Monday, March 28, 2011

Gethsemane – Solitude

Read Mark 14:32-52

V 32-52 Jesus is troubled – His heart is heavy so he goes off to pray. What do you do when you are sad or upset? Bring your troubles to God first, and ask Him to bring you peace.

V35-36 Jesus calls out to God, in full faith that God is sovereign. Jesus doesn’t ask God to give him what he wants, but he asks what God wants for him. Ask God for His will to be done in you, and have faith that God will take care of you if you trust in Him.

V 37-42 When Jesus returns, He finds his disciples sleeping – 3 times! Verse 38 says, “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.” Be honest now; do you fall asleep during your quiet times with God? I remember last fall, my discipleship group met in the evening, and at every meeting, one of us would fall asleep. The evil one was trying to distract us from seeking God, the same way he interferes with your devotional time when you find yourself dozing off. But ask the Spirit to fill you with energy and passion for Christ so you don’t become weary throughout your walks with God.

V 43-52 So even in Jesus’ final hour, he was…alone. He had asked his disciples to stay awake and pray while he spent time with God, but when he returned, he found that they had fallen asleep. And then, one of his disciples betrayed him! Think of how Jesus felt during his last hour. Maybe he was alone in this world, but he was with the Father. In our lives, we often get caught up in doing things with others. Don’t take for granted the time you can spend with God alone, in solitude. Plan out times during the upcoming week when you can turn off your phone, computer, and all connections to the outside world in order to sanctify your time with God.

Friday, March 25, 2011

We All Crucified Jesus

Read Mark 15:21-32, John 19:16b-30
When I was little and I did something wrong (lie, get in fights with my siblings, etc), my mom would sometimes say that I was “nailing Jesus to the cross all over again.” She had a valid point that I understood back then, but she might have been more right than she realized. On reading different accounts of the crucifixion in the gospels, I see a plethora of different people and they all were involved in the crucifixion of Christ. Let’s take a brief look at where they all were:
Disciples Herod Pilate Mob
Simon of Cyrene Pilate’s Wife Women Soldiers (Roman)
Guards ( temple) Criminals Joseph Nicodemas
Scribes Pharisees Barabas Sanhedrin council
And brief list is not even including Judas, the high priest’s servant, the girl accusing Peter, or the random guy in Mark that ran away naked. It’s a lot of people and quite varied at that. Some of their roles were more passive, while some had a direct hand in his death. Are they any different from us? If Christ were “crucified” today would you be a passive onlooker watching from the convenience of your tv or youtube? Would you have been the follower who ran away and hid so people wouldn’t link you two together? Would you be the helpless committed that watched on the side as he died? Would you be the unconcerned trying to nab a piece of Jesus memorabilia while you still could? Would you be the mob crying out for his death because your leaders told you to? Or would you be the one watching on the side secretly congratulating yourself that you’d rid the world of a menace to the social order? Sometimes I think we can judge those involved a little too harshly, we expect them to somehow act differently or better than us, when it comes down to the fact that everyone involved in Christ’s death was fallen, as are we without Christ. While we were not actually there, our sin did put him there, each and every one of them; and not just the ones that we have already committed, but the ones we will do today and every other day until we die. Everyone of those is another nail, another thorn, another splinter in the already marred flesh.
Fellowship
So how do we respond? All of us are involved in Christ’s death, but those of us who find our life in Christ are also involved in the body of Christ and our new life in him. I remember Michael Card saying something at a meeting where I heard him speak that has stayed with me, “When God gives a gift, he wraps it in a person.” God’s gift to us for salvation was wrapped in Christ. God’s gifts through the Holy Spirit to the body of Christ are each wrapped in Christians. People are created for community, and when we get together we can either do something terrible, or as Christians we can accomplish the will of God. Reflect today on how you’re working communally with the body of Christ. Are you allowing God to give his gifts to the body of Christ through you? Are you accepting the gifts he is sharing through others?

O God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, our only Saviour, the Prince of Peace:
give us grace seriously to lay to heart the great dangers we are in by our unhappy divisions.
Take away all hatred and prejudice, and whatever else may hinder us from godly union and concord; that, as there is but one body and one Spirit, one hope of our calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us all, so we may henceforth be all of one heart and of one soul, united in one holy bond of peace, of faith and charity, and may with one mind and one mouth glorify you; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Jesus Lifted on the Cross

If you were asked to summarize Jesus’ death on the cross, explaining its complete significance, and put it into a nice, concise, and understandable paragraph or so, could you do that? That was a rhetorical question by the way. As much as we know of Jesus’ sufferings for all of us, I don’t think we can ever write a summary as well worded and packed with imagery as the prophet Isaiah did. So let’s read what exactly did this prophet say about Jesus.

