Posted by: Kerrie
A few months ago our family decided to spend Christmas morning giving out wrapped presents to the homeless. We asked the kids what type of gifts they would like to buy and discussed different ideas as a family. We mostly decided on jackets, travel pillows, electronic pocket games and snacks. Madisson however wanted to something a little different. The following is her journel entry about her Christmas morning experience, she is 10yrs old.
David (a guy sitting at a bus stop)
*Before this, when we had decided to give presents to homeless people, I had said I wanted to give a backpack with a blanket, pillow, a game, and a Bible. My dad told me no, that the we really wanted to give out seperate gifts. My mom protested and told my dad to let me do it - it might be God telling it to me. Dad then agreed. She was right...
On Christmas morning, the first person we met was David. It was cold and rainy. We parked and Dad, Jake and Brooke got out of the car. Mom and I stayed in the car. Dad, Jake and Brooke took a Christmas present to him. The present held a shirt/jacket. One of the first things David said was, "Well yeah I'd like a Christmas present, I just got robbed last night. They took my backpack and everything I owned was in it." My dad was shocked, and said, "Well...we have a backpack!" David was excited and said, "You do!" Dad ran to the car and whispered, "Madi, Madi, he needs a backpack!" I reached behind and grabbed the backpack and we all got out and I gave it to David. He was very excited and said he had had one almost the same as the one I gave him. The backpack was black and gray, with the word Rebok on the front. Inside we put gum, granola bars and packs of peanuts. I also put a black and gray fleece jacket, a pillow and a pocket poker game. We talked and prayed with him and then we all hugged him. At first I didn't want to hug him. But Brooke and then Jake hugged him. It would be weird if I didn't hug him, so I hugged him and then we left. After we left we drove around looking for more homeless people. We got to see him while we drove and the first time we saw him, he had put on the black and gray fleece jacket and was holding up the first present we gave him, another jacket/shirt. The second time we drove by and saw him he had put on both jackets and was playing poker. That shows his thankfullness. Then we were driving and saw him walking to the salvation army. He had told us that on cold nights they let you sleep there. When we first saw David, he had a mustache and a beard and didn't have many layers on. He looked cold.
God talked to me...he told me to get a backpack. Then we met David and God showed me why. That was a miracle.
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Friday, December 14, 2007
Safety
~By Brock
“I gave up all that inferior stuff so I could know Christ personally, experience his resurrection power, be a partner in his suffering, and go all the way with him to death itself.” Phil. 3:10 The Message
Webster’s defines safety as “the avoiding of risk, danger, injury, or loss.”
Ever since I shared what God is doing in the lives of our home, the most common response has been different versions of: “what about the safety of your kids?” or “how could you do that to your children?” or “I am concerned about the safety of your family.”
In almost every case, this comment has come from a position of love - genuine love and concern for our well being. I am appreciative of that, and it is a true blessing to be loved by so many people.
And because so many people have caringly emphasized their concern for our safety, I began seeking God on the issue. He has been so good to reveal so much. I continue to be amazed at how loud he speaks when we come to him with a seeking heart! This specific time of seeking has been eye opening, uplifting, frightening, empowering, and humbling all at the same time. Here are a few things I am learning.
According to God, the modern day concept of security is a complete myth. Our security and/or safety are simply not real. It does not exist. We can easily get mislead into a lifestyle that actually thinks we control our own destiny, our own financial security, and our own physical safety. But God can squash that in an instant. In many cases, until a tragedy of great magnitude comes along, we presume the best thing to do is to follow the world’s pursuit of comfort/safety/security. In doing so, we effectively choose to ignore the story Jesus tells in Luke 12:12-34. The man who considered it wise to plan out his own future gets his life taken from him that very night for doing so. Jesus basically says “how dare you.” And in James 4:13-15 Jesus reminds us again that our careful planning for our own tomorrow is a joke. Even for those of us who don’t necessarily “ignore” these passages, we tend to explain them away with savvy interpretive (justification) blab.
