The Valley of Vision | Resting on God

"Resting on God" (slightly edited)

O GOD MOST HIGH, MOST GLORIOUS,

The thought of your infinite serenity cheers me,

For I am but toiling and moiling, troubled and distressed,

but you are forever at perfect peace.

Your designs cause you no fear or care of un-fulfillment,

they stand fast as the eternal hills.

Your power knows no bond,

your goodness no stint.

You draw order out of confusion,

and my defeats are your victories:

The Lord God omnipotent reigns.

I come to you as a sinner with cares and sorrows,

to leave every concern entirely to you,

every sin is calling for Christ’s precious blood;

Revive deep spirituality in my heart;

Let me live near to the great Shepherd,

hear his voice, know its tones, follow its calls.

Keep me from deception by causing me to abide in the truth,

from harm by helping me to walk in the power of the Spirit.

Multiply in me intense faith in the eternal truths,

burning into me by experience the things I know;

Let me never be ashamed of the truth of the gospel,

that I may bear its reproach,

vindicate it,

see Jesus as its essence,

know in it the power of the Spirit.

Lord, help me, for I am often lukewarm and chill;

unbelief mars my confidence,

sin makes me forget about you.

Let the weeds that grow in my soul be cut at their roots;

Grant me to know that I truly live only when I live to you,

that all else is trifling.

Your presence alone can make me holy, devout, strong and happy.

Abide in me, gracious God.

Cultivating Humility

I want to share with you two practices that have been my safeguards in the pitfall of ministry pride. In ministry there is always an emphasis on success. Questions are constantly posed like, "how many people attended?" or, "how did it go?" In fact, we do monthly ministry reports as a way of communicating how successful particular areas of ministry were. I remember in the ministry I was in prior to Central, I wrote monthly newsletters where I paraded the very best stories in-front of the readers so they could buy in to what that ministry was up to.

Do you see the pressures that lead to ministry pride? Now I know that pride creeps in in so many different ways. Pride is not exclusive to ministry. So, I think these strategies will be helpful to anyone. There are two that I routinely use:

1. I pray what John the baptist said about his relationship to Jesus, "He must become greater; I must become less" (John 3:30). This simple little statement turned into a prayer becomes a great way to curb pride. The goal in all things is that Christ would be seen as supremely glorious... not me. It changes the way I view any ministry that I might perform. Is it glorifying me, or Christ? Is He becoming greater, or am I? The goal is that Christ would get the credit/ glory. Which leads me to the next thing I do.

2. I remind myself of my gifts and Who gave them to me. For example, I am not a public speaker. Never have been. I am the kid that froze up when he had to give a presentation at school. I am not confident of even talking in a group of 5 people. Sharing at small group makes me get all flush, my palms sweat, and I stumble through words. Now God called me to a preaching ministry. In doing this God wasn't being mean, He just knew that He would get the glory. It is His gifting placed on me. It is not mine. I get to participate but I do not create. Therefore, I want to constantly remind myself that it is a gift. It is not my skill or hard work, but it is God's Spirit working through me. He gets the credit and I get the honor of being the instrument God uses.

Pride is a dangerous sin. If you have no strategy for "putting [pride] to death", it is likely that you will get dominated by it. I hope that these little strategies will help you in your struggle with pride.

Chan's Step of Faith

Part of what I love to do with this platform is inform you of big things going on in the evangelical world. And, one of those big things happened recently. Francis Chan, one of the pastors that I look up to and appreciate, is stepping away from his pastorate in Simi Valley California. He feels that God is calling him to a new thing. He spoke about it at his church recently and wrote a letter to his church explaining some of the details. Justin Taylor has compiled the information in one spot for us here.

And this is the video from the recent talk where he informed his congregation:

Surrender from Cornerstone Church on Vimeo.

I hope you do not feel like this is gossip. I am not pointing you to this just to say, "Check out this news." My hope is that we would each reflect and ask God if we are walking in faithfulness and obedience to His will, even if it is scary or hard. I hope also that you will pray for Chan and other leaders too. We need to beg for God's mercy on people that are in the limelight like Chan. He has a huge influence on many people and we could hardly imagine the pressure that must have on his family and his personal spiritual life. I am thankful for his continues obedience and the example that he is setting with his life. So join me in prayer for him please.

Romans 1- Why Sin Should be Shunned

"Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion. Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they knew God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them" (Romans 1:26-32).

