No Rights. Journal of a Christ soldier.

Absent From the Fight

We  live in evil times. Injustice, greed and narcissism rule. This is the world in which the church exists. But this is where the church has always existed. We, the church, are soldiers. We fight for the King, eagerly looking for the day when the Kingdom of God has completely renewed this broken and sin stained world. Until that day the Kingdom pushes forward through the lives of saints who selflessly preach and live Christ no matter what the cost.

We are soldiers. We fight for the renewal of all things, which can only come through Jesus Christ. But what happens when we do not fight? Jesus taught us: salt that loses its saltiness is fit only for the dung heap. So, what happens when a soldier no longer fights?

Consider the following excerpt from the book, God in a Brothel…

 “During my time investigating human trafficking, the most challenging thing for me was when I found the church to be absent from the fight.  At a time when there are more people in slavery than at any other time in history, tragically I found the church in many countries to be largely silent or completely unaware of the slavery around them.

On any given Sunday I often sought out a place of worship near the area where I was operating.  Indeed, I had found that such times of stillness, surrender and reflection were essential to my ongoing effectiveness.  However, what I often saw was a church that had allowed itself to be seduced, entertained and enslaved by a form of worship inherited from the West: the focus was more on the feelings and desires of those present than on a suffering world that was crying out for rescue. The goal was typically on gaining victory over personal sin, and there was little apparent understanding of the whole gospel as it applied to the rest of a creation groaning under the weight of injustice and evil.

In both the developing and the developed world I was struck by the sometimes ornate and overtly expensive buildings into which the faithful filed on any given Sunday morning.  Sitting in the air-conditioned complex discussing Christian theology as it applied to relationships, marriage, family and employment practices was all very nice.  In the light of what I had seen during the week, however, such debate and discourse seemed empty and devoid of any authenticity because there was no involvement on behalf of those most enslaved and oppressed within their own communities.  Indeed, I routinely found that I was more uncomfortable inside such a church than I was inside a brothel.  At least inside the brothel there was no pretense. 

The church has always sought to communicate to a hurting world that God is a rescuer who can save them.  Our message has little credibility while we remain afraid, indifferent and inactive in the face of human slavery occurring in our own backyard.” (God in a Brothel: An Undercover Journey into Sex Trafficking and Rescue by Daniel Walker, pg. 131-132)

My fear is that we in the Western church are walking away from the fight.

 

 

 

Blessed Are the Generous

Psalm 112 begins with this comforting statement: “Blessed is the man who fears the Lord…” To be blessed means to be joyful and content. This is good news for all of us who love the Lord and seek to follow Him. David goes on to say in verse 6 that the righteous will never be moved. More good news! However, these statements come with responsibility. To fear the Lord, to live righteously or the way God wants us to live has serious implications.

As David is describing the righteous man in Psalm 112, he refers primarily to the way he uses his resources. In verse 5 and again in verse 9, David tells us that the righteous man is the one who is generous, who gives to the poor and distributes freely. He tells us that the righteous man of God conducts his affairs with justice. Wealth and riches may very well be a gift from God. But they are never given to us without responsibility. To fear God means that we use our resources the way He would use them.

What this psalm teaches us is that generosity and righteousness are inseparable. We cannot be the people God wants us to be and not use our resources in a generous manner. God’s heart is bent towards those who are in need. He is just, merciful and incredibly generous. To be righteous means to be like God. We simply cannot be like God if we do not give freely.

So as we claim to fear the Lord and be His followers we need to ask ourselves a very serious question: Does our checkbook confirm our confession or does it tell a different story? Are we righteous only where it is convenient to be righteous or are we fully surrendered to His way of life? 

(Here is another great Generosity article)

Sending Disciples...

In two words, our mission here at SIUC is this: "Sending Disciples". Everything we do is directed to that end. Every student will eventually graduate and go out to "infect" and "affect" this world in one way or the other. Our goal is make sure that our alumni will leave this university as fully devoted disciples committed to the mission of God where ever they may find themselves.

The following is a mission update from Leann, one of our alumni. Currently, she is on a mission project in the slums of Manilla. She is a great example of our goal!