No Excuses
I believe a world without God loves it when we choose lives of total comfort and safety. I think the enemy cleverly tricks by using “good things” to keep us from being relentless Christians devoted to the cause of Christ. We use our children, careers, financial status, upcoming changes, attachment to family, retirement planning, the love of our home, etc, etc…all as justification to never risk anything for God. At one point in time, Christians were the most passionate, outrageous, uncivilized, tenacious advancers of the gospel. They rejected the status quo, went into the darkness, and loved others sacrificially and irrationally. They had faith that parted seas, stoned giants, danced in fire, destroyed armies, and muzzled hungry lions. And the 12 that walked with Jesus - they went on to lives of courageous and selfless love, inspired by the example of the One and Only.
Somewhere along the way, especially in our Western culture, things changed. Christians moved from the radical faith of the early church, and are now associated with words like: “prosperity”, “safe environment”, “programs”, “great sermons”, “family first”, “great facilities”, “awesome music”, and “seeker sensitive.” Just today I heard my local Christian radio station use the catch phrase: “safe for the entire family.” Now, I understand the other side of this point just fine. But I’d prefer my family experience Jesus, and the advancement of his name, for what it really is – and it’s anything but safe.
Jesus on Safety
Jesus never preached safety. He never called us to pursue comfort or security in this life. In fact, his call for us could not have been more dramatically the opposite. He never softened his message to suggest waiting “until the kid’s are grown” or “until you’re more financially stable.” His teaching was so intentionally the opposite of that. Literally – the opposite! A man came up to Jesus once and said “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus did not respond “Oh, that is great! Go find a good job, start a perfect family, build a great house in a neighborhood with great schools, get ‘plugged in’ at your local church, try not to miss any Sundays, and you’re all set!” Instead, he warned the man about the hugeness of his statement by letting him know that he, the Son of God, did not even have a place to call home. In other words, “if you mean what you say, your life is not going to be comfortable and secure.”
Aside from God himself, no one loves my children more than I do. No one loves my wife more than I do. I am confident that no one treasures their precious hearts and lives more than me. Consequently, no one is more responsible than I am to show them how to live, and who to live for. I pray that I will always have the courage to lead them to Jesus. I do not want to point them to a primarily selfish lifestyle that puts our own needs and wants above the needs of others. What a shame if, by example, I lead them into a faith with prerequisites of convenience and comfort. By leading them in the pursuit of earthly stability, I cheat them from experiencing the real living God who himself rejected that lifestyle. If God chooses to give us “stability” that is fine. But I am starting to see that I should not pursue it as if it’s mine to go get.
What Are We Doing?
Paul said if he was wrong about what he believed, he should be pitied most because he lived such a tough life. But Paul was right about what he believed! Based on that, we all must know that Paul does not regret the life he lived. (That’s why he said “if I am wrong.”) The point is this: if we really believe what we say we do...if we believe Jesus calls us to join him into a life of selflessness, faith, non-conformity, uncertainty…and if we believe this life will be over in the blink of an eye… than what are we doing? Where does our safety and comfort fit into all that?
Jesus said, “Whoever wants to save his own life will lose it, but whoever will lose their life for my sake will find it.” Many religious spinners have said that what Jesus really meant is that in order to be “saved” one must turn their life over to Christ. But the Greek word for “save” in this text has nothing to do with salvation. The word is “sozo” which means “to keep safe and sound; to rescue from danger.” With that in mind, reread his statement. It’s no wonder that statement immediately followed Jesus warning that in order to follow him we must take up our own crosses.
Right now, God is telling me to sacrifice our own abundance for the sake of others in the name of Christ. In doing so, it is necessary to remove my family from the myth of comfort and security. Jesus said his followers are sent like sheep among wolves. After telling his friends about his coming death, he warned them (paraphrase) “if you choose to follow me, you will also take up your cross… and if you live to save your own life, you will lose it… but if you lose your life for me, you will find it.”
I want to follow Jesus with a bold faith that gives him all the glory. That lifts his name up and reduces mine. I have poured years of my life into achieving a high profile, high income career. It was sexy, fun, exciting, challenging, and full of pleasures. But it was self serving. It fueled my own sin. And it fed my desire for attention, accolades, and success. Maybe others can balance that lifestyle beautifully – with a sincere desire to glorify Christ – but I was unable to. In hindsight, I wish we would have lived on a fourth of my salary and gave the rest to the poor. That would have been radical - and would have glorified Christ - even within the glittery business of professional sports.