Read Isaiah 52:13 – 53:12

Whoa. That was my initial reaction to reading this. Now the words used in this “servant song” may seem familiar to you – and they should – because many are quoted in the New Testament. In fact, by reading this entire passage, you essentially have the whole gospel of Jesus. Isaiah walks the audience through the rut of Jesus’ mission to the eventual glorification of it. I know you probably already know the majority of this passage so let’s focus on some key aspects of Jesus’ death.

Look at verse 15: “so will he sprinkle many nations…” The word sprinkling is often used to describe ceremonial cleansing and/or consecration seen in the Old Testament. Okay, so what? The significant part of this verse is the “many nations” part. So put those two together and you get Jesus cleansing many nations. Many times, people take for granted that Jesus died for everyone. We say it so often, but do we really grasp that concept? Jesus purified all nations, which means everyone is included – even the looked-down-upon gentiles in the old days. Gentiles, during this time, were basically segregated from the Jews. They weren’t the “chosen ones,” so they had less rights to worship God than the Jews. But with Jesus’ sprinkling death, everyone is included. The arms that were spread wide upon that cross covered all nations.

So what does this mean to me? Well, simply stated, Jesus died for everyone. Yes, I know that’s extremely general, but can you put those words into action? Are you kingdom-minded, in that you seek to grow God’s kingdom with everyone and not just the people you like? Remember, Jesus’ death welcomed the nations, regardless of who the inhabitants were.

Pray and ask God to be help you be kingdom-minded. Pray that you would make disciples of all nations. The more genuine our prayers are in wanting to be kingdom-minded, the clearer God’s kingdom here will be shown.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

The Contradiction of the Cross

Read: John 12:20-32
Also read: John 19:1-2, 13-15.

John’s gospel is a very murky gospel for Jesus often says things that aren’t clear. But the great thing about John is that the murkiness clears away eventually, revealing the glory of Christ in the process! An example of this is Jesus’ trial before Pilate. In John 19:13, we read that Pilate brought Jesus out and sat down on the judgment seat (the bema). But in the original Greek, the word for “sat down” could mean that Pilate sat Jesus down on the judgment seat. Can you imagine the supreme irony of the situation? Here is Jesus, crowned with thorns and wearing a purple robe, sitting on the judgment seat before the chief priests and all. The chief priests think that they’re the ones casting judgment on Jesus, when in reality it was Jesus who is judging them at that very moment. Any king with a crown and purple robe on a judgment seat gets accolades of “Hail to the King!” but Jesus gets (in 19:15), “Crucify him!” What a strange contradiction! The King of all Universe sits in judgment of those He created, and the response was not praise, but an angry call for his crucifixion.

But we see the greatest contradiction in the Cross, the instrument of execution reserved only for traitors and enemies of the Roman empire. It’s interesting to note that only in John’s gospel did he not record Jesus as having taken off his purple robe. Thus, the Cross was not a mere execution instrument, but Jesus’ throne; his crucifixion was not his execution, but his coronation. At the Cross will the world know who Christ is!

Crucifixions – or, executions in general – are public events. Parents bring their children to crucifixions to tell them not to be like the people who are on the cross. But Jesus’ crucifixion was different. The Cross no longer was a place where people come to shame the crucified, but the Cross became a place where people come to experience forgiveness and grace from the Crucified One. It is a place where we – we, who have put Jesus on the Cross – come on our knees and beckon to our Crucified Christ because we know that no matter our estate, only Jesus will never turn us away. It is a place where we are reconciled to God, not because we want it to happen, but because He wants it for us. What a King! What a Savior! What a Friend, who desires nothing more than to wipe the tears of shame away from our faces so we can look towards the sun and glorify God!

And, having all our shames washed away, we can honestly look at our neighbors in the eye and truly love them as God taught us to. That is why the Cross is a place of reconciliation. That is why we cannot truly love God and love our neighbors unless we are kneeling at the foot of the Cross.

Spend some time in thought. Imagine that you and your youth groupies are kneeling at the foot of a huge cross with Jesus on it, with his purple robe and crown of thorns. This is a holy place where God reconciles all to Him and to each other. Maybe we feel little compared to our brothers and sisters because they get all A’s, and we only get A-‘s. Maybe we feel distant from God because we feel cast aside, alone. Maybe we feel that our sins are so manifold, God can’t possibly accept us. Or maybe we feel like we don’t need to be at the foot of the cross because we’ve got our stuff together. May God reveal to all of us the utter depravity of our natures, but at the same time show us that the unfathomable nature of his love and grace covers a multitude of sins. May He wipe our tears of pride or shame which cloud our eyes, so that we can see and behold His glory.

Darkness, Death, and a Shattered Door

Read Luke 23:44-49 and Mark 15:33-41.

These are parallel accounts of the same scene. They are written like a movie – you can see the whole scene in your mind: the lighting, Jesus at the center, the people close by and those standing farther away. Now, did you notice that there is one verse that is obviously designed to stand out? It says, “The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.”

