Archive for August, 2006

30
Aug

What’s Your Destination? - Part 2

By couch 0 Comments
Categories: Vision

I’ve noticed something - If our ultimate goal is set on something in this life - not only is our vision limited to temporary things on earth, but we seem to be narrow in our vision of God’s overall plan in general.

Say our goal is to be a missionary to South America. Or, something else, a college pastor in Boston. Our vision and focus will be on college students or on mission work, and anyone that has a different, even God-given vision for something else, we will look down upon, dismiss, or at the worst, condemn and reject.

Even if it’s God’s plan. Let me explain. God’s plan is global - no, his plan is universal. He works in and through realities in order to bring about one ultimate goal - the summing up of all things in Christ (Eph. 1:10). Therefore, everything that we do either flows along the “river” of what God is doing, stands stagnant apart from it, or blatantly goes against the current. (Bad idea 1:1)

Many people have their own “pet” topics. You have your “evangelism” guy, your “discipleship” guy, your “missions” guy, your “intimacy” people, and your “End-times” guy. Now God does gift us and empassion us differently, and I think that’s great. But what happens is, if we are so consumed on protecting our own “pet” issue and making sure everyone else agrees with us and does what we think they should (whether its really biblical at all or not) we will despise, neglect or completely dismiss others, no matter if they are genuinely loving, seeking, and obeying Christ in how he is calling them to specifically.

We just simply don’t go along with that because we aren’t as good at talking about it or don’t know as much about that subject or we’ve never been taught and so it doesn’t match our own vision. So our wretched insecurity keeps us away or causes us to reject the topic and the people altogether and we completely limit our vision of God and His ultimate plan. Phooey on that!

This is what the Pharisees did. This is religion. This is death. And they were called “blind guides”. We must get a higher vision!

We have to realize that ALL things will be summed up in Christ. The nations will be reached, the church will be purified, Israel will be saved, the devil will be judged, Jesus will come back, reign on the earth, and we EACH have a very specific and important part to play in that! Just because our heart leans towards one of those issues (not necessarily a bad thing) it doesn’t give us the right to dismiss, reject, or judge others because they lean towards something else.

Now, I’m not excusing unbiblical ideas, practices, or doctrine. But I am saying that genuine love for all people (not judgmental, preconceived, untrue notions and attitudes) should be the basis for which truth is shared.

Not everyone is called to be a full-time pastor. But we are all called to “pastor” (shepherd) someone. Not everyone is called to be a full-time missionary. But we are all called to follow God and share the gospel through our lives and words. Not everyone is called to preach, but we are all called to testify. Not everyone is gifted to teach End-Times, but we are all called to “know the hour is at hand, be sober-minded, watchful, and pray”.

How silly would it be for a pastor to reject all the members of the congregation because they weren’t pastors also! It would be ridiculous! Now we are all called to shepherd and love people, as Christ has shepherded and loved us, but the best thing we can do is not make them like us, but point them to and teach them Christ so that God can, in His great creativity, make them how He wants them to be!

So, don’t limit your vision of God’s plan by dismissing someone or some issue because you “don’t understand it” or it seems to contradict your “pet issue”. God’s plan isn’t limited to our own understanding. Let the love of Christ “which surpasses all understanding” be a bridge to love and pray that person on their specific way and mission in God. Don’t discourage them by knocking their “heart-issue” because it seems to go against yours. God is the judge of all things, and He will bring about His plan in and through those who humbly, teachably, and sincerely believe Him to do so.

Thank God He’s not like us!

25
Aug

What’s Your Destination?

By couch 0 Comments
Categories: Vision

“It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt. He was not afraid of the king. Moses kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible.” - Hebrews 11:27

“And even when he reached the land God promised him, he (Abraham) lived there by faith–for he was like a foreigner, living in a tent.  Abraham did this because he was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God….All these faithful ones died without receiving what God had promised them, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed the promises of God. They agreed that they were no more than foreigners and nomads here on earth.” Hebrews: 11:13

“…They placed their hope in the resurrection to a better life.” - Hebrews 11:35

Psalm 83 says “Blessed is the man whose strength is in you, whose heart is set on pilgrimage.” I know I’ve blogged about this before, but a different angle on it struck me today.

