi Flag)

Well, I was hoping that this might be the first of at least a few posts related to my upcoming trip to Africa, but it looks like this will be the only one before I leave. Depending on internet access abroad, I hope to post a time or two while there if possible, and certainly upon my return.  We'll see what happens.

I'm leaving on Tuesday for a 12 day medical mission trip to Burundi, Africa. My child-bearing wife and 3-year-old daughter will be staying behind here in the good ol' U S of A.  I'm very excited, slightly nervous, and most likely completely clueless about what is in store for me on the other side of the world. I don't think I'd ever even heard of Burundi before I caught wind of this mission trip, so anything I've learned has been from a crash course of meetings and online searches.

First, just a little info about Burundi.  It is a tiny country that is surrounded by Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and the Congo. It's size is just under 28,000 square km with an estimated population of 8,700,000. Burundi is one of the 10 poorest countries in the world, with the lowest per capita GDP of any nation in the world. This is due primarily to civil wars, corruption, poor access to education, and the effects of HIV/AIDS. It's tiny, it's extremely impoverished, and it has been marred by corruption, war, genocide, drugs, disease, and death for almost it's entire existence.

So on to the title of this post. Aside from it being the title of a great song by a little band I happen to like, it's a question that has hovered over this trip ever since I even considered going.  I've asked it of myself, and I've been asked by several other people as well. It's come in different variations, the main three being "why do I want to go to Africa?", "why can't you just help people here?", and "why spread the gospel to people who are doing just fine without it?". At the end of the day; however, the underlying question is, "Why go?"

Why do I want to go?

I'd be lying if I said that my initial attraction to going to Africa was anything other than it sounded awesome. That was almost a year ago and I knew very little of the trip, and certainly didn't think I'd actually be going. And honestly, it didn't really settle in until recently that this isn't about me having an awesome experience. This trip is not about me. Our most recent sermon series at church has been on prayer and focusing on trying to glorify God in everything that we do. John Piper said, "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him." I believe we are most satisfied in Him when we are in communication with Him through prayer and by being in the Word, and when we are obedient to Him when he calls. I have prayed for a long time for God to put me in situations that would force me out of my comfort zones. Matthew 9:38 says, "Pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to throw out laborers into his harvest." I remember back in the day going to church and hearing stories about Christians doing radical things for God and always thinking "no way, not me."  Now I find myself often thinking "I want to do something like that."  And here I am, less than 48 hours away from getting on a plane to Africa for a 12 day medical mission trip. I've never been that far away from home, and certainly not for that long, and certainly not as a husband and father. I don't like being away from Em and Abbott for a weekend, much less 12 days. They are my ultimate "comfort zone". This trip is not going to be easy, it is not going to be plush. I've already received 5 shots, 3 in the right arm and 2 in the left. That was fun. I took my first of 42 doses of malaria medicine that I have to take daily until 4 weeks after I get home, because you know, nobody wants malaria. And I've got 2 anti-diarrhea meds that I'm taking with me... just in case I get some freakish African diarrhea.  It's going to be hot and there is a good chance that we are going to see some horrible stuff. But we are also going to see some amazing stuff. God shows up big when Christians let go of themselves and answer His call, whatever it may be. I'm going to Burundi because I want to be a part of taking the gospel to the other side of the world in a place where most of the people we will encounter have never even heard of God or Jesus. I'm going to Burundi because I want to be challenged, I want to be stretched, I want to be convicted, I want to be discipled, I want to be changed. A pastor named Thabiti Anyabwile talked about this, here are a few quotes paraphrased together...

"We take the good news of Jesus, resources to meet physical needs, and training to develop sustainable forms of living for the indigenous people of a culture, not just to change the nations, but so the nations can change us... If we want to see the fabric of American evangelism aligned to the heart of God, we have to go to the nations. We have to step outside of our individualistic, ethno-centric cultural grid and have our value systems shocked to the core, our perspectives wildly flipped upside down and our little worlds of comfort deeply rattled by the discomforting reality of a world population that desperately needs Jesus." 

I'm going to Burundi because I have been given the opportunity to be a part of something much bigger than myself.

Why can't I just help people here?