True Joy
More important is my mission as a husband and father to not make the mistake of, by default, leading my family into a stale, civilized version of Christianity. According to the scriptures, I am better off leading them into a life of great risk, uncertainty, and even danger. If I can help it, my home will not be another story of “growing up in a Christian home” as opposed to a home completely sold out to the true heart of God! Instead of my children growing up to say “I grew up in a Christian home” I want them to be able to say “I grew up in a home of radical faith and we followed Jesus everywhere!” If my kid’s turn away from the Lord, they must know that they are turning from a life of faith, risk and adventure. Unfortunately when many turn away from their “Christian upbringing,” I believe it is because they are turning from a life that is boring, mundane, and ordinary. In my mind, this new step in our journey is not one of misery or despair. Much the opposite…it is a step towards true joy, fulfillment, and reward!
JB
As I have been seeking God regarding this topic of safety and security, he has revealed so many people in scripture to learn from. But the one that hits me the hardest is the example of John the Baptist. Jesus described him by saying “no greater man has ever been born from a woman.” My translation is that JB is as good as it gets, aside from Jesus himself. It’s an interesting thought because he was the epitome of bizarre. Even though his message was compelling, most were turned off because of his eccentric persona. Jesus defended him “what did you expect? a reed swaying in the wind? a man in fine clothes?”
Following a courageous life of devotion to Christ, he found himself in prison. Classic JB style, he had boldly called out the king who was having an affair with his wife’s brother. John was not only put behind bars, but he was to be executed by beheading. He sent his disciples to find Jesus – to make sure the Messiah new of his situation. Consider the message they brought back from Jesus:
"Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me."
The reality of the message that Jesus sent back to John is far too radical for a watered down, comfortable, safe version of Christianity to accept. Jesus was saying “I am not coming through for you John. I am not going to save your life. You faithfully lived out your calling! And oh how you will be blessed if you do not lose faith just because I don’t save you now.”
How Can I Not
I am reminded by this story that our lives are short, and our safety is a myth. I have heard it said that life on earth compared to eternity is one grain of sand on all the earth’s beaches. But this short life – this one grain of sand – is so incredibly important. It's responsibility is great, and its choices determine everything. Our only cause is to make great the name of Jesus Christ. That’s it, that is all that matters. So as I consider the question “how can you do that to your children”, I guess my most honest answer is to ask back a question: “how can I not.”
After reading the red letters (Jesus’ words) in the gospels, I am going back and considering the Webster’s definition of safety: the avoidance of risk, danger, injury, or loss. Seeking God in this area has shown me that it is true - the one who laid down his life for us had much to say to his followers about risk, danger, injury and loss.
“Anticipate it.”
“I gave up all that inferior stuff so I could know Christ personally, experience his resurrection power, be a partner in his suffering, and go all the way with him to death itself.” Phil. 3:10 The Message
Webster’s defines safety as “the avoiding of risk, danger, injury, or loss.”
Ever since I shared what God is doing in the lives of our home, the most common response has been different versions of: “what about the safety of your kids?” or “how could you do that to your children?” or “I am concerned about the safety of your family.”
In almost every case, this comment has come from a position of love - genuine love and concern for our well being. I am appreciative of that, and it is a true blessing to be loved by so many people.
And because so many people have caringly emphasized their concern for our safety, I began seeking God on the issue. He has been so good to reveal so much. I continue to be amazed at how loud he speaks when we come to him with a seeking heart! This specific time of seeking has been eye opening, uplifting, frightening, empowering, and humbling all at the same time. Here are a few things I am learning.
According to God, the modern day concept of security is a complete myth. Our security and/or safety are simply not real. It does not exist. We can easily get mislead into a lifestyle that actually thinks we control our own destiny, our own financial security, and our own physical safety. But God can squash that in an instant. In many cases, until a tragedy of great magnitude comes along, we presume the best thing to do is to follow the world’s pursuit of comfort/safety/security. In doing so, we effectively choose to ignore the story Jesus tells in Luke 12:12-34. The man who considered it wise to plan out his own future gets his life taken from him that very night for doing so. Jesus basically says “how dare you.” And in James 4:13-15 Jesus reminds us again that our careful planning for our own tomorrow is a joke. Even for those of us who don’t necessarily “ignore” these passages, we tend to explain them away with savvy interpretive (justification) blab.