Pretend for a moment that you gathered 50 of your Christian friends in a room together. You sat each of them down and one by one asked them the following question:

“What is God’s destiny for your life? Where do you sense that God is calling you?”

We’d probably get very similar answers from the majority of them.

“Well, I’m patiently waiting on the Lord to release me into full-time ministry as a (…pastor, youth leader, work for a church, etc.)”

“Eventually, I’ll be overseas on the mission field preaching the gospel to the people the Lord’s given me His heart for.”

“My destiny is to have a big ministry, write books, speak itinerately, and change lives.”

Now, perhaps few would have the last one, but I know I would probably place many, including myself, in one of the first two categories. And are those statements wrong, are they untrue?

Heavens, no! Surely the Lord has called us to various positions, places, and ministries by His Holy Spirit for His glory, and I am in no way deemphasizing this. But what I want to say is this -  we have limited our destiny. We have shortchanged our calling. And our life (or lack of it) is the very proof of it.

Name one person in the Bible whose greatest goal had anything to do with something on this earth. Name one person in the Word of God that was commended for longing to reach the “end-all” in this life. Name one person in the Word who longed for a earthly destination of ministry as their ultimate, satisfying destiny and goal.

I’m hard pressed to find one, and that’s because the Word is too full of commendations of men and women who looked BEYOND the veil of time, BEYOND the veil of the temporary, earthly realities of space and place, and UNTO a heavenly reality of a Holy City, a place built by God for those who longed for something greater than their earthly residence.

A place BUILT by GOD. We’ve never seen such a place! And just barely thinking about it stirs fascination, stirs wonder, stirs curiosity and awe. We can’t imagine! Indeed the Bible says no eye has seen nor ear has heard what God has in store for those who love Him!

Friends, I say this because I’m a person who has struggled with making that first answer my goal, my destiny, the thing I’m waiting for, been excited about, and longed for. And that place is death. It’s been God’s grace to keep me from those things, lest I miss God’s best, a faith that is awakened to the fact that there is more than just a “successful ministry, life, and death”. In of itself, its nothing but an un-fulfilling expectation, a waking up on Christmas day with no presents. Let’s not be tricked!

Are you longing to go to the mission field? Good. But long more for your eternal home with Christ, live as a stranger and pilgrim wherever you are, and not only will you be more satisfied in God and God more glorified in you, but you WILL accomplish your temporary earthly ministry with far more effectiveness, zeal, and the heart of Christ.

Why? Because you simply can’t lead people where you aren’t going. If our ministry unto men is a leading unto where we think “we are”, knowing what we know and doing what we do, that’s simply going to leave them dry. Good heavens, there is more to the Christian life than knowing good theology!

Paul said “Follow me as I follow Christ.” That was his ministry unto men, to follow and yearn and long and seek the LORD. To be with Him where He is, to think on things above and set His heart on eternal realities and exceeding revelations in the knowledge of Christ, casting down everything else as “dung”. Interesting how Paul uses his strongest language ever when talking about his own works and activities (even in ministry) apart from the joy of knowing Christ.

Jesus said “The blind can not lead the blind.” (Luke 6:39)  Let’s ask God for the faith of Abraham, Moses, and the others in Hebrews 11, the faith that gives us vision of something more, and awakens our heart and words to others that actually leads people somewhere good. And lets live lives as pilgrims, not settling for our “earthly calling” as the “end-all”, but by faith and expectation (and experience!) of the greater that is to come!

“And even when he reached the land God promised him, he (Abraham) lived there by faith–for he was like a foreigner, living in a tent.  Abraham did this because he was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God.” - Hebrews 11:13

A good place to start would be reading and meditating on Colossians 3 and Revelation 21, to get a picture of our calling and where we are headed in this pilgrimage of faith - to the Heavenly City, the New Jerusalem to live with Jesus and His new ages, heaven, and earth forever.

How necessary and purposeful is our ministry unto the Lord? Without it we are useless on the outside. It is the “necessary part” that won’t be taken away from us.  (Luke 10:42)

I don’t want to waste my life - living on the outside. I want to live, from the inside out.