Much could be said about this chunk of scripture. We could spend time on each of the types of sin that are named in this infamous passage of scriptures... they each deserve to be unpacked and examined. But, our culture is opposed to such practices. If we were to name each of these sins and examine them case by case.... well let's just say most of you wouldn't stick with this article very long. The browser would be closed and anger might be opened up. We hate name dropping. And the worst kind is when it has to do with sin. "Who has the authority to call my sin's name," we think?!? So, in the hopes of keeping you with me.... Let me point out how we get into this list, how we stay there, and how we get out.

How we get into the list starts in the verse proceeding... Verse 25 says, "They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator-- who is forever praised. Amen." So the way in is by making the exchange. When we trade the Glorious Creator God for our petty sin, we make a poor exchange. Then, the result is essentially a letting go by God. "Because of this God gave them over to their shameful lusts..." (vs. 26). Sin is what gets us there. When we pursue sin instead of God, God is inclined to let it "play out". He gives us over to our sinful desires and then.... well the list speaks for itself. The way in is so subtle. I want you to feel that. I want you to see that you, yes you reader, are capable of making the exchange. In fact, like me, you probably already have made the exchange today. So, it is grace that God hasn't let go yet. It is crazy that I have not tumbled into full-on full-out life destroying sin. You and I should feel that. It should worry you.

What's worse is that we have a tendency to stay in our sin too. "Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do those things deserve death, they not only continue to do those very things but also approve of those who practice them" (vs. 32). Persistence in sin gets us to a point where we are not only unaffected by it, we actually promote it. You and I both have areas of sin that we persist in. Here is what is scary, you may actually get so deadened to your particular sin that instead of shunning it, you promote it. You may have an area of your life where you are working as a salesperson for our Opposition. You may be peddling the lie. You may actually be so okay with your sin that you push it on others as the norm. And, if you are a Believer, then it is really easy for others to think that because you participate then it must be okay. Please do not take sin lightly! It can destroy others too!

There is one way to escape the death trap of sin... the cross of Christ. Paul eventually gets there in chapter 3 but we need to see it now. The atoning work of Jesus gives us freedom from our captivity to sin. We need to let the grace of God explore our sinfulness today so that we can be free. Are there any areas of your life that you have un-confessed, un-dealt-with sin? Do you see any areas that you have made the exchange? Pray that God would expose them in you right now... so that you don't grow so comfortable with your sin that you become a sales person for it.

God have mercy on us! Help us to see our tendency to trade your Truth for a lie. Help us to see that we are inclined to sin. Not only that, we love it so much that we approve of it. Break our hearts over our sins and help us to be forgiven and made whole by the power of Jesus through His Spirit to Your glory. Amen.

The Gospel | Romans 1-11

Well, I figured that since I have been pretty silent on the blog lately, I should at least reward those who keep checking back. Let me explain:

Here are my excuses... First, I am in the final days of my independent study courses and have been working tirelessly at completing my assignments before the deadline at the end of this month. Please pray that I finish strongly and learn a ton in the process. Secondly, I had the opportunity to help with a student weekend at 'big church.' So, that has kept me busy. If you weren't able to make this past weekend you have to know you really really missed out. I'm sorry, it's just the truth! The student band and student choir did a phenomenal job of leading worship.

media.centralwired.com has the video from this weekend, so I will just embed it here. If you click through you can also watch all the previous sermons too! Happy viewing.

April 11, 2010 from Central Wired on Vimeo.

Valley of Vision | God's Cause

In light of the upcoming weekend, I would love to share a Minister's Prayer from Valley of Vision by Arthur Bennett. Please keep in mind that it is a student weekend at Church and we would love to receive your prayers for an anointed time together. This is the prayer of a minister that I want to echo:

God's Cause (Using contemporary language)

Sovereign God,

Your cause and not my own, engages my heart

and to you I appeal with greatest freedom

to set up your kingdom in every place where Satan reigns

Glorify Yourself and I will rejoice,

for to bring honor to your name is my sole desire.

I adore you because you are God,

and I desire that others would know it, feel it,

and rejoice in it.

O that all men might love and praise you,

so that you would have all glory from the intelligent world!

Let sinners be brought to you for your dear name!

To the eye of reason everything that speaks of conversion is as dark as midnight,

But you can accomplish great things;

the cause is yours,

and it is to your glory that men should be saved.

Lord use me however you see fit;

do with me whatever you desire

but, O, please promote your cause,

Let your kingdom come,

let your blessed interest be advanced in this world!