No Excuses
I believe a world without God loves it when we choose lives of total comfort and safety. I think the enemy cleverly tricks by using “good things” to keep us from being relentless Christians devoted to the cause of Christ. We use our children, careers, financial status, upcoming changes, attachment to family, retirement planning, the love of our home, etc, etc…all as justification to never risk anything for God. At one point in time, Christians were the most passionate, outrageous, uncivilized, tenacious advancers of the gospel. They rejected the status quo, went into the darkness, and loved others sacrificially and irrationally. They had faith that parted seas, stoned giants, danced in fire, destroyed armies, and muzzled hungry lions. And the 12 that walked with Jesus - they went on to lives of courageous and selfless love, inspired by the example of the One and Only.
Somewhere along the way, especially in our Western culture, things changed. Christians moved from the radical faith of the early church, and are now associated with words like: “prosperity”, “safe environment”, “programs”, “great sermons”, “family first”, “great facilities”, “awesome music”, and “seeker sensitive.” Just today I heard my local Christian radio station use the catch phrase: “safe for the entire family.” Now, I understand the other side of this point just fine. But I’d prefer my family experience Jesus, and the advancement of his name, for what it really is – and it’s anything but safe.
Jesus on Safety
Jesus never preached safety. He never called us to pursue comfort or security in this life. In fact, his call for us could not have been more dramatically the opposite. He never softened his message to suggest waiting “until the kid’s are grown” or “until you’re more financially stable.” His teaching was so intentionally the opposite of that. Literally – the opposite! A man came up to Jesus once and said “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus did not respond “Oh, that is great! Go find a good job, start a perfect family, build a great house in a neighborhood with great schools, get ‘plugged in’ at your local church, try not to miss any Sundays, and you’re all set!” Instead, he warned the man about the hugeness of his statement by letting him know that he, the Son of God, did not even have a place to call home. In other words, “if you mean what you say, your life is not going to be comfortable and secure.”
Aside from God himself, no one loves my children more than I do. No one loves my wife more than I do. I am confident that no one treasures their precious hearts and lives more than me. Consequently, no one is more responsible than I am to show them how to live, and who to live for. I pray that I will always have the courage to lead them to Jesus. I do not want to point them to a primarily selfish lifestyle that puts our own needs and wants above the needs of others. What a shame if, by example, I lead them into a faith with prerequisites of convenience and comfort. By leading them in the pursuit of earthly stability, I cheat them from experiencing the real living God who himself rejected that lifestyle. If God chooses to give us “stability” that is fine. But I am starting to see that I should not pursue it as if it’s mine to go get.
What Are We Doing?
Paul said if he was wrong about what he believed, he should be pitied most because he lived such a tough life. But Paul was right about what he believed! Based on that, we all must know that Paul does not regret the life he lived. (That’s why he said “if I am wrong.”) The point is this: if we really believe what we say we do...if we believe Jesus calls us to join him into a life of selflessness, faith, non-conformity, uncertainty…and if we believe this life will be over in the blink of an eye… than what are we doing? Where does our safety and comfort fit into all that?
Jesus said, “Whoever wants to save his own life will lose it, but whoever will lose their life for my sake will find it.” Many religious spinners have said that what Jesus really meant is that in order to be “saved” one must turn their life over to Christ. But the Greek word for “save” in this text has nothing to do with salvation. The word is “sozo” which means “to keep safe and sound; to rescue from danger.” With that in mind, reread his statement. It’s no wonder that statement immediately followed Jesus warning that in order to follow him we must take up our own crosses.
Right now, God is telling me to sacrifice our own abundance for the sake of others in the name of Christ. In doing so, it is necessary to remove my family from the myth of comfort and security. Jesus said his followers are sent like sheep among wolves. After telling his friends about his coming death, he warned them (paraphrase) “if you choose to follow me, you will also take up your cross… and if you live to save your own life, you will lose it… but if you lose your life for me, you will find it.”