"If we only make disciples who make disciples in our cities, thousands of unengaged, un-discipled peoples of the earth will not hear the gospel." - Geoff Ashley

First of all, we do. There are Christians and churches, including mine, all over the place that are constantly "on mission" within their own communities. From helping the needy within their towns to providing for fellow church members in need, there is an outpouring of love, support, encouragement, prayer, and assistance that occurs when Christians do life together. Our church just finished Mission Bible School, or MBS, last week which was a different take on traditional VBS. Instead of having it at the church, we broke up into several different groups around the community in parks, apartment complexes, etc. and brought food, games, and the gospel to the people of our community in their comfort zones. It was fantastic and there were many children and parents whose lives were touched by the love of Christ. But there are people in this country and all over the world that don't know that love, and someone has to go to them. As Christians, we believe that God is very real, and that He sent Jesus to live the perfect life that we cannot. We believe that he actually died and actually rose from the grave. We believe that Jesus is "the way, and the truth, and the life" (John 14:6). We believe that before he ascended to Heaven, he instructed his disciples at the Great Commission to "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations..." (Matthew 28:19). They were obedient in proclaiming the gospel and all but one died horrible deaths because of it, a radical change from the uncommitted, fickle, cowards that they were before Jesus died. Because of their faith and obedience, we have the bible, which we believe is the inerrant, inspired word of God. And as I've said before, it either is true or it is not true. Christians are followers of Christ... disciples... and we choose to believe that it is true and because of this the Great Commission applies to us every bit as much as it did to the disciples then. We are commanded to make disciples by telling the good news of Jesus to all nations, not just those here at home.

Why spread the gospel to those that are doing fine without it?

On December 27th, 2008, a UK-based journalist and self-described atheist wrote an article for The Times of London entitled "As an atheist, I truly believe Africa needs God". It is a fascinating and powerful read that I believe addresses this question. This link leads to a commentary on the article, as well as access to the full article itself. I highly recommend reading it. Here is a snippet to give you an idea...

"Now a confirmed atheist, I've become convinced of the enormous contribution that Christian evangelism makes in Africa: sharply distinct from the work of secular NGOs, government projects and international aid efforts. These alone will not do. Education and training alone will not do. In Africa Christianity changes people's hearts. It brings spiritual transformation. The rebirth is real. The change is good..."

The fact is, they are not doing fine without it. These people know nothing but poverty, prostitution, drug addiction, rape, genocide, disease, and death. The word "hope" does not fit in to this equation. The gospel of Jesus Christ brings a kind of hope that all the humanitarian aide on the planet cannot provide. A hope of freedom from the bondage of sin and a promise that no matter how amazing or how atrocious our circumstances are here on this earth, when it's all over, when the end comes, there is an eternity with God that noone can fathom waiting for us. This is why it "changes people's hearts" as Parris put it. Because it doesn't have anything to do with meeting a list of requirements or being a good person. To-do lists are exhausting and good is subjective, and it's all wicked when compared against a Holy God. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." There is great freedom in this, a freedom that can be found in nothing else. And I go to make sure that they have it. (shameless Braveheart quote... in flawless Scottish accent)

So Why Go?

"Our lives are not lived for the sake of self, but rather for the good of others to the glory of God... Therefore, all who have been called to belief in the gospel have also been called to ministry. We are all partakers in the mission which is the glory of God accomplished through the means of the gospel... The glory of God should transcend all that we do. Our hope and passion is for Him to receive worship from those who have been drastically and eternally affected by the gospel of His Son. In order for this to happen, we must live with the mission in heart, head and hand." - Geoff Ashley

We all have different callings, different gifts, different talents, different passions, different goals. But as followers of Christ, God's will for all of us is the same... to proclaim the gospel for the glory of His name. Psalm 46:10 says, "Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!" In conjunction with the Great Commission, the call is clear and undeniable. I don't know what is going to happen in Burundi. I'm nervous because I've never done anything like this before. I've shared the gospel one time that I can think of. I've called myself a Christian for almost my entire life, but I'm not sure I believe that I actually was one. I certainly wasn't following Christ and I certainly had no understanding whatsoever of the gospel. But something happened to me in October 2009 and my heart changed, and there has been a growing desire to know and understand Him more and to share it with others ever since. It's been a bumpy, inconsistent, and quite ugly road at times, but that's sanctification noone ever said it was going to be easy. Matt Chandler calls it the upward spiral. I've worried a lot lately that I'm not ready, not prepared. Like I haven't read enough, or studied enough, or prayed enough. But then I remember that I'm not going to Africa because God thinks I'm awesome and He really needs me to get this thing done. I'm going to Africa because, for reasons that are beyond me, He has chosen to use me to get it done. It probably wouldn't make sense at all if not for the fact that the entire bible is full of stories about God using complete morons to accomplish His will. It's humbling that despite my wicked heart and my inconsistent, and often lukewarm faith, He has blessed me with this opportunity. And it's comforting that no matter how prepared or "prayed up" I may or may not be, whatever God is planning to accomplish over there isn't going to jump the tracks because of it.

