Stupid Christian Cliches: Part 1

"Just trust God..."

Last February, I had lunch with my good friend, Nick, and it seemed like the whole world was crumbling down on top of him. This particular week he had two major papers due. At the same time, he was going through a painful break of friendship with someone close. On top of that, he still had the usual meetings and responsibilities that came with being a small group leader. Classes continued, his job remained, and time was against him. To top all of this off, a well-meaning Christian told him, "Nick, just trust God..."

Just trust God.

Because He is going to write your papers for you. Because He is going to go talk to your friend to resolve all those differences that have been piling up. Because He is going to be your substitution for classes, work, meetings, and He'll even teach your small group this week. Just trust Him.

My mother is a Let-Go-and-Let-God Christian. She has a sign hanging up in the house with these very words. Footprints is on the wall in the kitchen while a framed "Trust God" is sitting by her bed. Year by year, my mother's disabilities increase. With each passing year her depravity grows and any semblance of a spiritual life decreases towards non-existence. For all of my mother's life she has been waiting to "trust God". This is the mantra she repeats: "just trust God".

Trusting God is not a waiting game. You don't wait all your life trusting God and he just shows up one day at your front door.

So what does it really mean to trust God? Sacrifice.

"Are they servants of Christ?...I more so;

in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death.

Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes.
Three times I was beaten with rods,
once I was stoned,
three times I was shipwrecked,
a night and a day I have spent in the deep.

I have been on frequent journeys,

in dangers from rivers,
dangers from robbers,
dangers from my countrymen,
dangers from the Gentiles,
dangers in the city,
dangers in the wilderness,
dangers on the sea,
dangers among false brethren;

I have been in labor and hardship,

through many sleepless nights,
in hunger and thirst,
often without food,
in cold and exposure.

Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches." (II Corinthians 11:23-28)

Paul sacrificed everything, this was the proof of his trust in God. And guess what, God ALWAYS saw him through.

On the night of Jesus' arrest, He prayed in Gethsemane. He was so distressed about His upcoming death that his sweat poured out like drops of blood. A decision was in front of Him. All of the Old Testament climaxed here in this moment. Promises had been given time and time again by God concerning the coming events of the next 3 days and beyond. Sacrifice on Jesus' part was absolutely necessary for God to pour out the blessings promised from thousands of years passed. Or, Jesus could walk away from it all, preserve Himself, and live out the rest of His life. Because He trusted God and His Word, Jesus made the decision to sacrifice, saying,

"Abba!
Father!
All things are possible for You;
remove this cup from Me;
yet not what I will, but what You will."
(Mark 14:36)

Sacrifice is essential to trusting God.

When I sacrifice my life to God, I am saying, "God I trust You that what you have spoken about my hope, abundant life, and your blessings is true." This is the life that God blesses abundantly, namely, the life poured out to Him.

To sacrifice your time to serve others is to trust that God will transform their heart.
To sacrifice an hour of your day to enjoy relationship with God is to trust God that the other 23 hours He gives will be enough.
To sacrifice your money at church is to trust God to multiply what is left to provide for your needs.
To sacrifice food and drink is to trust God to be the sustaining bread and water of life. (This, by the way, is called fasting)
To sacrifice your comfort is to trust God that what He has given you is enough.
What are you sacrificing on the altar in light of your trust in God?

Sacrifice is our duty. Where we end, God's work begins.
Man is responsible for the natural, God does the supernatural.

One final word on trusting God: this is the means by which we fulfill the Great Commission.

"But thanks be to God,
who always leads us in triumph in Christ,
and manifests through us the sweet aroma
of the knowledge of Him in every place.

For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing;

to the one an aroma from death to death,
to the other an aroma from life to life."
(II Corinthians 2:14-16)

The sweet aroma of the believer's sacrifice to God results in the gospel being preached everywhere. The chosen are brought in by the fragrant smell of salvation. The doomed are repulsed by the stench, leaving all without excuse.

Now This Is The Story...

...all about how my life got flipped, turned upside down.

I haven't posted for awhile, but if you tend to read this blog, here is a quick update:

Bear in mind, this is all qualified by "Lord willing", so please pray for guidance for me.

I'm two weeks away from completing the Journeyman application. This gets me into the May 10-14 IMB interview conference and then orientation July 27-September 24. I hope to make one last visit to Liberty University in Virginia and Southeastern Seminary in North Carolina before leaving for my 2 years overseas. At the present moment I'm praying for direction concerning three jobs that interest me:
1. Meknes, North Africa as a church planter
2. Leh, India as a wilderness first responder
3. Sa'ana, Middle East as a backpacking tribal researcher

I hope to return to seminary for the spring 2012 semester as a 25-year-old with a ton more experience. And where I'll go from there is too far into the future for me to really make any claims, but I would like to get my masters and a doctorate before returning overseas.