                                

Life in the slums of Quezon City is always an adventure. This past week we went to the 711 down the street and ran into some of the street kids we know. Usually we get them a snack or something to drink, but that day we decided to invite them all to lunch at our place. These kids work on the streets begging or parking cars. They are all under the age of ten and most of them don't have parents, or their parents have abandoned them. They all came to our small place, and it was a party. Kids were everywhere, jumping around on everything, and having the time of their life's. They all took bathes and we sewed up the holes in their tattered clothes.

Something about those kids struck me, in a way I would not have expected. They are the poorest of the poor in this city. They have no place to lay their head, and they toil day and night just for a meal of rice. I imagined them being gaunt and gloomy. I imagined that there could be no hope left in their hearts. But somehow they have been preserved from the world. It is almost as if their situation doesn't bother them all that much. They enjoy life when it is good and plentiful, and they endure when times are hard. They survive these streets, not by the charity of a few people, but their community with each other. Street kids have got to be the most communal bunch I've ever met, and they have to be. Without each other they would never survive. Here in the Philippines people measure their profit and wealth in the number of friends they have.

I am learning a lot from street kids about how to do mission. If God sends us to those hard places, and he asks us to suffer, which He will; we cannot go alone. Just as God exists in the Triune community, we must exist and do mission as a part of a community. Seeking after God and the kingdom cannot be an individualized endeavor.

Another recent event that has shaken my worldview is the story of Dimples. Dimples is a little girl about the age of 4 who was abandoned by her parents. And when I say abandoned, I mean dropped off in the slums right outside our place and left. She was left because her mom and dad could not support her. Now my initial reaction would be to go hunt down the parents and send them to jail, but that is not how it works here in the slums. A small family that lives downstairs from us decided to take the girl into their home and family. They unofficially adopted her. This family also has a 4 year old daughter named KiKay. Her and Dimples instantly became best friends, or I guess sisters. I found out that this is pretty common in the slums. Everyone is taken in and cared for, especially the helpless like Dimples. I am so struck by the family that adopted Dimples, because they already have a hard time feeding their family. We often feed KiKay and Dimples because their family is so poor. So even in their lack of funds and resources, they took in an extra mouth to feed. And this is when it hit me, the family does not consider their financial poverty as a life or death situation, and they don't consider Dimples as just another mouth to feed. They see her as their daughter, as KiKay's sister, and as a person that cannot and should not be abandoned. They see her as God's creation. So often in the West, we look out for ourselves, and only ourselves. If our family is barely making it, then we are definitely not inviting others over to eat, else we might go hungry. But that doesn't seem to be an issue here in the slums. Everyone is welcomed because they also want to be welcomed; and everyone is treated as more than just a mouth to feed. They are treated as the great currency of joy and relationship. That family saw that it would be better to add a daughter and a sister to our family, even if it costs them a full meal everyday. I think Jesus sees us in this same way. Jesus looks at me and you and sees a hungry, lost, poor, abandoned child; and says it would be better to add you to my family even if it means that I will have to die for you. This love is unselfish, and full of compassion.  This love is how people survive in the slums.

The last thing I want to share is about the nightly Bible studies that have been happening among the youth in Damayang Lagi. We have been studying some of the main stories in the Old Testament. We gather together some of the most unlikely kids. I never thought that I would lead a Bible study with street kids, drug dealers, drug users, homosexuals, and homeless guys. Our house is full of the most unlikely people. I look at these young kids and I can only imagine that Jesus would have picked these same guys to be his disciples. Just the other night we went around asking some of the D-town boys to come to Bible study, and they declined cause they had been using crack, but promised to come next week. One of the guys in our study is usually drunk, and half of the guys sleep over after Bible study because they are homeless and usually sleep on the street. I'm not even sure how we attracted these kinds of people haha! But I know Jesus is after them, furiously seeking to save them. After all these experiences, it has become more real to me that the gospel truly is good news to the poor, and a stumbling block to the rich. 

Thank you all again for your prayers and support!

Leann
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Saving the next generation...one disciple at a time.

Everybody knows that the college campus is a dangerous place for your faith. Everyone has heard the grim faith dropout statistics. The need for campus ministry has never been clearer than it is right now.  The question is: how do we reverse this spiritual drop out rate? How do we save this next generation of believers from checking out before they graduate? New evidence suggests that the best answer to this how question is really nothing new. In fact, the answer seems to be a very old one: Discipleship.