This verse stands out because it does not fit the “movie scene.” It jumps us away from the scene for a moment to a completely different location. It seems like this verse shouldn’t be there, but it is. Why?

This verse is designed to explain the meaning of the whole scene. It’s very significant. It explains why this scene matters – to us.

Until that moment in history, you could never be close to God. You might even go to the temple where God was present, but you still could not go into His presence. There was a curtain that separated the place where God was present and the place where you were allowed to come. Only one person was allowed inside that curtain and that person was not you. Ever. So, you and I – even if we had gone to the temple – would still have been outsiders to God.

But the passages we are reading today say that when Jesus died, God ripped that curtain open. He literally ripped it apart, from his side in heaven down to earth. This is a demonstration that through Jesus’ death, God removed the barrier that stands between Him and us. There’s no more curtain. We are potentially no longer outsiders to God.

Now, if you are standing outside a locked door without a key, it makes sense that you don’t step inside. But if the owner of the building comes up next to you, says “Excuse me,” and proceeds to rip the door off its hinges and toss it aside, that seems like a pretty clear invitation to step inside. God is saying in this passage: “I’ve ripped the door open for you. What’s stopping you from being with me?”

The centurion – remember that he was there in the scene to kill Jesus – stepped through that open doorway when he put his faith in Jesus and said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”

Pray: Think of yourself as having a conversation with God. God has initiated the conversation by saying to you the things in Luke and Mark. Now he’s finished talking (for now) and there’s an awkward pause while He waits to see if you’ll say anything in response. So, say something. Tell Him what you heard Him saying. Tell Him what you think it means and how you feel about it.

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Jesus’ Death for Eternal Life

Read John 10:1-22

Sheeps. They’re fluffly and cute, they make funny noises and look really silly when they run. They’re also about as sharp as mashed potatoes. I guess so are we since God sees fit to mention that people are like sheep repeatedly in scripture. I think it interesting to note in this passage Jesus makes reference to himself in two different ways. One primary way we see Jesus is as the Good Shepherd. Jesus as the Good Shepherd lays down his life for a bunch of sheep. These sheep, by the way, might not even comprehend the significance of the sacrifice of the Shepherd; because they’re so busy going about their business of being sheep. Only the Shepherd is wise enough to find the good pastures for the sheep, find the places of quiet waters for their drinking, keep predators away, save them if they foolishly run off or fall in a pit and break a leg. Sheep don’t see this, they just see each other and the things right in front of their face, and yet Christ, the Good Shepherd with all authority lays down his life on behalf of his sheep. This implies that there was something so deadly coming at the sheep they didn’t even see, and the Shepherd in his wisdom realized the significance and in an act of sheer love lost his own life to save the herd. The other way Jesus speaks of himself in this passage is as the Gate. The Shepherd is the one who uses the Gate, it is his field, his sheep. The sheep don’t typically leave the pen by jumping over the fence though I’m sure a few silly sheep try. No, they generally leave by the gate when it’s opened for them. Likewise, Jesus is the one who leads us, and he is the only way through. If we try to go hop over the fence by ourselves we get lost without our Shepherd, we are isolated from our fellow sheep, and an easy target for any predator looking for a meal. The pasture is Eternal life, and only through the sacrifice of Jesus can we as sheep be lead by the Shepherd safely into sharing in it. As a person, I may not like the implications of this kind of reference, but in a very real way we are often the same as these sheep, and our Shepherd has used his authority as Shepherd to sacrifice himself on our behalf so that we with him might shared in the redemption of Eternal life which he has come to lead us into. Are you hearing the Shepherd as He’s calling you?

Reflection on the Discipline of Chastity
You might be asking yourself what any of this has to do with the spiritual discipline of Chastity? We as believers participate in the Eternal Life through Christ; because we live in Christ and he also lives in us. While some view this as a largely spiritual connection, I think that many times we overlook the physical connection of our bodies with Christ. When God says that we are one body as the church, it is very physical words he uses.
My Mom, who grew up Catholic, was able to give me a better perspective on this, since Catholics tend to have a longer tradition and richer understanding of the practice of Celibacy. As a result of these talks with my Mom, at an early age (middle school) I began to fantasize about becoming a nun. In my mind I would be like St. Clare of Assisi forsaking the promise of a wealthy future for a life of devotion to God. Now, I realize this concept might sound quite foreign to a number of you, but follow me here. What I realized from these dreams is there is a whole lifetime full of the Divine romance in whatever capacity you serve. Being single allows us to participate in the Divine romance in a way we are not capable of doing if we are married. Likewise our perception of the Divine romance changes if God brings us into a marital relationship. Wherever you find yourself now, remember that we are all called to purity in Christ. This purity is one of the thought life and the body. It’s a purity that is internal and interpersonal. Since through Christ we are made pure, let us not defile one another by the way we treat and view them.