I want to follow Jesus with a bold faith that gives him all the glory. That lifts his name up and reduces mine. I have poured years of my life into achieving a high profile, high income career. It was sexy, fun, exciting, challenging, and full of pleasures. But it was self serving. It fueled my own sin. And it fed my desire for attention, accolades, and success. Maybe others can balance that lifestyle beautifully – with a sincere desire to glorify Christ – but I was unable to. In hindsight, I wish we would have lived on a fourth of my salary and gave the rest to the poor. That would have been radical - and would have glorified Christ - even within the glittery business of professional sports.
True Joy
More important is my mission as a husband and father to not make the mistake of, by default, leading my family into a stale, civilized version of Christianity. According to the scriptures, I am better off leading them into a life of great risk, uncertainty, and even danger. If I can help it, my home will not be another story of “growing up in a Christian home” as opposed to a home completely sold out to the true heart of God! Instead of my children growing up to say “I grew up in a Christian home” I want them to be able to say “I grew up in a home of radical faith and we followed Jesus everywhere!” If my kid’s turn away from the Lord, they must know that they are turning from a life of faith, risk and adventure. Unfortunately when many turn away from their “Christian upbringing,” I believe it is because they are turning from a life that is boring, mundane, and ordinary. In my mind, this new step in our journey is not one of misery or despair. Much the opposite…it is a step towards true joy, fulfillment, and reward!
JB
As I have been seeking God regarding this topic of safety and security, he has revealed so many people in scripture to learn from. But the one that hits me the hardest is the example of John the Baptist. Jesus described him by saying “no greater man has ever been born from a woman.” My translation is that JB is as good as it gets, aside from Jesus himself. It’s an interesting thought because he was the epitome of bizarre. Even though his message was compelling, most were turned off because of his eccentric persona. Jesus defended him “what did you expect? a reed swaying in the wind? a man in fine clothes?”
Following a courageous life of devotion to Christ, he found himself in prison. Classic JB style, he had boldly called out the king who was having an affair with his wife’s brother. John was not only put behind bars, but he was to be executed by beheading. He sent his disciples to find Jesus – to make sure the Messiah new of his situation. Consider the message they brought back from Jesus:
"Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me."
The reality of the message that Jesus sent back to John is far too radical for a watered down, comfortable, safe version of Christianity to accept. Jesus was saying “I am not coming through for you John. I am not going to save your life. You faithfully lived out your calling! And oh how you will be blessed if you do not lose faith just because I don’t save you now.”
How Can I Not
I am reminded by this story that our lives are short, and our safety is a myth. I have heard it said that life on earth compared to eternity is one grain of sand on all the earth’s beaches. But this short life – this one grain of sand – is so incredibly important. It's responsibility is great, and its choices determine everything. Our only cause is to make great the name of Jesus Christ. That’s it, that is all that matters. So as I consider the question “how can you do that to your children”, I guess my most honest answer is to ask back a question: “how can I not.”
After reading the red letters (Jesus’ words) in the gospels, I am going back and considering the Webster’s definition of safety: the avoidance of risk, danger, injury, or loss. Seeking God in this area has shown me that it is true - the one who laid down his life for us had much to say to his followers about risk, danger, injury and loss.
“Anticipate it.”
"Dear friends, don't be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. 13 Instead, be very glad—because these trials will make you partners with Christ in his suffering, and afterward you will have the wonderful joy of sharing his glory when it is displayed to all the world." I Pet. 4:12-13
Some great resources on this topic include:
The Bible, Don’t Waste Your Life (John Piper), The Barbarian Way (Erwin McManus), The Red Letters (Tom Davis), Plastic Jesus (Eric Sandras).
Some great resources on this topic include:
The Bible, Don’t Waste Your Life (John Piper), The Barbarian Way (Erwin McManus), The Red Letters (Tom Davis), Plastic Jesus (Eric Sandras).
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Inspired by the Red Letters
~By Brock
This is a recent journal entry of mine. I decided to post it because I wanted to share with anyone who is interested some awesome stuff that God has been doing. This is not unique to just our family, but is going on within the deepStream community as a whole. Each family's story is different - but here is a glimpse into ours.
Journal Entry - November 7, 2007
Not long ago Kerrie and I were on our knees committing to Jesus through tears that we are willing to follow him anywhere. We cried out to God, asking him to begin breaking our hearts for whatever breaks his heart. To help us step outside of ourselves and allow us to desire what he desires. This was a very stupid thing we did! No… it has actually been the most exhilarating thing we have done in a very long time!