New evidence about the Millennial (or Mosaic) generation provided by The Barna Group points to some common myths regarding church dropouts. (Five Myths about Young Adult Church Dropouts) One of these myths relates to the college campus. The prevailing thought has been that the college experience itself is one of the key factors influencing dropout. However, evidence shows that many are disconnected from church before they ever reach college. And for those that aren’t disconnected already, they are not well prepared for the challenges of college. David Kinnaman reports, “The problem arises from the inadequacy of preparing young Christians for life beyond youth group.” He goes on to say, “only a small minority of young Christians has been taught to think about matters of faith, calling and culture. Fewer than one out of five have any idea how the Bible ought to inform their scholastic and professional interests.”

I do not believe that this evidence is simply pushing the blame back to the youth groups all across America. (However, I do believe there is a challenge to youth groups here.) Rather, I see this as a challenge to rethink how we disciple young adults while they are in college. It isn’t that the college campus is a kind of spiritual kryptonite. The problem is that young adults need help adjusting to life beyond their youth groups. Kinnaman suggests this very thing. He says, “most (young adults) lack adult mentors or meaningful friendships with older Christians who can guide them through the inevitable questions that arise during the course of their studies. In other words, the university setting does not usually cause the disconnect; it exposes the shallow-faith problem of many young disciples.”

The answer is discipleship. Older Christians meeting with younger Christians: studying scripture together, praying together and helping them to grow to meet the challenges of their environment. Sound familiar. It should. This is exactly how Jesus passed on the faith and raised up leaders. Jesus invested his best time and teaching into 12 disciples. He gave even more to Peter, James and John. Paul followed Jesus model in his ministry as well (most notably with Timothy). Discipleship is what the next generation needs. They don’t need Sunday school programs or sermons or choirs or church buildings. First and foremost, they need someone to walk with them and help them grow into their faith, modeling for them what it looks like to be a Christian in an unstable, constantly changing world. All the church marketing in the world cannot replace discipleship. No matter how great and hip your worship music is it cannot build faith like discipleship. The message here is clear. We need to stop trying to “reach” young adults with what we do at church and start sitting down with them at the local coffee shop to study the Bible.

Turns out Jesus’ way of raising up faith is best after all. I knew there was a reason why I love discipleship so much!

 

 

Stuck At The Crossroads: Discerning the call to full time ministry.

There you are, standing and the crossroads. Down one road is a life of full time ministry with all of its joys and sacrifices.  Down the other road is life in the secular workforce with all of its benefits and drawbacks. Pressing down on you are huge questions, “Am I cut out for full time ministry? What about my college degree? What about my parent’s hopes and dreams for me? Is full time ministry always God’s best option for us? Is the choice to do secular work an unspiritual one? How can I make the right decision with so many seemingly good options?” Sound familiar? If so, know that you are not alone in wrestling with these questions. Many have stood right where you are standing. God took care of them. He will take care of you.

In fact, Jenny stands right where you are standing, now. Jenny graduated 6 months ago and she is still struggling to figure out her next step. She has changed her mind 3 times already. She really likes the idea of being a missionary in Central Asia. She also sees a lot of practical good in working for a while to pay off her college loans. And then there is the chance to join InterVarsity staff. They all seem like good and right options. She feels stuck and overwhelmed with the weight of the decision. It’s so hard to decide. She is stuck wondering why God doesn’t make it easier?

Discerning God’s will for our future is a heart wrenching crossroads. If only God would just clearly write the answers in the sky for us. This would make the whole process a no-brainer, right? But then it would also be a no-faith-er, too. And maybe that’s the point. Being stuck at the crossroads doesn’t mean hope is gone and God has checked out. You can be confident that God is not distant and aloof. He is always present and available to you. His silence is not a lack of care. Just the opposite is true. His silence challenges us to trust Him and lean on Him in the middle of the uncertainty and struggle. His presence is our confidence to move forward and take positive steps towards discerning our path.

The good news is that there is help with all these tough questions. While there is no surefire spiritual formula for discerning our calling, there is a way forward. There are solid principles in Scripture that can help us discover God’s intent for our lives. In particular, Romans 12:1-8 gives us solid principles to follow when we, like Jenny, find ourselves stuck at the vocational crossroads.