Prayer
God, to you I come at this hour. I earnestly wish to be pure in thought, word, and deed in imitation of your own holy purity. Obtain for me, then, a deep sense of modesty which will be reflected in my external conduct. Protect my eyes, the windows of my soul, from anything that might dim the luster of a heart that must mirror only Christlike purity. Help me to understand the nature of the Divine romance in Eternal Life through Christ. Amen.

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Jesus' Death for Human Sin – Fasting

Let’s take a trip back to the time of Jesus, imagine yourself standing over one of your sheep. You’ve been waiting for it to give birth for a while now and the moment has finally come. A young lamb is born before you and over the next few weeks you watch it struggle to walk and grow. It is beautiful and wonderful display of God’s creation and life; the best of your livestock. One day you get up and lead your little lamb down to the temple. You must hand this young beauty over to the hands of the priest. Before your eyes the life is taken from this world, slaughtered upon the alter, its blood taken for your sin and impurity. You watch the death of this little lamb you’ve raised knowing that your sin is the cause of it. A vicious cycle that never ends: a life for your sin.
Read Hebrews 7:18-28

The priests were responsible for interceding between God and His people. One day a year the high priest would enter the Holy of Holies, the place in the temple where God’s presence dwelled. A rope would be tied around their ankle, if they were found impure before God they would die and have to be dragged out. Priests were still human and subject to the law of death and sin. (Look at verses 23 and 27-28 again). In their weakness they served God but it was never enough for they were humans bound in their impurity and unable to save the people. All they could do was offer sacrifice, perform rituals, and pray on the people’s behalf.

Hebrews 7 reminds us that the priests could not ultimately save people, but because our God is merciful he provided a priest that was free from the law of death and sin. In Jesus we find no weakness that He should be unable to save us. Read verse 24-25 again. He stands before God interceding for us now at this very moment! But perhaps the key verse is verse 27: No more daily sacrifices but one death removes all sin past, present, and future! We no longer bring a lamb to be slaughtered because Jesus was slaughtered on the cross. Read Jn 1:29, 36; Mark 14:22-24. Take a few moments to reflect on these verses.

Although we no longer offer sacrifices and God does not require them (because they don’t save us, only Jesus) we must remember that which is said in Heb 12:28-13:17, Romans 6:12-15 and Ps 51:16-17. Many of you may know that Lent started last week (if you don’t know it Google it), a season of fasting. Fasting is an important spiritual discipline, not to give something up as a sacrifice to God, but instead to keep our focus on Him and our hearts broken and contrite. This is the time when we join our brothers and sisters in preparing our hearts for Easter, for remembering what Jesus’ death really was. Fasting is not just for the few weeks before Easter but anytime when you want to humble yourself and refocus on God by removing something in your life (not just food!) that is distracting or more important to you than God. I encourage you to look at verses related to fasting and let God teach you more about fasting from his Word. (http://www.biblegateway.com/keyword/?search=fasting&version1=31&searchtype=all)

Dear God, I humble myself before you knowing you are a wonderful merciful God who first humbled yourself on the cross and became my High Priest, forever interceding on my behalf. Help me now to have a broken and contrite heart before you and bring to my mind anything that I desire more than you. Help me set those aside and if necessary enter a time of fasting to refocus on you. Amen.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Jesus: the Fulfillment of God's Purpose – Celebration!

We’re nearing the middle of the week, which has probably been filled with its ups and downs and twists and turns. Perhaps you’ve been under a lot of stress, or just collapsing under the weight of this world. However, take heart! God reminds us that He always fulfills his promises and that He will surely deliver us from this world.
Read Isaiah 61.
Even in this relatively short chapter, there’s a lot to take in. This passage focuses on how Jesus fulfills God’s promise to us. The first three verses details the Annointed One’s mission aka Jesus’ ministry: to preach good news, proclaim freedom for the captives, proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance, and to comfort those who mourn.
In fact, Jesus even read a part of this passage in Luke 4:18-19. It’s interesting that He stopped reading in the middle of the sentence, after the word “favor”. Why would He only quote half of it? By doing this, Jesus was showing that His work would be divided into two parts: He has already fulfilled the things mentioned in verses 1-2a during His time on earth.
In His second coming, He will do the things mentioned in verses 2b-3. When the Messiah comes, He will bring judgment on unbelievers, which is the “day of God’s vengeance”. However, the Messiah will also comfort Israel. When He returns, He will change Israel’s sadness to joy! There are a lot of shifts in imagery in this passage, such as wearing a crown instead of ashes, which is usually placed upon one’s head as a sign of mourning. The remaining eight verses of this chapter talks about God’s promises of restoration, glory and prosperity for Israel in the future. During this time, Jews and Gentiles will live together in harmony and peace. Well, what does this mean for us?
God truly cares about the broken, the lonely, the weak, the depressed, the outcasts, the prisoners, etc. These are not just empty words: God restores and then sends out those who have been redeemed to rebuild the ruins–other lives that are also broken. He sent Jesus to rescue us and demonstrate His love, kindness, and grace. Just as Christ has restored us, we should go out and be lights in the world, rejoicing and proclaiming to all what He has done for us.
In verses 10-11, the author speaks for the redeemed people who will rejoice in response to God’s blessings! He praises God for His message, His active presence, and His faithfulness to His chosen people. He is just overflowing with praise and thanksgiving!
Should we not rejoice as well? God has clothed us in garments of salvation and in robes of righteousness. This picture of joy is also shown in the jewels the bride wears and the bridegroom’s fancy clothes. We are no longer shackled by sin; rather, we have been set free in Christ! Take comfort in what God’s plan, and what is to come in the future. God has kept His promise by sending His Son to complete His mission on earth, and surely, God will continue to fulfill all of His promises.
Take a few moments to reflect on this passage. Remember that the Lord is our comfort and salvation. He can create beauty out of ashes, and joy out of our sorrow and mourning!