We are finding that journeying with Jesus can be terrifying and exhilarating at the same time. For me, the closer I get to God, the more I realize that he is nothing like I imagined. The more I fall in love with this person Jesus, the more I become amazed at who He is and who he asks me to be. Ever since he saved me and my family several years ago (an undeserved outpouring of his grace) he continues to reveal more of himself. Sometimes I look back and see his fingerprints in my life and it all seems to make sense. But there are just as many times when I hear his voice and what he’s saying is absolute craziness. I am comforted by the fact that so many people in scripture experienced the same thing! “This is difficult teaching” is what they would say… It is this unpredictability of Jesus that makes it so exciting to follow Him.
Immediately following our reckless prayers and commitment, God started breaking our hearts for the poor. He has been showing us how critical it is to care for the poor if we are to call ourselves followers of Jesus. It is an issue that Jesus talked about often, and it is the lifestyle he lived. I find it amazing that after so many years of “growing up in church” the concept seems brand new to me. A friend of mine who lives in another country, devoting his life to helping the poorest of the poor, challenged me to go through the new testament reading only the “red letters” (Jesus’ words). The very words of Jesus regarding the physically poor, the rich, materialism, false security, the needy, the hungry, sacrifice, etc…have been ringing in my ears so loud I cannot hear much of anything else. It has been a burden placed in my heart that I cannot get away from. An awakening in my soul that, until recently, left me frozen.
Jesus refers to the poor as himself. He says when we care for them…we care for him. In fact, Matthew 25 speaks very clearly about how important it is for the hearts of Christians to be broken for the poor. Even if you have read this a hundred times, read it again - and let it sink in.
31"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'
37"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
40"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
41"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'
44"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'
45"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'
46"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."
In our home, we’ve been studying and praying on this passage for a while now. All 3 kids have been genuinely impacted (and stunned) by Jesus’ words. Jake thinks of Willie (a homeless man we became friends with) and Sumon (a child we sponsor in Bangladesh). But even at 6 years old, it is obvious that he understands the deeper meaning of the passage. He wishes more people like Willie were near our house so they could stay with us. Madi’s heart is so pure and good, she cries every time we discuss it. She can’t believe so many people don’t have a place to live and don’t have food. And Brooke is frustrated…that we haven’t relocated to a poorer community already. She is convinced that it’s not fair to live where we live, and have all that we have, if Jesus meant what he said in Matthew 25. A couple days ago in the car, she broke the peaceful car-ride silence with “dad, if we don’t go somewhere where we can be closer to poor people, we are all going to be goats.”
I believe the spirit of Jesus who occupies her heart and mind gave her that thought. This must be what Jesus meant when he said “anyone who does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” Children don’t see the difficulties associated with moving, or the logical reasons not to “downgrade” or “do anything crazy.” Unlike us adults, their first thoughts aren’t full of concern for what others will think. Perhaps with more years of religious education, Brooke’s reaction would be to justify how we can more conveniently address this issue of ministering to the poor. Maybe she would have a more rational interpretation of Matthew 25 - one that is a little easier to swallow. When our hearts and minds get insulated from Jesus over time by a world of false security, I think we become less willing to take Jesus’ words literally.
I believe God is leading our family to into some new territory. I cannot articulate all the reasons. But at some point you just know. He has spoken to us countless times, countless ways. It is no coincidence that this all started after Kerrie and I prayed boldly asking God to disturb us. It was strange how it all happened. But we knew we were missing something big. We felt like he desired our faith to be stretched. He was revealing to us in a loud but mysterious way that we needed to get uncomfortable. Following Jesus can at times be very uncomfortable.
In Revelation 3, Jesus sends a letter to the church of Laodicea. This church is marked by its wealth and comfort, much like that of the modern day American church. In fact, as I read the letter, I am convinced that much of the American christian church is the modern day church of Laodicea. In the letter, Jesus says “you say ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and I do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, blind, and naked.” Jesus also says to this wealthy church: “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.”