The first 2 verses lay the groundwork for our attitude and motivation. Our lives are meant to be worship to the King. No matter what we do in life it should be worship to the King. We cannot move forward until we first have our minds and hearts set on pleasing Him. George Mueller said it best, “Nine-tenths of the difficulties are overcome when our hearts are ready to do the Lord’s will whatever it may be. When one is truly in this state, it is usually but a little way to the knowledge of what His will is.” The world has a completely different agenda for us. We cannot serve God by following the world’s agenda. We must submit ourselves wholly to the King and His agenda. This is the first and biggest step to discerning God’s will for our lives.

The next step is critical. Paul spells it out in verses 3-8. We need to view ourselves with sober judgment. In other words we need some self-knowledge. We need to understand God given design; our abilities and strengths, as well as our weaknesses. When you lack self-knowledge you put yourself in danger of making really bad decisions about your future. Viewing ourselves wrongly prevents us from connecting into that natural divine groove that God has made us for.

Steven had his mind set on going to seminary. Yet, none of his closest friends or ministry leaders could confirm that Steven was really cut out for full time ministry. Steven had convinced himself that he could do full time ministry even though he had never had much success in the ministry that he had been involved with throughout college. Steven lacked sober judgment. And despite reliable counsel to do otherwise, Steven went ahead and entered seminary. Unfortunately he did not last long. He dropped out after a year. All he ended up with was a large school bill.

Steven, like many of us, made the mistake of viewing ministry as a more spiritual path than a secular job. This is a false dichotomy, though. Here in Romans 12, Paul is very clear that there is no difference between those in full time ministry and those in the secular workforce. Janitors, CEO’s, Doctors and full time ministers are all equal in the body of Christ. It is all a matter of gifting. And gifting is a matter of grace. Grace is the sovereign work of God. There isn’t anything that we can do to determine our spiritual gifting. So there is no room for boasting no matter how we are designed.

Sober judgment requires us to take a long, hard, honest look at ourselves. Before we can choose between ministry and any other profession, we need to look at our gifts and abilities as God sees them not as we see them and especially not as we want to see them.  We need to look for our actual gifting not the gifting that we have always thought would be really cool. And we must avoid dismissing abilities out of self-doubt.  We hurt ourselves when we think more or less of ourselves than is genuinely true. Both pride and low self-esteem are enemies of accurate discernment.

Here are five key questions that you can ask yourself in order help view yourself with clear levelheaded judgment in relation to full time Christian ministry:

1. What kind of a leader are you? This is a question of character not produce. Are you teachable and faithful? Have you done well with previous ministry roles and assignments? Are you able to serve humbly and care for others needs above your own? Your character as a leader is everything in ministry. Good ministry leaders are faithful, available and teachable.
2. What has been your ministry experience? Have you seen fruit from your service in previous ministry positions? Do people follow your leadership? Have you been able to influence people to make key decisions in their lives? Do people come to you for advice and help? People gifted in the area of ministry will stand out in a crowd. If you were to ask a random participant in your previous ministry who the most influential people were, that list would point directly to who is gifted in ministry. Would your name be on that list?
3. What do others think of you? We often have a lot of trouble seeing our own strengths and weaknesses. We need reliable friends to speak truth to us in order to see ourselves more clearly. Do others think we are cut out for full time ministry? What about those that know us best? When asking people for their opinion it is critical to ask them to be honest and not just tell us what they think we want to hear.
4. Why do you want to do ministry? This is a question of motives. Assuming that you have some desire to do ministry, you need to dig a little deeper. It is important to remember that we will never have pure motives for anything we do. Still, we need to check our motives as much as we can. Why do you really want to do ministry? Too often there exists a false dichotomy in our minds between full time ministry and lay leadership. The truth is that one is not more spiritual than the other. We are all missionaries in God’s Kingdom. It doesn’t matter what our job or role is, we are all equal in the body of Christ. Do we want to be in full time ministry because we think it is more spiritual than secular work?
5. Do we have a genuine concern for people? Ministry is primarily about people. Ministry is about influence. If you have trouble developing relationships and interacting with people then you will struggle to influence people in ministry.  In the course of normal conversations, do you struggle to ask people questions about themselves? Or do you pull most conversations back to yourself? Do you wait for others to ask you questions? It does not matter whether you are an introvert or an extrovert. Both can do ministry. However, the critical question is how well you pay attention to the needs of others above your own. A minister is a shepherd.  If we struggle to care for others practically then we will struggle in full time ministry.