16
Aug

Thoughts from Colorado #2 - The Guide

By couch 0 Comments
Categories: Colorado

Psalm 145:17 “The LORD is righteous in everything he does; he is filled with kindness.”

White-water Rafting. No, level 3 White-water Rafting. To me, it is a joy previously undiscovered this side of heaven. What a blast! I had heard stories and seen images of the activity, but I had no idea it could be this exhilarating! Water splashing in your face as you extend your muscles to push water down while bouncing up and down, your eyes gazing at the beautiful canyon of lush vegetation, heart pulsating and breath taken away. Man, it was my favorite thing up there. Great story (and lesson) too -

There’s five of us on the raft - Jenny (the beautiful one), myself, Dawn (the uber-experienced guide) and two other guys. On the oblong-shaped transport, the guide sits on the back-end tail while we four fill out two rows on the two columns of the sides. Each position is critical, each one chosen, each one necessary for the completion of our mission - to take the rapids at high speed and intensity, fun-gauge on high.

Dawn means experience in raftinglish. She’s done this stretch a thousand times, knows what to do, when to do it, and who needs to put their paddle where. After a short training session in how to obey her commands from the rear (i.e. “Forward Two!” which means paddle forward twice , and “Back Left One!” which means the people on the left side paddle backwards once) we set out on our wild ride. No, there was no Mr. Toad.

I enjoy the back left position, my wife to my right and the two guys sitting in front of each of us. Well, the front right guy says he has had alot of experience in rafting, had done canoe trips and other such activities earlier in his life, and was excited for this one. Ok - sounds great we guess, the more experience the better.

We set down the trek, the first set of rapids not too difficult entitled, “Entrance Exam”. We pass through it pretty smooth, but not as smooth as Dawn would’ve liked, as we seemed to veer to the right for some reason, but no worries, let’s set our course ahead for what’s next. We pass through a second set of rapids better, and now we are headed for “Tombstone” the third and most difficult set so far.

We grip our paddles, “steady up” as we are told by firmly securing our feet under an inward part of the raft, and prepare for the commands of the guide. It’s comforting to know that your guide knows exactly what to do, and that your ears are working good enough to hear and your brain good enough to send responding signals to your arms to execute the command she gives you.

So, you await the command, and you execute. Diligently await the command, and execute! The brilliance of execution is exhilarating, especially when a team does it together, in complete unity and unison, watching the raft leap over and through the crashing rapids, a soft hum in the rear accompanying success. But this time, there was no hum, there was no unity, and there definitely wasn’t unison.

As soon as we hit the rapids, the guide yells “Forward Two!”, and we each do exactly that, except for the top right guy. He does forward two, three, four, five, and just keeps paddling - doing at least four more paddles than the rest of the boat - without a command to do so!

Before we can blink, our raft goes careening into a large rock, the top right guy goes flying over the side, smacks his head into the rock (praise God for the bright yellow helmets!), and our raft almost flips over, not on the x-axis, but the y! Clearly in trouble, the guide yells, “Side right! Side right!” which means, everybody on the raft leap to the right side to keep the boat from flipping over and knocking us all out! As much as we can in the midst of the rapids, we jump on the other side, barely saving ourselves from going topsy-turvy altogether.

But the front right guy is still under the water. He’s under the raft. Should we dive in and get him? Fish swimming all around his head, alas, he appears in the water about 25 seconds after he went under, and the other team’s raft (who already had more people) hauls him in. Thank the Lord, he’s fine.

As soon as he rejoins the team, the much younger guide gives him some serious instructions - “What were you doing?! Because you were rowing when I didn’t ask you to, and while everyone else stopped as they were commanded, you rowed us right into the rock, not only smacking your own head, but risking the imminent danger of everyone else in the boat!”

A bit embarrassed, the guy had no problem obeying orders after that lesson, but we had to ask him - why did you keep rowing and doing your own thing? He had thought, because he saw the rock coming, that he should forget the command of the guide and row to try to get away from the rock himself, thinking his experience and intuition would help the team avoid disaster, but in doing so led everyone smack into it!