Today, we can read this and argue over what it means. I am choosing to take it literally. Jesus is saying that lukewarm christians may not be christians after all. If our hearts and lives never follow what we say we believe, the letter to this church is a warning that we will be very disappointed to find that the kingdom of heaven does not welcome us, and we will be spit from the mouth of God. To me, this scripture is one of the most frightening things Jesus ever said, particularly how it correlates to what I see around me in the American christian community, and in my own life. It helps me appreciate what Paul meant when he said we are to “work out our salvation with fear and trembling.”
In a similar train of thought, God has been opening my eyes to the biblical concept of suffering. I have never been more challenged to sacrifice for Christ. I am guilty of reading the many pages of scripture regarding my responsibility as a believer to glorify God through sacrifice and suffering…without really considering what that means for me. In some way I am frustrated that I never heard this in church - despite the fact that Jesus, Paul, the disciples, etc spoke of it often, and clearly lived it out in their own lives. But it is not anyone’s fault other than my own. I choose not to meditate on the scripture that is harder to accept. I lean towards the feel good stuff, and press back against the scary stuff. Sacrifice, suffering, selflessness, giving of everything… this is the more difficult teaching.
Paul said at one time that if Christ didn't rise from the dead (or in other words, if none of this stuff is true) we christians should be pitied more than all men. I recently realized that the reason he said that is because of the difficult calling christians have to endure suffering. To take up our crosses. To do the tough stuff, take on the challenges, even when it seems nuts. Paul is saying that, from a worldly viewpoint, his life has been extremely rough. But since he lived without forgetting that his life was only a vapor - a blink of an eye - he knew the sacrifice was "nothing at all" from the view of eternity. And with that in mind, he was full of pure joy.
As I fall more in love with Jesus and my heart longs to know him more, it seems like he is steadily removing clumps of mud from my eyes. (Although I seem to have an unlimited supply of new mud clumps that appear.) But this time, the cleansing of the mud is helping me to see that in my own life, abundance…means obstacle. Luxury…equals hindrance. Wealth…leads to lukewarm. And my reluctance to notice the hungry…is ultimately a reluctance to notice Jesus.
Apparently “taking up my cross and following Jesus” didn’t mean proclaiming my faith by wearing a cross shaped necklace charm and slapping a fish decal on my bumper. Much more than that, I am called to represent an extension of the cross by sacrificing my own life for Christ. How can it make sense that suffering would glorify God? I guess in the same way a bloody cross did.
~If they persecuted me, they will persecute you.
~Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.
~To live is Christ, and to die is gain.
~Paul lived “sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.”
~Momentary affliction prepares us for eternal glory.
~We are burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves, but on Christ who raises the dead.
~Whatever you did for the least of these you did for me.
~It is easier for camel to walk through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.
~The poor, humble, will have great reward in heaven. Those praised in this world will not be highly regarded in the next.
~Those exalted in this life, will be humbled in the next. Those who are humbled here on earth will be exalted in heaven.
~The lust of money and possessions is the root of a thousand evils, mostly running away from God.
~It is nearly impossible for the rich man to get to heaven.
~Of the materialistic Babylon: Give her as much torture and grief as the glory and luxury she gave herself.
The biblical passages on suffering and sacrifice go on…and on…and on. To be clear however, the idea is not to pointlessly throw myself into unfortunate circumstances that lead to suffering. To flippantly invoke suffering on myself may appear spiritual, but would actually be quite selfish.
My suffering for Christ can only be born of my desire to glorify God, not myself. According to the scriptures, truly following Jesus will inevitably lead to a life of sacrifice and suffering. In genuine instances of taking up our own crosses for our Lord Jesus, the motivating heart is one of love for people, love for God, and a willingness to deny ourselves in the process. Jesus said “whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.” And yet through all of this we will receive great joy! How crazy is that?!
This leads to where we are on our journey. In the last couple of months, God has helped me realize my own abundance, comfort, wealth, etc. And I think he is beginning to teach me what sacrifice means. (Not that we have yet to sacrifice in the slightest, but we are committing to at least begin that process.) We thank him for helping us see that by making less of us we can make more of him. And it is nothing short of answered prayer that he is beginning to break our hearts for the poor community. Those who are not only spiritually poor, but who have literal daily needs of hunger, shelter, and clothing. I am excited to be closer to them, to have daily interaction and opportunities. While I anticipate struggles and frustrations, I am eager to give up my extras in order to help those who lack necessities.