The most important part of my next two years of ministry will be the prayer support of fellow believers. If you'd be interested in praying for me and receiving updates, feel free to email me and I'll add you to my list. James writes that the prayers of a righteous man are powerful and effective.

Finally, I'll be starting a new blog. It'll probably be a food blog where I catalog dishes that I learn to make overseas. I'll still ponder life and write here and there about theology or philosophy, but the terminology will have to be extremely watered down in order to preserve my cover as a Christian worker in a restricted access area.

Hey, Let's Try This Out

Imagine a world where young people could learn skills from others with more experience and wisdom. I know its a revolutionary idea, but I think I might call it an internship. You see, this is something that I want to put into practice with my business or craft when I get older. Wisdom and experience, to me, just seem like untapped resources that could be used to better the world and conserve resources.

I know this is on the cutting edge, but take for instance, a plumber. We'll call him Joe the plumber because that seems to be a popular name right now for a plumber. So Joe spends years plumbing; he's pretty good at it by now. With all this experience, he takes on a helper. This young helper is ready to transition his life into adulthood and simply wants to become skilled in a trade. So Joe teaches the young man everything he knows. Soon enough, the young man is skilled and ready to take on his share of the work. Joe no longer does his work alone, but can expand his business as he now has two quality plumbers to share the responsibilities. The men begin to work as equals and soon each takes on a younger man that desires to learn this skill.

This would be a remarkable system. Think about it, what if businessmen and tradesmen took on what I like to call "interns"? Blacksmiths, craftsmen, athletes, and even politicians would take on younger, inexperienced men in order to train them for future service. This system could greatly improve our quality of life. The world would become more productive, more effective, and more efficient. People would begin to better understand their position, learn to respect their elders, and grow in humility.

Now, consider this: what if the church took on these "interns"?

This isn't a new idea, everyone does it... everyone but the church. What happened to the missio dei (mission of God) that the church was/is called to fulfill? How could it fail to train a whole generation of "Christians"? Today, being Christian means attending church on Sunday and getting ahead the rest of the week with a smile. While we may believe that this is a new problem, Paul addressed the same issue in his second letter to Timothy. He warns Timothy, in verses 3 and 4, of the coming time when men with "itching ears" would seek teachers according to their own desires to lead them away from truth.

Discipleship is a fundamental necessity for the Christian faith. The church needs older men to follow the example set out in Titus 2 to teach younger men. The Great Commission itself is founded upon the command to make disciples of all nations. This is the missio dei and its time that we rediscover our purpose as the body of Christ.

Rick Warren Is Alright With Me

Ok, so I'm not the most patriotic of Americans. It's true that I didn't watch the inauguration the other day. But looking back over the speeches on youtube, I found one video that made me very thankful for the nation that I live in. This opening prayer refreshed a gratitude for not only a free nation that many "reformers" and "protestors" sought in the chaos of the 15th, 16th, and 17th centuries, but for the God who has so richly blessed us. I have not always spoken kindly of Rick Warren and of this I repent. The more I grow in wisdom, godliness, grace, and brotherhood (not to say that any of these areas are even close to being locked down) the more I appreciate men who truly love God even though they may not do things the way I would.

Rick Warren prayed to God on behalf of and before an entire nation. Furthermore, this prayer was not ambigous by any means. He quoted Deuteronomy 6:4, where Moses says, "Hear, O Israel! Jehovah is our God, Jehovah is One!" He concluded his prayer honestly and lovingly acknowledging Jesus Christ. He prayed in the name of the One who changed his life, Jeshua, Isa, Jesus Christ.

I am very thankful for men who stand up in public and declare the name of Jesus Christ. I greatly desire to stand and give glory to Jesus' name whenever called on and before any who listen. God bless Rick Warren and may Jesus Christ richly bless, and transform :), the administration of our new president, Barak Obama.

Free To Be A Slave

I Corinthians 9:7-23


Paul sets up one of the most evangelistically prolific sentences in Scripture with a conversation concerning freedom and slavery. You see, freedom requires that work earns one pay, or compensation. If I serve in the army, the government promises to pay me for my time. I desire to fight and, if necessary, lay down my life for my people, but I don't do it for free. I sacrifice my time, my skills, and my comforts and am equally compensated. If I plant a vineyard, the end result is fruit. The work I put into the vineyard results in food, drink, and money in return for the excess that I sell. The work of a free man results in a paycheck.