Jesus: The Fulfillment of Propecy - Servanthood

Within Isaiah are four mysterious “Servant Songs”, passages that speak of an unnamed Servant of God who simply defies expectations. The passage, the last and most famous of the Servant Songs (Isaiah 52:13-53:12), is often claimed to describe Christ. But Isaiah was not written for a Christian audience – it was written for a Jewish one. They, of course, do not see the Suffering Servant as Jesus. But if we read it from their eyes, perhaps we can learn something not just about Christ, but also about us in the process. There are two speakers in the Servant Song, but we will only read the words of one of them. The speaker here consists of pagan observers who are witnesses to the Suffering Servant.

Read: Isaiah 53:1-10

The speaker’s response to the Suffering Servant was at first that of incredulity. This guy was essentially a nobody, coming from seemingly nowhere. But then in verse 4-5, they noticed that this Suffering Servant took up a suffering that was not his to bear. And soon, the pagan observers realize in verse 6 the cold, hard truth: “We all, like sheep, have gone astray.” And as you read the testimony of these pagan observers, you realize in the end (vs. 10) that in seeing how the Suffering Servant suffered for transgressions not of his own, these pagan observers learned who the LORD is.

My favorite theologian is Stanley Hauerwas, and one of his claims was that Christianity in America has forgotten what it means to be Christian. I agree. So often, we think of ourselves as superior over others. To have Jesus means that we are more righteous, more powerful, more authoritative, and – in some churches – wealthier than those without Jesus. One of the great temptations of leadership is exactly that: because we are doulos people, counselors, Sunday school teachers, worship leaders, pastors, district superintendents, etc., we are somehow bigger, faster, better, stronger Christians than those who were not in positions of spiritual leadership. But if the passage today tells us anything, it is that God’s servant does not lord it over everyone. Indeed, Jesus said in Luke 22:25 that the greatest must be like the ones who serve.

And what does it mean to serve? Verses 7 gives a hint. Oppressed and afflicted, “yet he did not open his mouth”. He was led “like a lamb before the slaughter”. Imagine if you were in an argument with someone else at school and you simply shut up. That is the picture Isaiah was painting of the Suffering Servant – a Servant bullied for sins not of his own. Indeed, servanthood in the Bible cannot be separated from humility, from sacrifice, and from suffering. Yes – servanthood might mean that you will need to stay up late tonight talking on the phone with someone instead of doing your homework. Yes – servanthood might mean that you will need to shut up and take verbal abuse from someone who doesn’t know what he or she is doing (remember the Cross?). Yes – servanthood might mean that you will have to sacrifice your time, your schedule, prom night, etc.

Spend some time in reflection. What does it mean to serve? Maybe some of you are leaders in the church. What does it mean to serve for you? Maybe it means to spend less time with your friends in youth group and spend more time with those whom you don’t know as well? Perhaps it means praying for each other, or simply listening. Perhaps it means less time in the limelight on stage, more time in the pews worshipping together with everybody. In our reflection, let us look to the cross and remember the Christ who fulfills Isaiah’s vision of the Suffering Servant, and realize that ultimately, servanthood flows out of love.

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Jesus’ Sacrifice: An Out Pouring of God’s Love – Availibility

As we draw nearer to Easter, let’s take the next few weeks to focus on Jesus and what He did for us on the cross. Today, we turn to perhaps the most well known passage in the Bible.

Read John 3:16-21

Spend time this morning reflecting on the simple truth found in John 3:16-17. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.” What an incredible love that God has for us that He would send his Son to die for us! Sometimes we fail to grasp the depth of God’s love for us. This is the Good News, that while we were sinners and stuck in the condemnation we’d brought upon ourselves, Jesus died for us to set us free and give us life with Him.