If you have read to this point, thank you. It means a lot. If you have supported me financially or with prayer, I also thank you. You will never know how much it truly means to me. I would appreciate continued prayer. Please pray for safe travels. Pray for the families that are staying behind. Pray for Emily and Abbott and baby Hannah who's trucking right along in Momma's womb. Pray that the gospel gets proclaimed boldly and fearlessly and that God uses us in a big way to make His name great to a people group that has likely never heard of Him. Pray that our eyes, ears, hearts, and minds are opened to the reality of the socioeconomic status and overall way of life for the people of Burundi and around the world, and that our hearts would be motivated by it to proclaim and share the hope we have in Christ everywhere that we go. And pray that I would come back a better, bolder, more courageous man to lead and love my wife and kids as Christ leads and loves the church, and to sieze every opportunity to share the gospel. See you on the other side.

Double Standard

"Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong." - 1 Corinthians 16:13

These are my thoughts on an article about Chick-fil-A and Northeastern University, and the recent Kirk Cameron interview on Piers Morgan. You can rest assured that this will not be a short entry, because let's be honest, I'm simply not capable of it...

Let me preface this by saying that I love Jesus. Before you scoff or roll your eyes, let me explain what I mean by this. I recognize the fact that I have a wicked heart. There are plenty of people who know me that would probably say "NO! You're a good guy. A nice person". And there are probably a few people that are privy to my capacity for wickedness. This is in the context of the fallen, broken world that we live in where sin has fractured what is right and good. So in my recognition of my own brokenness, my own wickedness, my own sin, I also recognize my need for Jesus. I have been saved from my sin, not because I'm awesome, and not because I did anything awesome, but because of the grace of God through Jesus Christ. And because of this, I am thankful and I love Him. Does this mean that I am perfect now or that I am somehow immuned to sin? No. It just means that I'm washed clean, and when I stumble (notice I said when, not if) I can fall at the foot of the cross, bask in God's mercy and grace, and turn from my sin. Does this mean that I can just do whatever I want because I'm saved? No! It just means that I no longer have to be bound or controlled by my sin. The point that I'm trying to make is that Christians are NOT perfect by any stretch of the imagination. There is a lot of misunderstanding and misrepresentation concerning this, which kind of leads in to the whole reason for this post. So my reason for prefacing this post is to make it clear that I have no intention of offending anyone, and I am not attacking any particular individual or group.  That said, I'm sure that someone will be offended or feel attacked by this, and I'm sorry if you feel that way. But I believe that I have the right to my beliefs and my opinions just as much as the next person, as well as the right to express them. This is America right? My hope and prayer; however, is that I do so in a manner that gives glory to God.

I read an article today about how the student senate at Northeastern University in Boston has voted against bringing Chick-fil-A to campus due to their affiliation with several Christian organizations that have "anti-gay" agendas. I also read about Kirk Cameron being interviewed on Piers Morgan where he was asked if he believed if homosexuality is a sin. He answered honestly saying that he believed it was "unnatural", "defined by God as one man and one woman", and therefore he does not support the idea of gay marriage. Chick-fil-A has been accused of homophobia and Cameron has been called "antiquated" and a bigot. The bible is full of warnings and disclaimers about what Christians can expect from the world. In John 15:18-25, Jesus warns that following him will be costly stating that because the world hated him, it will hate those who follow him. So while these reactions shouldn't really surprise us, I believe that they should move us to "stand firm in the faith." (1 Corinthians 16:13)