Beyond logic, the Law can be consulted on this matter. Paul quotes Deuteronomy 25:4 which commands, "You shall not muzzle the ox while he is threshing." As the ox works, he should not be muzzled in order to allow him to eat of the grain at his convenience. The ox works, the ox receives compensation. Personally, I'm very thankful that God is looking out for my oxen, but you know as well as I do that God's point here has little to do with oxen. If the ox earns his share of the fruit, how much more do the men that work the land earn theirs?

This idea even applies to the spiritual realm. Labor is labor whether it is done by the farmer, soldier, or priest. Priests are assigned specific duties just the same as the farmer and the soldier. Their compensation is also written in the law. Levitical law gives a number of types of sacrifices of which a portion typically goes to the priests for their share of the labor. So there you have it, free men who work, whether physical or spiritual work, logically and lawfully deserve compensation for the fulfillment of their duties.

Paul makes a compelling case. The work he does amongst the churches is important work. It is difficult work. It is a sacrificial work and earns him the compensation that all other free workers receive. But he doesn't take his pay. Never has, never will. Paul is a volunteer of the Corinth branch of the renowned Trinity & Associates, Incorporated.

With this said, he has two points to make: 1. He must make the gospel known. 2. He has freely chosen slavery.

Paul writes, "For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for I am under compulsion; for woe is me if I do not preach the gospel." Paul is compelled to preach this gospel. He is not encouraged to preach the gospel. He is not enticed, forced, or commanded to do it. He is compelled. A man who has not eaten for many days is compelled to find food to nourish his body no matter the cost. Few distractions enter his mind; food is his main concern, his primary need. The thought of it drives him. He wakes thinking of food. He falls into an uneasy sleep craving food. He searches all the day long for the smallest crumb that may ease his hunger. Finding a scrap of food takes full priority.

Paul must preach this gospel, nothing else matters. He is compelled to preach the gospel "in much endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in distresses, in beatings, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in hunger..." (II Cor 6:4-5). Because there is nothing else for him but the preaching of the gospel, he has no boast. He cannot take credit for the desire, the words, or the opportunities. He cannot boast of his pay or his luxurious commodities. He cannot boast of this world and the paycheck it has to offer him as the greatest evangelist to walk the earth after Christ.

Woe to the starving man who does not seek food to nourish his body. Woe to Paul if he does not preach the gospel. Woe to me if I do not fulfill my mission on this earth. Until I am compelled to fulfill the work God has called me to in the same way I am compelled to eat for survival, I am not walking by the Spirit. When my desire for church planting, evangelism, and discipleship overseas becomes the very nourishment that my soul craves, then I have finally begun to understand what worship truly is. Paul's mission was a work of apostleship and establishing the church; mine is overseas service. What is your mission? Does it consume you and compel you to sacrifice everything to see it accomplished?

Secondly, Paul was a free man who deserved compensation for his work. Paul enslaved himself to those he loved. He worked for free, giving of himself to all. Putting aside all his rights in this work, he gave away the gospel at no charge. He made himself a slave to the gospel work among the Jews by becoming like a Jew. He became like one under the Law in order to enslave himself to the gospel work of those under the Law. He became weak for the weak. He became all things to all men. He sacrificed all. He gave all. Paul left nothing for himself so that he could have the opportunity to see just a few saved. His whole life and ministry for a handful of new believers.

Freedom is not an option. Paul argues in Romans 6 that we are either slaves to God or slaves to sin. He gave everything to become a slave and mostly fail. Paul, the second greatest evangelist of all time sacrificed all he had to see just a remnant saved. This is the believer's duty: sacrifice everything, save a few. It's worth it.

The Winds Are Changing

The past 6 months have been difficult, to say the least. Frustration has risen in a number of areas of my life and seems only to grow. There are times that I feel trapped. It seems as though the walls are closing in on me and I have nowhere to go. At times my stomach feels like it's all a mess and my head is going to explode. Suffice it to say that 1. I'm not crazy and 2. I don't really have a peace about the path my life is currently taking.

But praise the Lord for my friends. I have been blessed with wonderful friends. In fact, my friends have been such a comfort and joy in my life that when I'm around them I can push all my struggles to the back burner and just be me. And honestly, me is just who I need to be.

I finally started to open up about these things to Daniel and AnneMarie about a week ago. I think they were a little surprised at the extent of how I've been feeling the past month or two, but they offered the suggestion that I've been needing to hear all along. Almost simultaneously they offered this answer: Journeyman. I believe AnneMarie said it this way, "I can't see you not being overseas for 7 years, that's so depressing for you it hurts me to hear it!" Later that night, Daniel advised me to make sure there was a peace; it needs to be of the Lord. Truth be told, the next day was the most peaceful day that I've experienced for a long time and a week later I still have a great peace about the decision.