He forgot that he wasn’t the guide, he wasn’t the leader, he wasn’t the one who could see the end from the beginning nor the one who knew exactly the steps necessary for success. By taking things into His own hands, not submitting to the wise, kind, and just guide, He crashed into the very thing he thought that by his own strength he could avoid.

Thankfully, he nor anyone else was hurt, but a great lesson was learned -

11
Aug

Thoughts from Colorado #1 - Training to Fly

By couch 0 Comments
Categories: Colorado

“Remember that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize. You also must run in such a way that you will win. All athletes practice strict self-control. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run straight to the goal with purpose in every step. I am not like a boxer who misses his punches.” - Paul, 1 Corinthians 9:26-27

Up here at 11,000 feet in the summer Colorado mountains, its’ easy to lose your breath - both at the thin air quality and the beautiful mountains, creeks, and valleys. It’s very peaceful, not like a city peaceful, where no one’s out and about, but a mountain peaceful, people stopping to gaze at the mountains (drinking their starbucks of course) and walking slowly in the cool mountain air. It’s costly but worth it for many people looking to escape with loved ones to the creation, whether they know yet of the creator, whose beauty and majesty are here only glimpsed.

There’s plenty to do and see, far more than one could do in a week - though I feel like we’ve done a ton in our time here (hiking, rafting, golfing, skating, etc.). It’s been a blast, an exhausting blast, but thankfully not short on lessons, memories, and new confidence and vision from the Lord.

World-class athletes come to places like Colorado, not just to ski, hike, or raft, but to train. They do this because the thin air provides a greater resistance to their lungs while exercising their sport. Runners will run up and down the mountain trails, huffing and puffing and feeling the burn. At first their chest feels like its going to explode, and that they simply won’t be able to press on, but after awhile, they find their breath coming and going more easily, and their bodies responding well to the air that is conditioning them. The key is, they recognize the prize for which they work, and they allow themselves to be put in difficult spots that they may attain their eagerly desired reward.

After rigorous discipline up here in the mountains, they return to the place they live, somewhere like New York, Florida, California, Texas, or farther. And when they do, they absolutely fly. The track seems like their own personal runway, and they simply take off! The difficult environment of the mountain terrain and air has trained and disciplined them to run their race like a champ in the normality of their usual climate.

The same reality exists in the spiritual realm, as Paul notes above, and although we often don’t understand, the Lord puts us in situations and circumstances that are difficult and cause us to lose our breath easily. Many people shrink back from this, saying it is too much, too difficult, or they reject the Lord’s plan for them by finding something a bit easier outside of His will. The only thing is, God is teaching them to fly. He’s teaching them to gain endurance, perseverance, strength, and character underneath the pressures that seem to hold them down. He’s teaching them how to live a supernatural life within the natural, how to live on bread and feast on the eternal. But hold them down these goads do not, form one that “wins the crown” they surely do.

For me, I have, by God’s grace sensed a uncanny nearness to the Lord here. It’s strange, as I didn’t spend long hours of prayer and fasting preparing to come out here, but the fact is, Jesus longs and wants to meet with me all the same! And He’s been speaking to me, and its wonderful, and I feel a sweetness in my spirit, and its wonderful, and I feel light and in love, and its wonderful. And I think to myself, how come faith and vision isn’t always this easy?

And I hear, and I think, and I feel, and I recognize - that the place I live, in College Station, is like my rigorous training ground. The Lord has me there, and He is training me to fly. And I will. I must. The athletes come here to train, and then they go back to win. I am there to train, and then I will win, whether its in the same geographic location or not. I’m not at all talking about a difficult physical, financial, or relational situation, but a spiritual one.

I believe there are intangible realities that hold us (Christians in the city) back in College Station (right now), but we must realize one and the same, we must not shrink back, we must not lose hope, we must not find an easier reality, but we must “discipline our body” to seek the living Christ, learn from Him, and realize the far greater reward that awaits us as we diligently follow His word and command to us individually and corporately.

And I believe He’s given me a foretaste of that greater victory to come this week through our fellowship. And I don’t deserve it, any more than the next guy, but I DO have the choice - whether or not to make the most of the ups and downs of those mountain trails, losing hope and casting away vision, or screaming for joy as I lose my breath for the reward that awaits me!