What the bible is not full of is bigotry, intolerance and/or hate speech. If you believe that it is, I would venture to say that you either have not read it, or you misunderstand what you have read. The bible is not "anti-gay", the bible is "anti-sin". The world is full of sin and sinners including you and me. God hates sin, all sin. It is disgusting to Him. And He has to, and will, deal with it, one way or the other. Christians believe the bible to be the inspired, inerrant Word of God, given to the authors by God. You can roll you eyes if you want, but here's the deal... it either is or it isn't. There either is a God or there isn't. Our (Christians) belief in God does not make His existence true, nor does our belief in the bible determine whether or not it is true. In the same way, you choosing not to believe in God and/or the bible does not make them any less real or true. If God exists and if He revealed His design through scripture for the way He intended things to be, including marriage, then our belief, one way or the other, is irrelevant in determining what is true, right, and good. We can choose to follow His design or not. So as bible-believing followers of Christ, we have no choice but to hold to what we believe truth to be. This is not hate.

Terms such as hate, hate speech, tolerance/intolerance, bigotry, and racism get tossed around far too loosely in our culture today and it has reached a point where people are being attacked for simply answering questions about their beliefs. Kirk Cameron was asked to be a guest on Piers Morgan's show to talk about a documentary he has coming out. In the interview Piers asked the question about his view on homosexuality, which was not a part of the agreed-upon interview, and now the media has turned it into a circus about Cameron's "controversial" hate of homosexuals. It's highly unlikely that this question would have even been asked if Cameron were not a Christian, so it seems a little "ambush-ish" to me. Rather than having a rational, adult conversation about pressing or controversial issues, we resort to finger-pointing, name calling, and character assassination.

Labeling someone a bigot because they do not support gay marriage is like labeling someone a racist if they don't support Obamacare. And while the media, the government, and certain "advocacy" groups have pushed these ideas with full force , they are absurd notions. Not to mention the fact that in today's technological age of information "going viral", labeling someone a "bigot" or "racist" can be just as detrimental and destructive as bigotry and racism themselves. Similarly absurd is the statement made by Northeastern University's administrator's in support of their decision about Chick-fil-A that the company's principles contradict their "commitment to be an inclusive, diverse community that is respectful of all". It seems like a double-standard to me. We want tolerance for all, but we will not tolerate you disagreeing with our beliefs. Surely I can't be the only one that sees a contradiction here.

As Christians, we are commanded to love, care for, and forgive others as we have been loved, cared for, and forgiven in Christ. We are also commanded to stand firm in our faith and boldly proclaim the name of Jesus. We are not commanded to tuck our tails, shut our mouths, remain silent, or compromise our views for fear of being attacked and ridiculed or because our culture is changing. Jesus said that "...whoever is ashamed of me and of my words... of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed..." (Mark 8:38). So Kirk Cameron found himself in a situation on the international media stage where he had to make a choice. He could stand firm in his belief and proclaim it boldly, or he could tuck his tail and pander to the "Tinkerbell Jesus", "anything goes" culture being pushed in our society where we make our God into whatever makes us feel good. He chose to be faithful to his beliefs and now he's being raked over the coals... just like Jesus said would happen.  Hmmm....

Kirk's response to all controversy can be seen here.

Matt Chandler: Suffering

A Really Lame Hobby

I'm not gonna lie, I straight jacked the title of this post from several pastors that I've heard use it.  If you've ever heard Matt Chandler, Matt Carter, or Todd Kaunitz preach, you might know what I'm talking about.  If you haven't, you'll get it by the end of this post.  I mentioned in my last post that I was reading Crazy Love with some friends.  I also mentioned that our church here has been on fire of late like nothing I've ever been a part of.  I want to expand a little on these points.  In chapter 5, Francis Chan continues to talk about "lukewarm" Christianity and what it really looks like to follow Christ.  He makes some very hard statements and asks some really tough questions.  Malachi 1, verse 10 says "Oh that there were one among you who would shut the doors, that you might not kindle fire on my altar in vain!  I have no pleasure in you, says the LORD of hosts, and I will not accept an offering from your hand."  Chan helped me better understand this verse by explaining that God is saying "no worship is better than apathetic worship".  This hit me hard, because apathetic pretty much sums up the better part of the last 2 decades for me, particularly the last 8 years.