Allow me to break down the decision. I don't believe that God has a specific will for my life that I have to follow exactly to experience the abundant life Jesus talked about. Biblically, that is ridiculous and something that I will soon write about. But here are the basics: 1. It doesn't violate God's moral will (the Bible). 2. This desire to serve overseas church-planting is very Biblical. 3. This desire lines up with His desire, which the Bible says will happen if I'm seeking Him. Therefore, my decision is perfectly in line with God's will. Furthermore, the peace I have comes through the Comforter that Jesus sent to us, yeah thats right, Mr. Holy Spirit.

So, here is the plan with a Lord willing attached to the fine print. I put in my 2 weeks notice at work this past Saturday, shifted all my classes to the late afternoon, and am seeking a full-time, normal job where I don't work third shift, I'm not tired and irritable all the time, and I'm not constantly out in the freezing cold all night. As an aside, my ideal morning looks like this: wake up early, read my Bible, go for a run, eat breakfast, and go to work. Yeah, that hasn't happened for a looooong time and I feel like I need it to function properly, or at least joyfully.

The Journeyman application has 3 parts. The first two parts must be reviewed before they email you the full application with all the bells and whistles. This is the stage I'm at now; I'm waiting for the full application. For all to go according to plan I need to have this application completed by February 6. My plan is to go to the Journeyman interview conference being held April 20-24. If I don't get the application done in time, it's not a big deal and I'll just go to the May 10-14 conference. Basically this is a 4 day deal where we do group interviews and solo interviews so that the IMB can determine whether or not they want to send us. Also during this time I'll have the opportunity to pick an assignment. If they bring me on I'll attend the July 27-Sept 24 Orientation and leave for my destination probably by October 1. This is subject to change, but at the present moment this is my goal.

This desire has been driving me for 4 years. I'm ready to go. Please pray for me as I go through this process.

Put the Past Behind, But Don't Forget It

Pumba: "You've gotta put your behind in the past."
Timon: "No, no Pumba, its: You've gotta put your past behind ya!"

As I concluded my devotions this morning I read from My Utmost For His Highest. What Chambers said really resonated with me:

"At the end of the year we turn with eagerness to all that God has for the future, and yet anxiety is apt to arise from remembering the yesterdays. Our present enjoyment of God's grace is apt to be checked by the memory of yesterday's sins and blunders. But God is the God of our yesterdays, and He allows the memory of them in order to turn the past into a ministry of spiritual culture for the future. God reminds us of the past lest we get into a shallow security in the present."

As believers who are justified by the blood of Christ, we are forgiven. Past, present, and future sins are lifted from our account and placed on Jesus at the cross 2000 years ago. At the same time, His righteousness is now a credit to our account. When the end comes and the work of salvation has reached completion, God will look on us and see Christ's perfection rather than our mishaps. All is forgiven. From the tone I took with my mother a few weeks ago to the worst of atrocities committed by the man on death row who has found new life in Christ, all these things fall on Jesus' shoulders at Calvary.

Yet we continue to remember the past. Sometimes it haunts our thoughts and seems to point a condemning finger. Sometimes it keeps us awake at night wondering what could have been. Sometimes we yearn for another chance to go back and take the road less traveled. As a forgiven people, the past is behind, but it still has its place. Paul wrote to the Corinthian church these words: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God." (II Corinthians 1:3-4)

Christ forgives us, but does not wipe our memory. Think back to your darkest moment, the point you most wish you could forget. Was there not someone there that brought you through? Was there not a portion of Scripture that you ran to in order to find comfort from God? Was not some form of comfort sent to give you peace? I think back to dark periods of my life and find that the comfort I received often came through someone who had gone through the same or a similar ordeal.

I have suffered, but been comforted with comfort sent by God so that one day I may be that comfort sent by God to one who is suffering. This is why we can never fully forget the pain of our sin. We can never fully forget the anguish of sin and the throbbing of the heart at its remembrance. If sin, whether yours or that of another, has caused you to suffer, you now have a responsibility and a ministry to others. This is the way God works the good for believers when sin and its consequences cause suffering.

Chambers continues:

"Our yesterdays present irreparable things to us; it is true that we have lost opportunities which will never return... Let the past sleep, but let it sleep on the bosom of Christ. Leave the irreparable past in His hands, and step out into the irresistible future with Him."