When I read Jesus’ words “whatever you did for the least of these, you did for me,” I envision myself before the throne being asked what I did for the least of these. And lately I have been floored by the close proximity between my neighborhood and a world of poverty that I didn’t know existed. St. Augustine, Jax Beach, downtown Jax, the Northside. There are literally thousands of the “least of these” all around me.
At this season of my life, I do not hear God calling me to the mission fields of Africa or China. Maybe someday he will do that – and it would be an awesome opportunity. But for now he is leading us to the poorer communities right around us.
God is not whispering to us that its time to depart from our comfortable bubble. He is screaming it loud. While Kerrie and I know that he led us to our current neighborhood (and specifically to this home) he reminds us not to get too comfortable. That all of this is temporary, there is much to be done, and everything we “see” will be gone in the blink of an eye. We are thankful that he continues to press us forward – towards another step in our journey of following him. While there are times I agonize over the idea of leaving (neighbors, home, schools, etc), I remain so excited to follow where Jesus leads! I am honored to be stretched, humbled to be used, and thankful that God prefers we do not stay still for long.
Jesus - I pray that you will never stop stretching me. Thank you for doing it again! Continue to strengthen my love for you and for people. Widen my view of you. Help me not limit you in any way. Help me not to doubt what you can do through me and my family. Please break my heart for the poor. Give me a soft heart that thinks of others ahead of myself, especially those that are difficult to love. Help me think and live eternally. Strip me from my distractions so I can grow closer to you. Help me to provide an uncommon example of selflessness for my kid’s to emulate. Lord, if I want them to avoid becoming like the Laodecian church, I must in my own life detest every single hint of it. Help me extinguish any aspect of my life that reflects unnecessary abundance. Give me strength to remain on fire for you. Help me sense any sign of lukewarmness well before it gets to me. Dear Lord, help me live my life with one goal alone: that when I finally meet you face-to-face, I will be able to say “I gave you everything.”
Monday, October 1, 2007
God Enough!
Posted by Theresa <><
So no one has blogged lately, maybe it's because of time or simply because no has had anything to say?
Well, these last two weeks of life have made me thankful that God is enough.
If you are the type of person who needs answers, and good ones at that - sorry, I'm just not sure there out there. Life, Earth, Science, History, Theology, etc... all created by God, taken away - Is God enough?
Have you "experienced" God enough in your short or long life for Him to be enough? I can honestly say YES! My experiences with Him far out weigh the knowledge I've acquired about Him. If I had to choose between the two I'd take having my experiences verse the knowledge.
My challenge: If you know God but haven't experienced Him enough for Him to "be" ENOUGH - ask Him for that.
I'm not saying we should put down our Bibles or our studies, I'm just saying if all of that were gone we should be prepared to honor God without it.
Remeinds me of The Firey Furnace - We should decide in advance whom we'll serve no matter what!
I feel unworthy and humble to be serving a God as mighty as mine.
So no one has blogged lately, maybe it's because of time or simply because no has had anything to say?
Well, these last two weeks of life have made me thankful that God is enough.
If you are the type of person who needs answers, and good ones at that - sorry, I'm just not sure there out there. Life, Earth, Science, History, Theology, etc... all created by God, taken away - Is God enough?
Have you "experienced" God enough in your short or long life for Him to be enough? I can honestly say YES! My experiences with Him far out weigh the knowledge I've acquired about Him. If I had to choose between the two I'd take having my experiences verse the knowledge.
My challenge: If you know God but haven't experienced Him enough for Him to "be" ENOUGH - ask Him for that.
I'm not saying we should put down our Bibles or our studies, I'm just saying if all of that were gone we should be prepared to honor God without it.
Remeinds me of The Firey Furnace - We should decide in advance whom we'll serve no matter what!
I feel unworthy and humble to be serving a God as mighty as mine.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
our new deepstream blog!
Posted by Brock:
This is our new deepStream blog!! A few of us in the deepstream community will occasionaly share random thoughts through this site. Hopefully we'll be more frequent than I have been in the past...
This is our new deepStream blog!! A few of us in the deepstream community will occasionaly share random thoughts through this site. Hopefully we'll be more frequent than I have been in the past...
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