O bring in great numbers to Jesus!

let me see that glorious day,

and give me to grasp for multitudes of souls;

let me be willing to die to see it happen;

and while I live let me work diligently for you

with my greatest strengths

spending my time profitably

both in health and weakness.

It is your cause that I work for and not my own.

Lord answer my request!

Chapter 9| Don't Waste Your Life

Chapter 9|THE MAJESTY OF CHRIST IN MISSIONS AND MERCY

A small group resource for students studying Don't Waste Your Life by John Piper.

Sometimes small-talk at airports turns into 'big talk.'

"What was the purpose of the trip?"

I responded, "It was a missions trip. I was scoping out a couple of opportunities to bring a team of young adults over and minister to the orphans of Kenya."

"Was it your first time here," he asked?

"Yeah," I said.

He replied, "I've been coming to Africa for thirty-plus years, but I always remember the first time... the sights and smells and sounds will never leave you."

5 years later they still haven't left me.

Since that initial trip to Africa I have often wrestled with God about missions. I want to go. He seems to make me stay. That trip wasn't my first missions trip, but it was significant. It gave me a lens through which I view the world. The lens that I am talking about is the global purposes of Christ. This chapter hopefully will give you the same lens.

Nearly 3 years after that trip to Africa, I responded to God's call to serve at Central Christian in Beloit, Wisconsin... I definitely put some strings on the deal, "God if you expect me to stay put in one place, if you want me to pour myself out in preaching the Word to this young generation to build them up in faith, if you want me here, well then you had better raise up some kids that I can send!" My prayer as you read this chapter is that maybe you are one of those we can send... and at very least I pray that God will give you a passion for His plan to evangelize people from every tribe tongue and nation.

"The ultimate aim of world missions is that God would create, by His Word, worshipers who glorify His name through glad-hearted faith and obedience. Missions exists because worship doesn't." (pg. 162, quoting Bethlehem Baptist Document on Missions). Missions is what God is up to in the world right now... If you want to know why He has taken so stinkin' long in returning, it is because He is infinitely patient and He desires that none should perish. He is calling to Himself a seemingly countless number of worshipers (Rev 5). His desire for us is that we would join in the efforts. When we think salvation is merely a story about us and focus on our benefits, we miss the big picture. Piper says, "We are like batboys at Yankee Stadium who think the great point of the World Series is to hand the players a bat" (pg. 163). What God is up to is much greater than a bat being handed off... He is at work in the world calling men and women to eternal joy. We want to be about His purposes.

To be fair not all will go... Some of us have to stay :( But it would be wrong not to withdraw and pray over this issue. Like Piper, I also take inventory regularly to see if I am where I am most effectively serving Christ in the cause of making others eternally glad in Him (pg. 178,179). It is important to me that I am either sending or going. So I pray, "God is this where you want me?" I want to constantly be willing to go where God sends me. I hope you will develop the same desire. Let me add though that God does value permanence. He wants people that will commit to plans and places. How sad it would be if every missionary went for a season and returned right when God might have been pleased to reap a harvest.... Missionaries need to give their lives to a region. Sometimes this means you will never step on American soil again. Like the great missionary Adoniram Judson.

Let me quote Adoniram Judson's letter to his potential father in law. In this letter he is asking for permission to marry this man's daughter and take her to the mission field. Let's change the tone of letter though... Let us imagine this letter being addressed to us. Do we consent to our loved ones giving their lives to missions? Would we be okay seeing our friends go? And, would we ourselves go?

I have now to ask, whether you can consent to part with your daughter early next spring, to see her no more in this world; whether you can consent to her departure, and her subjection to the hardships and sufferings of missionary life; whether you can consent to her exposure to the dangers of the ocean, to the fatal influence of the southern climate of Indian; to every kind of want and distress; to degradation, insult, persecution, and perhaps a violent death. Can you consent to all of this, for the sake of him who left his heavenly home, and died for her and for you; for the sake of the perishing, immortal souls; for the sake of Zion, and the glory of God? Can you consent to all this, in the hope of soon meeting your daughter in the world of glory, with the crown of righteousness, brightened with the acclamations of praise which shall redound to her Savior from heathens saved, through her means, from eternal woe and despair? (pg. 158)

Would we be willing to consent that this is the greatest cause which men and women can give their lives to? We have three options... we either go, or we send, or we disobey.