Here is the really good news about this crossroads: If you set your heart on pleasing God, He will not let you make the wrong decision. He has promised to lead us in the direction that He wants us to go. (Psalm 32:8, Proverbs 3:5,6) His guidance may be slower and more in direct than you want, but He will keep you on His path. After all, we are His workmanship, created to do His works (Ephesians 2:10). If we are eager to do His will, why wouldn’t He want to direct us?  

I Hate Public Speaking!

 

I really hate public speaking. I hate it because it scares the crap out of me. Even after 14 years of ministry (and a speech minor in college) I still get so nervous before a talk that I practically hyperventilate. I hate that feeling. I really do. Unfortunately, avoiding any kind of public speaking is not an option for me in my career. So I do it. But I hate it. Did I mention that already?

Honestly, I do it because I have to do it. I do it because it is my job and, in spite of this ugly reality, I really do love my job as a minister. I also do it because I believe in the power of the spoken word to bring about transformation and change especially when it comes to preaching God’s Word. I do it because people need to hear me lead from up front in order to win their trust as a leader. And I do believe that God can use me when I speak His Word in public. But I still hate it. I hate being scared. It is humiliating. And at this point in my life, I really don’t like being scared or humiliated. 

I have given up any hope for getting rid of the overwhelming feeling of dread and anxiety that floods my reality the entire week before (and especially just before) I have to give a talk or sermon.  So this is not a self help blog. After 14 years, I think I can safely say that there is no cure for my fear of public speaking. My body is physically allergic to it. The introvert in me is simply too dominant. There is hope, however. While there is no cure, there is help and lots of it. I realize that this sounds very simplistic, but God is all the help we will ever need.

More specifically, I believe the help is found in the very nature and character of God. He is good and He truly cares about us. He is our perfect Father. Because He is good and because He loves us, He cares about our needs and feelings. He cares in a very real way. Jesus communicated this fact to us in Luke chapter 11 as He was teaching on the topic of prayer. In Luke 11, verse 5 through 13, Jesus gives us two analogies that explain God’s heart towards our need. After teaching His disciples how to pray he gives them two examples.

First, He tells them about a person who seeks out help from his friend in the middle of the night. The friend only responds when the seeker shows himself to be a persistent person. Now, I have always believed that Jesus was just trying to tell us to be persistent in our prayers, to persevere in them no matter how long it takes for God to answer. This might be true in some sense. However, I don’t think this is the point of this story. The point is not that we can manipulate God into answering our requests by simply being persistent. The focus of the story is not on the persistence but rather on the character of the friend. This so called “friend” was not a very good friend at all. He was lazy and didn’t want to help the seeker. He only helped because the seeker was persistent. I think the point here is that if this bad and lazy friend helped the seeker with his need then how much more likely is God to answer us when we come to Him with our needs?! This interpretation makes much better sense of the second example Jesus uses.

In the second story, Jesus brings the point home even harder. He talks about the relationship between a Father and a helpless child. There is not a more applicable example of the power difference between us and God than this one. And if an earthly, imperfect, evil father knows how to give good gifts then how much more likely is God to give us good gifts. He is our Father, afterall. If we are capable of caring for and sympathizing with our children’s needs then how much more capable is God?! The point of the stories is that even a bad friend and an evil father will respond to requests with good gifts eventually so, of course, God will answer our requests with good gifts!

This story reminds me of camping with our children. Our middle son is afraid of a lot of things that go on in the dark. So he is not so keen on sleeping in a tent out in the middle of the woods. Prior to the trip he sincerely liked the idea of camping with us. He wanted to be brave and sleep in the tent but his fear just gets the best of him at times. So what should my response be to his anxiety? Do I dismiss it and tell my seven year old to just tough it out? Or do I avoid camping altogether for the sake of his fear? I chose neither. Because I sincerely love my son, I chose to take him camping. I assured him that I would be with him the whole time and I slept right next to him the whole weekend. I took extra care to comfort him throughout the experience. As a result he made it through without any problems. He actually enjoyed the whole weekend and wants to go again. So, if I can be a decent father to my son just imagine how much more God can take care of us?

