Hammer on Anvil '

I graduated college in May 2009 and one of the few things I know I want to do is live and work overseas. Not as a missionary per se, but essentially doing what I'm doing now (working, living, hanging out with friends, etc.) in a foreign country; learn their language and about their culture. For the last 2 years, opportunities have presented themselves, but have not panned out. And not for lack of trying. With all these disappointments, the worse thing for me to hear is to have someone quote to me Jeremiah 29:11: '...For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future...' It's not that I don't believe the truthfulness of this verse, but what that truth is when taken in context troubles me. What if God's plan is that I stay put, what if His plan is not what I had in mind for myself?

The passage that this verse is taken from is a letter from the Lord (through the prophet Jeremiah) to the exiles in Babylon. The exiles had the idea that they would be there a short time and be able to head back to Jerusalem and they had false prophets confirming this thought. Instead, God's tells them to settle down and get used to their home; they'd be there awhile. (Jer. 29:4-7) Not exactly what the people wanted or hoped. Yet God says that he has plans for them and He will see it through. It might be nice to take verse 11 as a guarantee that God will give us what we want. However, that is not the way the Bible is structured nor is it the Gospel.

So, rather than lift out verses from the Bible as guarantees for what we think will make us prosperous; what if we instead remember the promise of Jesus that he will be with us always, despite the circumstances.

1 Corinthians 1:18 - For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

All of my ways are foolishness. Both when I'm being a fool and then also when I'm being a fool. Pretty interesting eh?

I'm a fool to those around me when I surrender to Christ and pursue him wildly and with full abandon to his will. People just can't imagine why such zeal should be wasted on religion or can't even see a need for it. You are foolish to believe that there is only one way to God because there's so many people and so many cultures and such great diversity. Why on earth would there be only one path? Foolish or intolerant even to suggest Christ is the ultimate truth and only in him and through him can we hope to be reconciled to God. Foolish to hope when all others around you despair.

I'm a fool because my sin is enticing enough for a moment to quiet the objections of my inner spirit man and allow myself to dive head first into sin. I'm a fool because I've not taken seriously that God is righteous and holy. I'm a fool because I crucify him all over again whom has already been crucified. Foolish to press forward in sin because I know that his grace will cover me. Foolish in my failure

Foolish not to try and press in to Christ though. Foolish to let my foolishness stop me from being a fool for Christ ;)

We'll be foolish because our beliefs don't line up with the intellectuals of today. We'll be foolish because our beliefs at first consideration seems backwards or unreasoned to a progressive and scientific society. We'll be foolish because to believe that any whale could swallow a man and that he could live. We'll be foolish to believe that God created the heavens and the earth. We'll be foolish because our faith exists without the need for signs and wonders. We'll be foolish because we believe that Christ will come again.

I know it's tough especially in middle school and high school to look like an idiot or a fool, but just remember that's really about the only option. It will be tough and that is part of the Christian faith. You'll have to expect that and to persevere. You'll have to say "I don't know" to a lot of questions that people ask, but then you get the chance to really dig into and study why what we believe is true and learn to go deeper in order to defend the faith. Not to be dogmatic or stubborn, but to be well reasoned and prepared. You yourself will have to seek out the truth in Christ's word. This isn't just a faith for old ladies anymore you have to take up the cross daily.

When I was young, maybe 8 or 9 years old, I remember a time when I was really excited about God. I think I had recently been taught about Matthew 21:21-22 in which Jesus says, “I tell you the truth,, if you have faith and do not doubt…you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” My little 8-year-old imagination ate that up. I didn’t yet know the word “context,” let alone what it meant. All I knew was that, because of God, I could do anything (or so I thought).

Later that day, I was playing with a friend of mine and I told him about this amazing discovery. I wanted to convince him that God was awesome and that he should be a Christian too. I told him that if I wanted to, I could start a small fire just by praying for it. He called me on it and asked me to prove it. My little 8-year-old self then proceeded to pray his heart out, but to no avail. No fire started.

It’s kind of funny as I look back on it, but what I learned is that I had no idea how to talk with others about Jesus. The desire was there, but the know-how was not. Since then, I’ve seen this in several churches. Pastors and prominent Christians are quick to tell the masses that they should be talking with their friends and family about Christ. They’ll explain WHY we should do it, but not HOW we should do it.

In the next few weeks, I’m going to look at some techniques that I’ve learned in the 20 years since my “fire prayer” that are helpful when talking with others about Christ. I’ll tell you about a video series called The Way of the Master with Kirk Cameron and Ray Comfort in which the hosts show you methods that Jesus himself used. I’ll also dive into some apolotetics (proving the authority of the Bible using evidence and reasoning).

It’s pretty good stuff, so I hope you’ll follow along for the next few weeks. God bless! J

This weekend, I will be out of town, speaking at a Youth Retreat, on the topic of spiritual purity. One of the sub-topics that will arise is that of having the appearance of holiness and judging one another by fleshly standards. I was surfing through some old emails this week, and came across one that contained a devotion that I had written back in 2003. I love that the truth of God's word never gets old, you just grow with it. I just wanted to share this little devotional with you.

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"Spiritual Competition"

One of the most defeating diseases that can infect a body of believers is an atmosphere of spiritual competition. The Disciples of Christ showed us that one extremely poisonous tactic of Satan is to inject the unassuming disciple with the venom of spiritual pride. Christ’s disciples began to argue over which one of them would be exalted the greatest in the kingdom of God. Surely, with such a competitive spirit, there was no unity among the disciples. Each disciple was probably planning his next move, sure that he was wise enough to be heard and heeded, trying to impress everyone else with his great words and understanding.

The saddest part may have been that their wisdom would have blinded them from hearing anything of worth that any other disciple had to say. For they would have said in their hearts “I don’t need to hear what this babbler has to say, what does he have on me?” They may even begin to try to sneak a peak at the list of the great Judge who sees all, and try to build up a defense for themselves against other disciples, saying “He talks a good game, but he has many shortcomings and downfalls in the light of God. Why, he doesn’t even know what holiness is, nor does he desire it! I am not like him! I love God MUCH more than he!”

How sad it is for a group of believers to become so blinded by their own pride and haughtiness of spirit that they refuse to hear the words of another or glean from the wisdom of another. Such spirits are poor, wretched beggars, for in denying the words of their fellow disciples, they may very well neglect a word from God. And never could they have any unity with their brothers. Though they pray together, sing together, and worship together, or prophesy together, they could never do so in spirit and in truth, for such a spirit would accept EVERY brother in Christ without respect for persons.

How long has it been since I have worshipped in the spirit? I may measure that moment against the period of time since I was last able to accept every brother in Christ-like love and in unity, forgetting their trespasses, but remembering that the blood that covers their door post is the same blood that covers mine. That the Spirit that moves through them is the same Spirit that moves through me. That the wisdom and fellowship they have tried to share with me was not from the pits of their own dying branches of unrighteousness, but sprung forth from the living vine amongst which they dwell, the same vine of which I am but a fresh, budding twig. When I view every brother in light of Christ and his power to changes hearts in spite of the hardness of those hearts, and when I see each soul in the light of the hope that one day, we will ALL be perfected in Christ, it will be that day that I can worship again with them in unity. Moreover, where that unity dwells, I will then again be able to worship in spirit and in truth. But if that day never comes, and I lift my hands toward heaven without that light, I sin against God, and grieve the Holy Spirit.

“Lord, open mine eyes that I might see your light shining down upon the people you have saved and ordained for your holy calling. For they are your workmanship, and I but dwell among them with the same hope you have laid down upon each soul in which the Holy Spirit dwells.”