The last year and a half; however, has been something quite different, which brings me back to my church being on fire.  It isn't a particularly large church, but it is full of people from all ages and walks of life, many of whom I do not know.  I think about the past few weeks, worship in particular, and the things I've seen and heard all around me.  I've seen hands in the air.  I've seen people standing, some sitting with heads bowed.  I've see smiles, I've seen tears.  I've heard cheers of joy and literal outbursts of excitement.  I've looked to the left and seen an elderly gentlemen sitting among the many standing.  He sat because some ailment prevented him from standing. He was a large guy with a big, deep, beautiful, bellowing voice, and even though he sat hidden in the crowd, he sangs his heart out.  So much so that his voice stood out and redirected my attention to him.  I looked up at the choir and saw men and women of all ages.  There was a young woman, probably mid 30s, standing next to an older woman, probably mid 70s.  Both were singing their hearts out with huge smiles on their faces.  On the front row, right in front of me, amidst the 90 college students that attended that morning, a young man was worshipping with hands raised and he fell to his knees, face down on the floor and remained there until the song was complete.  The scene overwhelmed me because it was anything but "apathetic" worship.  Different hurts, different losses, different joys, different praises... all gathered together in one room worshipping the same God for the same reason.  As the last song built to its climax, the emotion in the room built also, and as we sang...

Oh death, where is your sting?

Oh hell, where is your victory?

Oh church, come stand in the light

Our God is not dead

He's Alive, He's ALIVE!!!

...the room absolutely exploded into cheer and I became so overcome with emotion that I could barely contain myself.  It was all I could do not to throw my hands in the air... which has always weirded me out a little, to be honest.  Not any more.  Get your proper worship on, by all means! (still don't know if I can be a hands guy though :)  It's a very weird deal, this whole thing... and it points back to the title of this post.  Church is a lame hobby!  The scene I just described above is a strange one, and if there isn't genuine love for Jesus and the cross occurring in your heart, it seems like an odd thing to participate in on a Sunday.  

Now a skeptic or a cynic (as in myself a year ago) might chalk all this emotion and joy to the "heat of the moment" or the emotional riffs of the guitars.  Ok.  Maybe.  But I could barely type the lyrics above without getting choked up.  It just doesn't make sense.  Anyone that knows me knows that it makes no sense because a year ago, everything I've described above would have absolutely made me want to "oversleep" on Sunday morning.  I didn't experience this 180 degree turn by mere chance and circumstance.  That really doesn't make sense.  The whole thing is just further proof for me that there is a God who is full of mercy and grace.  It's a testament to His transforming power through the Holy Spirit.  And it's the reason we act like a bunch of weirdos on Sunday mornings!

Allow me to re-introduce the Christ

Lukewarm

I created this blog back in June of 2010 and have never actually written a post. I pasted an entry from our family blog just to have some content here, but nothing else. When I sat down today to write, I found it quite ironic that the last post was written exactly one year ago today. Very much unplanned. Weird.

I'm actually going to try to keep this relatively short this time. I'm reading Crazy Love, by Francis Chan, with some friends and we are discussing it over email each week. We just finished up chapter 4 which focuses heavily on "lukewarm" Christianity. I think just about anyone who would call themselves Christian can identify with that word in some way. I know I can. We want all the benefits of Christianity and none of the sacrifice or, dare I say it, suffering. Matt Chandler talks about how people want Tinkerbell Jesus who flutters about and sprinkles happy dust on everyone, not the Jesus of the Bible, because the Jesus of the Bible asks much more of us than church attendance and being "good", whatever that means. In Crazy Love, Francis Chan says "Jesus asks for everything, but we try to give Him less" and that a relationship with God cannot grow when "life" is piled on top of it. He goes on to say that the American church is a difficult place to fit in if you want to live out New Testament Christianity.

I feel very blessed to be able to say that it is becoming increasingly less difficult at our church.  We have a pastor that preaches Jesus and the cross fearlessly, persistently, humbly, and biblically day in and day out.  And the result is a church body that is on fire like nothing I've ever been a part of.  It is a true testament to the power God has over the hearts, minds, and lives of people who are hungry for truth and tired of all the baggage that so often gets attached to the gospel.  I'm so thankful for this town, our friends, and our church family.

"that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,"  -Philippians 3:10