Here is the hope for us who have fears of any kind. God cares about our fear because He really cares for us. He cares about our needs. And He will respond to our needs in good ways. All we have to do is close our eyes and trust God to take care of us. Often times, I have found that He does not take away our feeling of fear or remove us from the circumstances that cause us to be afraid. But rather, He encourages us to trust Him in the midst of the fear. He will even help us to trust Him if we ask. 

I think this is exactly the message that David is communicating to us in Psalm 23. In verse 4 he proclaims that he will not fear even though he walks through the valley of the shadow of death.  His lack of fear is not because he decided to stop being afraid or even because God zapped it out of him. His lack of fear comes directly from his trust in God’s rod and staff. These represent the power and tender care of God. Because God is who He is, David does not have to fear even the scariest of life’s predicaments.

Of course, this is not easy. Trusting in God is easier said than done. However, it starts when we choose to seek God for help. Trust develops when we choose to dwell on God’s power and love rather than the circumstances that we fear.

This doesn’t mean I have to ever like public speaking. I never will. But it does mean that I can do it through God’s help. 

Church Buildings Gone Right!

It is my pleasure to report a very encouraging story that I recently read. it is about a church making radically misisonal choices about how to treat their property and finances. Considering the nature of my last article, in which I was ranting about a church that was abusing its resources, this story was renewing and hopeful for me to read. 

The church is Brook Hills, located in Bimingham, Alabama. The pastor is David Platt. In addition to pastoring this church, David Platt is also the author of two very popular books: Radical and Radical Together. They are books that have been very transformative and encouraging to me. In his last book, Radical Together, Platt tells the story of a cross roads that he lead his church through. Their church is quite large. It has a multi-million dollar annual budget. When Platt took over as the pastor, the church had some grand plans to build on to their church...a new and better lobby, better parking lots, more class-room space and sports fields just to name a few. But as they discussed these potential investments Platt had some second thoughts. As they were going through the budget process for their church, he asked some very critical and risky questions for a new pastor. Here is an excerpt from his story,

"As a pastor, I believe that is when (setting the budget) the church comes face to face with how prone we are to give our resources to good things while ignoring great need. Christians in North America give, on average, 2.5 percent of their income to the church. Out of that 2.5 percent, churches in North America will give 2 percent of their budgeted monies to needs overseas. In other words, for every one hundred dollars a North American Christian earns, he will give five cents through the church to a world with urgetn spiritual and physical needs. This does not make sense."

These kinds of questions and thoughts kept on plagueing him as he attempted to lead his church through the budgeting process. So Platt and his leaders began to seek God through prayer and studying scripture. They laid all their plans before God and asked Him if their plans were God's best for their community and the world. And as they studied Scripture, God answered. Here is another excerpt...

"As we took this question to Scripture, we saw a clear plan from the mought of Jesus: Make disciples of all nations. Take up your cross, follow me and lead others to follow me in the same way. Jesus never told us to build lobby space, create more class rooms, or design sports fields. Not that it would be necessarily wrong to do these things... When it cam to our plans then, the question was, Is this the best way to align with the plan Jesus has laid before us? Is building a nicer, more comfortable lobby the best way to use our resources to lead people to take up a cross and follow Christ? Is building more space for classes the best way to help people obey Christ?"

He goes on to report how they answered these radical questions...

"And as we asked these questions at Brook Hills, our decision became clear. Instead of expanding the lobby of our church, we would use that money to start planting other churches. Instead of constructing more classrooms where we could listen to more lectures, we would become more intentional about gathering in our homes, where we could better share our lives."

This story restores alot of hope for me in traditional churches with huge budgets around the U.S. And this is not the only good story. There are plenty others. It is also not a story about how great David Platt was to lead his church through all these decisions. Many pastors would have been fired for asking these kinds of risky questions. Really, all of the leaders in this church deserve credit for making radical decisions about their money and resources. I think this is what encourages me the most about this turn around. We don't have to wait for incredibly gifted leaders to change things. They simply sought God through prayer and study of His word and asked God how they could best use their resources. And they said yes to God's plan!