Read Philippians 2:5-8

In coming to die for us, Jesus emptied himself and took on human form. He set aside his divine right to the power and position as God of the universe to be just like us. He made himself available to do what God the Father wanted him to do. Only He could choose to set aside his own glory in exchange for such a frail humanity. As we continue to remember and focus on what God has done for us, think of how you can practice the spiritual discipline of availability. Just as Jesus made himself available to do whatever God would have him do, make yourself available to do whatever God may be calling you to do. Write down one thing God is putting on your heart today, then do it.

Today God is calling me to make myself available to…





“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son for it. Not that he was unable to save us in another way, but in this way it was possible to show us his abundant love abundantly, namely, by bringing us near to him by the death of his Son. If he had anything more dear to him, he would have given it to us, in order that by it our race might be his. And out of his great love he did not even choose to urge our freedom by compulsion, though he was able to do so. But aim was that we should come near to him by the love of our mind. And, our Lord obeyed his Father out of love for us.”
-Isaac of Ninevah

Saturday, March 5, 2011

Full of Fruity Goodness!

Full of Fruity Goodness
By: Jon Mann, Intern and Youth Director (2007-Present)

Writing a devo based on something I’ve learned from Pastor Ben was possibly the most difficult devo that I’ve ever written. This wasn’t because I hadn’t learned anything in my four years as Intern -> Sidekick -> Youth Director. Rather, I’ve learned so much from Ben it was really hard for me to zero in on one particular lesson to write a devotional on. After much thought, I decided to write on one of the most difficult lessons I learned from Ben.

Read Galatians 5:16-26

Now you might be thinking, “Jon didn’t know about the Fruit of the Spirit until he started interning under Pastor Ben?? What are they teaching at that Moody Bible Institute???” I want to assure everyone Moody Bible Institute is a quality institution of learning and in so many ways prepared me for the rigors of full time ministry. But what I learned from Pastor Ben was that the fruit of the Spirit wasn’t something that magically appeared in my life, but it rather it was something I had to actively pursue and remind myself to produce. Paul gives this incredible list of the “works of the flesh” and let me tell you, it is a daily struggle not to produce that in my life. Yes, I am saved by the grace of God through faith and freed the chains of sin, but every day I seem to be fighting the urge to give in and just produce the works of the flesh. The fruit of the Spirit and the fruit of the flesh can’t come from the same tree. So Ben was reminding me that every day I had to decide what kind of harvest I wanted to produce. But deciding to produce fruit in my life daily is not enough. It’s called the Fruit of the Spirit because it’s the Holy Spirit that does the growing and producing in us. Our decision is whether we want to be yielded so that the fruit has good soil to grow in.

Another thing that Ben constantly reminded me of was that Galatians 5:22-23 lists the fruit of the Spirit, not fruits plural, but the singular fruit. That means you’re not producing fruit if you you’re not producing all the things Paul lists there. Love. Joy. Peace. Patience. Kindness. Goodness. Faithfulness. Gentleness. Self-control. Sure on any given day, I might be producing one of those. But producing the singular fruit of the Spirit means having all of these things present in my life. I remember one particular day that Ben came in to my office after a particularly rough weekend. I was upset and frustrated by circumstance and the difficulties of ministry. Ben walked in and handed me a sheet of paper. On it was printed part of this passage with Galatians 5:22-23 bolded. Ben just simply reminded me, “Jon, ministry will not be easy and dealing with difficult people and situations will test us. But we are called to produce the Fruit of the Spirit.” And then he made me tape that sheet of paper to my wall as a daily reminder to let the Holy Spirit be producing the right fruit in me. Not just the easy ones (for me) like joy and faithfulness. But the ones that didn’t always come naturally for me, like patience, gentleness, and self-control.

Take sometime to reflect on the fruit of the Spirit. Is it evident in your life? Are all these characteristics evident or just some? Ask God to fill you with the Holy Spirit so you can be producing this fruit daily. And if necessary, maybe print them out and stick it on your wall as a reminder.

On Men in Ministry

On Men in Ministry
By: Jenn Carver, YG counselor (2003-Present)

Read: John 13:34-35

Ben has done a lot of things in the past decade as youth pastor at WCAC. One of the most important lessons I learned from him he probably doesn’t even know he taught me. I don’t think I’ve ever mentioned it to him, though I’ve told others. Ben was really instrumental in redeeming my view on men in ministry. How you ask? By being a living example of God’s love as a male leader in the church.

To put it very mildly, up until I first came to WCAC and started helping in the youth group back in 2003 I had never had a good experience working with men in ministry. Over the last several years it’s probably been a combination of things that God did through him to change my perspective. He’s been very encouraging: as a leader he’s been encouraging us to bring up new ideas for ministry, he’s good at giving feedback, and he’s been flexible enough to allow other leaders freedom to pursue new activities within the youth group when they felt God was leading them. As a pastor I knew that he really loved and cared about the youth in our church. He cares about their growth and development as Christian young people, as future leaders in the church, and it shows in the time that he spends on a weekly basis, in all the little details of ministry, and in the lives of the youth. For me, I could always tell that Ben’s faith was legit because of the love he showed to others which overflowed from his love for Christ.