I highly recommend this book. It is a great and challenging read. Platt raises the questions that we should all be asking of ourselves and the ministries that we lead!

Church Buildings Gone Wild

Have you ever watched an episode of "Tanked'? Well don't. The show is basically about a couple of guys who build incredible aquariums for incredibly rich people. They are talented but the show is nothing special. Just another reality show flash in the pan. I caught an episode tonight as I was flipping through the channels (successfully avoiding sleep). This particular episode, however, has had a lasting effect on me. I would describe it as nothing short of an aggressive kick in the crouch (from a really telented soccer player). I was struck utterly speechless as I watched them show off their biggest (and most expensive) aquarium build. It was for.... a....church?! Yes, a church. I still can't believe it. The tank is so big that it requires 3 full time staff just to take care of it. The aquarium is a 75,000 gallon salt-water tank. The building that it is housed in cost around 40 million dollars. FORTY... MILLION... And they are paying 3 full time marine biologists just to care for this aquarium. The fish alone cost more than I make in a year. If you don't believe me read it for yourself [here]..

Of course, the aquarium was supposedly built to honor God. (Didn't Christians have this problem back in the middle ages?) But here is the question: Is God really honored by such a grotesque use of money? Not the God I serve. Tony Campolo said it best when he lamented that we (in America) spend millions of dollars every year building buildings to honor a God who said that He dwells not in temples made by hand. When will the body of Christ wake up from our materialistic debauchery? Materialism is wreaking havoc on our body. It's almost everywhere I look. Rather than cooperate and share resources to build a community basketball center, every church in town has to have its very own gym. We build enormous buildings that often outsize every theator in town to house people for only a couple days a week. And on and on it goes.

Historians tell us that Christians first became popular because they were quite radical in how they took care of the poor and shared resources. Welfare laws and charity organizations throughout the world have their roots in these radical believers taking Christ at His word. What happened? Now we are known for our... aqauriums? For our buildings? Is this how Christ wants us to reach people? You know, I have always had a problem with churches that have their own esculators and food courts... but a 75,000 aquarium? Seriously, what's next?

The body of Christ in America has a crippling virus...and its called materialism. Its time to start seeking God for a cure. Here's a thought... Isaiah 58.

Encouragement Is Not An Option

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up…” 1 Thessalonians 5:11

I have been breezing through 1 Thessalonians again this week. This time around, for some reason (God), the thing that stuck out to me the most has been the concept of encouragement. For Paul this activity of encouragement was absolutely essential to behaving well in the body of Christ. The word encouragement shows up 5 times in 3 chapters of this one particular letter. The concept itself is embedded deeply in everything that Paul did in his ministry to the churches that he planted and worked with. I think the reason this activity jumped out to me in this text is simply because it is not emphasized or practiced much in the American church…at least in my experience.

To me, encouragement has always seemed like a lesser spiritual activity. It is something that women and really emotional guys do. That sounds bad but that has always been my feeling towards this subject. The church has not challenged me on this attitude and it should have. What’s behind my attitude is a false sense of what it means to be a Godly man. After all, Paul was a spiritual giant and encouragement was obviously very important to him. I grew up with the typical American cultural values: We need to be independent, self-made people. Accepting any help or encouragement is weakness. And if I do not need it, then I do not have to give it to others. They should just tough it out. But this whole way of thinking seems so contrary to what I read here in this one single letter of Scripture. 

This morning I had a great conversation with a student that needed some encouragement. Even though I do not have any spiritual gift of encouragement, I was actually able to encourage them! I went into the conversation with this as my goal and it actually worked out. And you know what? It felt great. It felt so right. Both of us left the conversation feeling great. What would happen if all of us in the body of Christ started to do this more and more? We might actually start to develop into the joyful people that God meant for us to be in the first place!

So who will you encourage today?

God of the Deep

I was there

in the deep 

Beyond those distant breakers

In the dark blue

far from home

Alone in the cold blackness

But I wasn't alone

You were there

all along

You kept me safe in the swirling storm

You kept me from drowning

Just like you said you would

Lord, I don't want to go back there

But if I do

I know Ill be ok with You.