One of the other ways God used him to change my view of men in ministry was his openness to the leading of God as a visionary. Watching him in the last several years I see that God has used him to put a lot of new things into the way youth ministry is done at WCAC, things that I think have really helped benefit the youth. Stuff like from the way we do Coffeehouse, to our focus on in depth Bible discussion in BDG’s to his push for discipleship in the youth group, to mission trips and retreats. I’ve seen God do a lot of work through Ben’s willingness to listen to Him.

Read 1 Timothy 4:12

One of the most influential things about Ben that God has used to teach me this lesson is through Ben’s integrity. I almost can’t say how important this has been in words, because it’s just that important. Ben is a righteous man who loves God and cares for others. Until coming to WCAC I didn’t think that combination was possible in men on a continual basis. I’m glad to say that God showed me I was wrong; and I’m glad that he used such a good older brother in the faith to show me this. To say that working with Ben over the last several years is a privilege would be diminishing the significance of his impact on my life. Working with Ben has been a redeeming blessing that has shaped and will continue to shape my life and my views on ministry. Thanks God for Ben!

More Than God: Our Responsibility as Children

More than God: Our Responsibility as Children.
By: Henry Kuo, former YG counselor (2002-2009)

Read: Matthew 10: 34-49

Recently, on BBC.com, there was a news article about China making it required by law for children to visit their parents. Elderly parents can now go to court to require their children to take care of them! Apparently, children have been moving far away from their parents to pursue work in metropolitan areas like Beijing, Shanghai, or Guangzhou, but have often been too busy to visit parents regularly, especially those living in interior cities such as Lanzhou, Wuhan, or Harbin. This seems quite unseemly to those of us Chinese who live in America, but in today’s passage, we seem to see Jesus endorsing such behavior! Look at verse 37: “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me [Jesus] is not worthy of me!” And Jesus goes on: “Any parent who loves their children more than me [Jesus] is not worthy of me!” Wha… wha… isn’t Christianity all about the family? How could Jesus say something like that?

But if we read carefully, we notice that Jesus was not advocating anti-parentalism, or advocating child abandonment – something practiced in ancient cities such as Sparta. No - Jesus was saying, essentially, that children should love their parents, but they should also love God even more so! This is not about choosing between your parents and God – this is about loving both your parents and God. And not just your biological parents. In the Church, biology does not matter. This is loving your biological parents and the church parents who were important in instructing you in spiritual truths. And the same applies to parents – they should love their children, but they should love God even more than them! And they should not just teach their own biological children, but not be afraid to instruct other children of the Church on Christian truths. As I’ve said before, in Christianity, theology trumps biology.

Not long before I moved to Singapore (this was probably August 2009, if not July), Pastor Ben shared with me the possibility of leaving. He was indecisive at the time; he felt God calling him to a different church, but WCAC was going through a lot of exciting changes which he would very much love to be around to witness. I should remind all of you that Ben loved WCAC, the church he grew up in. Furthermore, his parents lived in the area. All of you know as well as I do that Ben took great pains to take care of his parents, and moving to St. Louis was particularly a worrying step of faith. After all, doing so would put him 5-6 hours away from his parents. But I think it is a testimony to the above passage that he willingly decided to take the plunge and accept God’s calling for him St. Louis, even if it meant a 5-6 hour drive away from his parents. Indeed, he loved his parents very much and wanted to be nearby to ensure their well-being, but he loved God even more so.

Most of us are young – and by “young”, I mean, below 25 – and perhaps we have better things to worry about, such as PSATs, SATs, GREs, college applications, job searches, grad school applications, getting married, etc. But this passage teaches us that there are two groups of people we should always love – our parents (church and biological), but on top of that, we should love God even more so. The BBC.com article reveals that children are often preoccupied with their own goals and dreams that they’ve left their parents behind; that is an example that we Christians cannot follow. Indeed, this is what the famous Fifth Commandment to honor our parents was about – that we take care of them in whatever way we can, even if from a distance. But we are called to go beyond that. We are called to love God even more without sacrificing our love for our parents. Such is the responsibility all of us have as children of our parents, and as children of God.

To Be Filled With the Spirit!

To Be Filled with the Spirit!
By: Cheryl - YG Counselor and Intern (2009-Present)

In my life there are days I wake up and wonder if it is worth getting out of bed because the temptation to roll over and go back to sleep sounds much better than facing what I know will be a difficult day. Instead I opt for a compromise of hitting the snooze three times before coming to terms with the inevitable realization that I’m late and it actually is time to get up. Sometimes the day ends up just as terrible as I thought it would with the seeming endless list of things to do, but other days I find a little of that promised peace and joy from the Holy Spirit.

Do you ever feel like that? Generally if I can pull my attention off myself and what I want for a few minutes then I can look around and really see and hear people. I can see the heartache, the brokenness, busyness, and fatigue which overwhelm the people standing right next to me. It is at these moments I feel the Spirit cry out within me, filled with love and compassion.

Read Ephesians 5:15-20. Now read it again and take some time to reflect.

Paul calls us to be filled with the Spirit. To speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Not only that but to sing and make music in your heart to the Lord while always giving thanks to God the Father for everything! Take a moment to think about what it means to be filled with the Spirit. Have you ever felt it? Can you describe it?

For me, when I am truly filled with the Spirit the fruit of the Spirit can barely be contained. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control rush out of me like a whirlwind consuming anyone or anything in my path. I feel like singing, dancing, weeping with joy, and hugging everyone around me. That is my response to the love of God as His Spirit fills me. No wonder we are called to filled with the Spirit! I just wish I could get out of the way more often so God would fill me. But much of the time I do live unwisely, filling my life with so much busyness and noise that I just let the Spirit fill me when it seems convenient or when I can’t seem to control what is going on in life.

It was in one of these moments of brokenness, where I felt like everything was overwhelming me and falling apart, that I found myself talking to Pastor Ben after a staff meeting, but He did much more than just listen. He went and got his guitar and we spent a few wonderful moments worshiping God together with spiritual songs. I will never forget that moment. You see, it was much more than just listening to everything and saying ‘I’ll pray for you’, he helped me turn towards God and be filled with the Spirit.

God gave us many wonderful ways to worship Him. How often do we sing and make music in our hearts to the Lord? How often do we speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs? What our brothers and sisters need is not for us to just listen and say they’ll be praying but for us to direct them to God, to be filled with His Spirit. So I ask you: how do you do this? What are ways you can encourage those around you or even allow yourself to be so filled with His Spirit you can’t help but lead others into His presence? It is only when we are filled with the Spirit that we will always give thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Shining For God

Shining for God
By: Ben Lowe, former Youth Group Counselor (2003-2008)

Read Matthew 5:14-16

What do people see when they look in you? I’m not asking about what people see when they look at you (many of us obsess far too much about this already), but what they see when they look in you; not just your physical appearance, but the whole witness of your life.

My brother has been in Haiti for almost a week now, but before that he was living the American Dream. He landed a well paying engineering job right out of college and, while the work wasn’t meaningful to him, he enjoyed having all the money to buy fancy toys like a fully loaded Mazda 6 and a big plasma TV. But God recently got to my brother in a big way and transformed his life. He began spending his free time serving the youth at church and building relationships with homeless folks in Boston. Then he quit his nice job to live in an orphanage in Haiti for the next six months, with few comforts and a sprawling refugee camp out back. On returning he plans to study urban youth ministry in seminary.

In the past, when I looked at my brother, I used to see someone who liked to party and was focused on making himself happy. Now I see someone who serves those around him and is living all out for God. When I think of him, my heart is full of praise to God.

This is how we are created to live. Not necessarily in an orphanage in Haiti, but in complete devotion to our Father, whatever that looks like for us. [Who knows, it may even compel you to run for Congress someday ;)] Simply put, there is no lukewarm compromise (see Rev 3:15-17). In Matthew 5, Jesus teaches that God has made us to shine like lights, illuminating the darkness, so that by our lives others may see and praise Him. Remember, our lives or “good works” are not the focus and shouldn’t call attention to us; they should point to God.

Pastor Ben points me to God. It has been a joy and privilege to serve with and learn from him over the last seven years. I have seen his devotion to Christ shine through his life, and one manifestation of this was his decision to leave a well-paying career for seminary and full-time ministry. When it comes to Pastor Ben’s many strengths and gifts, I know other people who are more dynamic preachers, more creative teachers, more professional worship leaders, more connected advocates, and so on. But I know few others who shine for God (and not themselves) as devotedly and authentically as Pastor Ben does. When I see Pastor Ben, I see God alive and moving, and my heart is full of praise.

So what do people see when they look in you? Do they see yet another person living for themselves and blending into the darkness? Or do they see someone filled with the light of God and shining brightly for Him? Is there anything holding you back from living more fully for God right now? We have only one life. Give it all to the one who gave all for us, and may our lives shine ever brightly for Him each day.

“Give up yourself, and you will find your real self. Lose your life and you will save it. Submit to death, death of your ambitions and favorites wishes every day and death of your whole body in the end: submit with every fiber of your being, and you will find eternal life. Keep back nothing. Nothing that you have not given away will ever be really yours. Nothing in you that has not died will ever be raised from the dead. Look for yourself, and you will find in the long run only hatred, loneliness, despair, rage, ruin, and decay. But look for Christ, and you will find Him, and with Him everything else thrown in.”
- C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity