The presence of God is awesome.
And when I say awesome, I mean it draws us into awe of our Creator. I think that word - awesome - has lost some of its meaning because we use it for the latest American Idol winner, our favorite NBA player, and the last Taco Bell meal I consumed. But truly, there is nothing more awesome than Jesus Christ, our Savior and Redeemer, who died on the cross for us.
It sounds so basic. But lately I have been so convicted about how I do not practice the presence of God on a daily basis. I reserve those "unique" times for big worship events or prayer nights... but why? Is there something keeping me from pursuing God and entering his presence?
I'm on a big A.W. Tozer kick right now. I'm reading both the Pursuit of God and the Knowledge of the Holy. If you can pick up either of these books and read a couple chapters, I guarantee you won't be able to stop. This blog is a culmination of what I've been reading, coupled with the biggest lesson God has been teaching me lately; that is, God desires me to bask in his presence and just be with him. I've been too busy doing for God lately that I forget to stop and say hi.
Rather than attempt to put into my own words what Tozer has already eloquently communicated, I'm just going to list a couple quotes from both books that have impacted me recently:
"With our loss of the sense of majesty has come the further loss of religious awe and consciousness of the divine Presence. We have lost our spirit of worship and our ability to withdraw inwardly to meet God in adoring silence. Modern Christianity is simply not producing the kind of Christian who can appreciate or experience the life in the Spirit. The words, "Be still, and know that I am God," mean next to nothing to the self-confident, bustling worshiper in this middle period of the twentieth century." -p.viii - Knowledge of the Holy (I would argue that this issue has extended beyond the middle period of the twentieth century when Tozer wrote it into today's church as well.)
"And yet...to push in sensitive living experience into the holy presence, is a privilege open to every child of God. With the veil removed by the rending of Jesus' flesh, with nothing on God's side to prevent us from entering, why do we tarry without? Why do we consent to abide all our days just outside the Holy of Holies and never enter at all to look upon God?" -p.39 Pursuit of God.
The veil that Tozer references is the veil used in the tabernacle, where God's presence rested before Jesus came and changed that. There was a veil between the first outer courts and the second, more intimate room where there was incense and prayer. Then there was another veil to separate the second room and the Holy of Holies, the resting place of God's presence that was only entered once a year by the high priest. When Jesus came and died for all mankind, God's presence became tangible and available for everyone. He tore the veil to make a way for mankind to experience the tangible presence of God in daily life. This is perhaps the most exciting thing I have ever heard.
"God wills that we should push on into his presence and live our whole life there. This is to be known to us in conscious experience. It is more than a doctrine to be held; it is a life to be enjoyed every moment of every day." p.34 Pursuit of God.
I heard this analogy from my friend Kristen Eckhout. If God is truly our Father, wouldn't he act in a way familiar to all fathers? A father who loves his children will not force them to work for him all day and want them to be constantly doing for him. No, he would want to be with them and spend time with them and have the chance to love on them. I get so busy doing ministry and other things for God that I forget to stop, slow down, and sit in His presence. And I'm missing the best part too!
Father, may I never replace being with doing. Help me to seek your presence and live in that presence daily, reflecting on your love and majesty.
Hebrews 10:19-22
"Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water."
**As a final note, I just wanted to give a shout out to Phil Wickham for putting on a great worship concert tonight in Indianapolis. It really reminded me how powerful the presence of God is, and how the death of the True Love created a new freedom for us that we've never experienced! Listen to his song "True Love" sometime... Better yet, listen to the song while you read Tozer's Pursuit of God! Haha... **
November 14, 2009
October 15, 2009
Not a Boring Bible
Well hello to anyone who manages to stumble upon my blog after I haven't updated it in about 3 months. I really would like to blog more, but there's something about college classes that manages to distract me... maybe it's the work load and all the papers I have to write... but who knows.
In an effort to blog more, I plan on writing shorter, concise blogs that express ideas I've been thinking about. And in that way, if I actually come up with a somewhat intelligent and creative idea then I can actually take credit for it.... but that's not likely. In fact, that won't happen, but if you will humor me and actually read some blogs of mine then maybe you'll start to understand why I am the way I am.
There has been something on my mind recently that was really triggered by a big city-wide youth event that I attended with the youth group I work with. At this event the worship music was good, the testimonies from students were authentic, and overall I sensed that the hearts of the people who put on this event were pure and Christ-centered. However, the main speaker at the end was the "hype-up" type... you know, the kind that comes up and gets everyone screaming "Jesus" in some sort of competitive, yelling frenzy without anyone really knowing why we're doing it. I don't mind this for a little bit, but we went on screaming for about 10 minutes without him preaching from the Word at all.
In fact, the rest of his 5-10 minute sermon afterwards was completely motivational and "attractive," and did not include a single verse from the Bible. This really disappointed me, because the kids that night did not hear the actual words of God except for maybe through the songs that were straight from scripture. Even if he used only 1 scriptural reference, I think that would have been alright, because the kids could remember that one verse. But no, the Bible wasn't even mentioned.
This got me thinking... Why do we (especially in youth ministry) fall into this trap of trying to make everything attractive by human standards, appealing to hype and excitement and emotions? Why do we think that the Jesus Christ and the Bible are not attractive and appealing on their own? Sure, there is room for having fun and sweet lights and technology and all that jazz... But if it is replacing the Bible, then we are far from what I believe is true Christianity. We rob the gospel of its inherent power.
Isaiah 55:11 says, "...so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it." God did not give us a boring Bible. He did not curse us with something that we would have to add to and change in order to grab the attention of those who listen. God's word is living and active (Hebrews 4:12) and will accomplish God's purposes if we don't get in the way! I wonder how often we get in the way of God's plans by adding our own plans and agenda.
Similarly, Paul says in 1 Corinthians 2:4-5, "My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God's power." If we are relying on the Spirit in our teaching and presentation of the Gospel, we have no need to fear that the students won't hear. We feel the need to fancy-up our preaching and events like a car or house to attract people. But the fact of the matter is that God will attract people to Him based on His beauty and glory, and not our own. No more relying on entertainment... let's open up the Word of God and let it speak for itself. I know that students today are yearning for more depth in the Bible, and still we doubt how much they can handle.
Entertainment and hype cannot replace the Word of God. They have their place, but if we are to make real disciples of Christ, the Word of God is not an option; it's an imperative.
In an effort to blog more, I plan on writing shorter, concise blogs that express ideas I've been thinking about. And in that way, if I actually come up with a somewhat intelligent and creative idea then I can actually take credit for it.... but that's not likely. In fact, that won't happen, but if you will humor me and actually read some blogs of mine then maybe you'll start to understand why I am the way I am.
There has been something on my mind recently that was really triggered by a big city-wide youth event that I attended with the youth group I work with. At this event the worship music was good, the testimonies from students were authentic, and overall I sensed that the hearts of the people who put on this event were pure and Christ-centered. However, the main speaker at the end was the "hype-up" type... you know, the kind that comes up and gets everyone screaming "Jesus" in some sort of competitive, yelling frenzy without anyone really knowing why we're doing it. I don't mind this for a little bit, but we went on screaming for about 10 minutes without him preaching from the Word at all.
In fact, the rest of his 5-10 minute sermon afterwards was completely motivational and "attractive," and did not include a single verse from the Bible. This really disappointed me, because the kids that night did not hear the actual words of God except for maybe through the songs that were straight from scripture. Even if he used only 1 scriptural reference, I think that would have been alright, because the kids could remember that one verse. But no, the Bible wasn't even mentioned.
This got me thinking... Why do we (especially in youth ministry) fall into this trap of trying to make everything attractive by human standards, appealing to hype and excitement and emotions? Why do we think that the Jesus Christ and the Bible are not attractive and appealing on their own? Sure, there is room for having fun and sweet lights and technology and all that jazz... But if it is replacing the Bible, then we are far from what I believe is true Christianity. We rob the gospel of its inherent power.
Isaiah 55:11 says, "...so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it." God did not give us a boring Bible. He did not curse us with something that we would have to add to and change in order to grab the attention of those who listen. God's word is living and active (Hebrews 4:12) and will accomplish God's purposes if we don't get in the way! I wonder how often we get in the way of God's plans by adding our own plans and agenda.
Similarly, Paul says in 1 Corinthians 2:4-5, "My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God's power." If we are relying on the Spirit in our teaching and presentation of the Gospel, we have no need to fear that the students won't hear. We feel the need to fancy-up our preaching and events like a car or house to attract people. But the fact of the matter is that God will attract people to Him based on His beauty and glory, and not our own. No more relying on entertainment... let's open up the Word of God and let it speak for itself. I know that students today are yearning for more depth in the Bible, and still we doubt how much they can handle.
Entertainment and hype cannot replace the Word of God. They have their place, but if we are to make real disciples of Christ, the Word of God is not an option; it's an imperative.
July 27, 2009
Nothing New Under the Sun
For any of you who follow my blog consistently, you might remember a post I made about Saint James a couple weeks ago. In my interaction with this man, God illumined a great truth about the role of apologetics in evangelism. To sum up, here is what I said:
"Apologetics, the rational defense of the faith, is designed to plant seeds. You will never argue someone into the Kingdom of God. That's not what God's love created us to do. His love will win someone to the Kingdom of God. Intellectual assent, while it is an important aspect of faith, is not a pre-requisite for belief. Apologetics will merely break down faulty logic and weak arguments in order to create space for the Holy Spirit to convict the heart. The mind will either serve as a bridge or as a roadblock to the heart."
Simple truth, yes? Well, thankfully, there are much smarter men and women on this earth than me... men and women with more experience than me. I love to read, and this summer I have been soaking up just about as many books as I can. I was forced to laugh the other day while reading Surprised by the Voice of God by Jack Deere. Deere recounts a situation he encountered while witnessing to an intelligent woman on a flight to Dallas:
"Apologetics, the rational defense of the faith, is designed to plant seeds. You will never argue someone into the Kingdom of God. That's not what God's love created us to do. His love will win someone to the Kingdom of God. Intellectual assent, while it is an important aspect of faith, is not a pre-requisite for belief. Apologetics will merely break down faulty logic and weak arguments in order to create space for the Holy Spirit to convict the heart. The mind will either serve as a bridge or as a roadblock to the heart."
Simple truth, yes? Well, thankfully, there are much smarter men and women on this earth than me... men and women with more experience than me. I love to read, and this summer I have been soaking up just about as many books as I can. I was forced to laugh the other day while reading Surprised by the Voice of God by Jack Deere. Deere recounts a situation he encountered while witnessing to an intelligent woman on a flight to Dallas:
"An hour and a half of apologetic arguments did not even come close to equaling the force of the simple statement, "You are a sinner and you need a savior." There was a power behind that simple declaration that was absent from all my carefully reasoned arguments. The power came because God had suggested those simple words to my spirit... That experience of power began to teach me, a philosophy major, the relative powerlessness of intellectual arguments. While they may occasionally remove genuine obstacles to faith, they are ultimately fruitless unless the Holy Spirit convicts the heart of sin" (309).
Huh. Sounds familiar...
But it doesn't stop there. I read that a couple days ago. Today I bought a new book by Norman Geisler and David Geisler entitled Conversational Evangelism. As I began to read through the book (written by two of the top apologists in America, mind you), I stumbled across this paragraph:
"This distinction has major implications for how we do evangelism. Apologetics cannot argue someone into the kingdom. Scripture teaches that the Holy Spirit must work in a person's life if he or she is to accept Christ. Jesus said in John 6:65, "No one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him." Therefore, faith and reason must work hand in hand to effectively reach others for Christ. Apologetics can help someone "believe that" Jesus is the Messiah, but it can never force one to "believe in" Him" (163).
I love how they distinguish between the phrases, "believing that" and "believing in." A simple change of words essentially holds eternity in its hands. It is easy to believe that something happened, given strong evidence and clear logic. But to believe in something, to base your life on a cause, requires faith. That faith can only come through the Holy Spirit.
I'm reminded of Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 2:4-5 - "My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God's power." Rationality is beneficial to an extent, yet it is fleeting without the Spirit. As John 4:23 tells us, God desires worshipers who worship in Spirit and in truth. There must be a balance between the two.
Please do not misunderstand me. I love apologetics still. I am going to continue to read and study the arguments on both sides of faith. I believe studying apologetics not only strengthens my own faith, but it also puts my fears toward evangelism at ease.
What I am attempting to communicate is that the Holy Spirit is at work today in miraculous ways, and the biggest miracle in life is when someone passes from the old life into the new. The Holy Spirit is not absent from the mind and apologetics; on the contrary, He relishes the opportunity to transform a life while utilizing a tool for breaking down intellectual barriers. He works on both the heart and the mind. Don't forget, God is the one who gave us a mind and intellect in the first place.
If God gave us a mind, should we choose not to use it? And if God gave us his Holy Spirit, should we choose to neglect Him?
I thank God for people like Jack Deere, David Geisler, and Norman Geisler, who fluidly articulate my thoughts for me in such brilliant manners that inspire me to wrestle with the topic even further.
Until next time...
July 11, 2009
The Power of Testimony
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Last night I got the opportunity to preach at our weekly coffee house outreach we hold at the Dream Center. There are several homeless men and women that attend, as well as the men and women in our discipleship program that have come off the streets in order to turn their lives around. I spoke about this very topic, the power of testimony, and it's been on my mind so much that I thought I would blog a little bit of my thoughts.Never underestimate the power of someone's testimony, someone's story of God's power in his or her life. Being in Los Angeles working with such a wide variety of people has given me the chance to hear just about every possible testimony. From drugs to alcohol to prostitution to murder, I've heard it all. And let me tell you... I've never been as confident in the power of God to change lives as I do right now.
Take my friend Arlan, for example. Arlan works with me here at Hope for Homeless Youth. He and I lead outreaches together, and let me tell you, when he starts praying with the short-term groups to begin the outreaches, you better be prepared to feel the Spirit moving. I don't know if I've ever met someone more sure and confident of God's power on the streets than Arlan. He is on fire for Christ and I learn more from his example everyday. But he wasn't always a Spirit-filled, passionate disciple of Christ.
Arlan grew up being harassed by classmates for having more effeminate qualities, which of course included accusations of being gay, whether he even understood what that meant or not. Long story short, he ended up cross-dressing in an attempt to become more of who everyone else claimed he was. He left home with a full-time job doing drag queen shows around the country. He told me that he could barely remember anything from those trips because he was always tripping on some drug and drinking more than a human being should. When he couldn't do the drag queen shows anymore he would end up prostituting himself on the streets where he would end up homeless after losing all of his money either to drugs or a crazy party lifestyle. He was beaten, raped, and left for dead on multiple occasions. He remembers these days as being absent of meaning and hope, always knowing he would end up going home alone and in need of something more.
The one thing going for him in life was that he had a mom who prayed for him everyday. And let me tell you, when there is a mom praying for her child, God works in incredible ways. The prayers of a loving mom are unmatched. Eventually Arlan came home to his parents' house, dressed as a woman. He expected them to drag him to church, but they didn't. In his own words, he said he went to church with them just to spite them for not forcing him to go. After going to the church, he felt a love that he has never felt before. The people at the church loved him for who he was, and they looked right past the cross-dressing. They treated him as he truly was, a child of the living God.
He started to attend the church more and more and actually got involved in painting murals there (he is a very gifted artist). He said the others who worked with him talked to him and loved him just as any other person in the church, and he could never figure out why. But he liked it. And eventually the love of Christ gripped his heart, and he gave his life to Him. He put away the former lifestyle he had adopted full of drugs, alcohol, homelessness, prostitution, and partying, opting for the better life God had always planned for him, a life full of joy, purpose, and true love from the only One who could give it to him unconditionally.
Not long after that he started attending another church in Phoenix and felt a calling to go into vocational ministry. After months of training at a pastors' school, Arlan began serving the Lord at his home church as a youth pastor. From there God called him to work with Hope for Homeless Youth, reaching out to the homeless here in Los Angeles, extending the same hope he received from Christ to everyone he meets. He knows exactly how to speak into the lives of people who are in similar situations as he was years before.
Full of humility, Arlan possesses a personable quality that attracts everyone around him. He is never ashamed of the gospel that literally saved his life. He gives God glory everyday as he walks the streets, sharing Christ's love with every soul that needs a glimmer of hope in a world that only offers a cheap substitute. He understands the realm of spiritual warfare, and he storms the gates of Heaven in every prayer. I know without a doubt that the Father is pleased with this man of God.
Try to tell me that God doesn't work miracles today, and I will laugh. Arlan is a walking testimony of God's faithfulness towards all of His children and of His matchless power to change lives. I have learned that no person is permanently lost, no situation is too big, no scheme of hell is too wicked for the Holy Spirit to come in and change everything for God's glory. It reminds me of the line from the song "In Christ Alone":
No power of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
Til' He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I stand.
Every situation that Satan intends for disaster and pain God will turn around and use to bring love and glory to to Him. In John 9, Jesus heals a blind man who doesn't even know who Jesus is. When questioned by the Pharisees about the event, he proclaims, "Whether he is a sinner or not, I do not know. One thing I do know - I was blind and now I see!"
You don't have to be a Bible scholar to tell everyone about Christ's love. You don't have to be perfect to commit your life to Him. All you need to do is give your pain, your hurt, to God and let him transform your life. Then you'll have a testimony that no one can take away.
You can always argue point-counterpoint, logic and reason, until you're blue in the face with frustration, but you can never argue with a changed life.
Revelation 12:11 says, "They overcame him [Satan] by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony..." After hearing Arlan's testimony, as well as the testimonies of countless others, I know for a fact that God wasn't lying when he gave us this verse. Do you believe he can do the same with your testimony?
As a final note, I really want to encourage everyone to share your testimony with others. People need to hear about God's awesome power to change lives.
Romans 8:28 - "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."
July 7, 2009
Hay-soos
God continues to use people to teach me timeless truths as I walk the streets in Los Angeles. Last week's lesson came from a homeless Hispanic man ironically named Jesus (pronounced, "Hay-soos", in case you were you confused about the quirky blog title). From here on out, I will refer to him as "Jay" so as to avoid any potential misunderstandings between the man I met and the Jesus who died for mankind on the cross.
I met Jay at our weekly outreach to Santa Monica. Each week we go out there with the church teams and canvass the entire area, inviting all the homeless to come to the pier for free food and testimonies about God's love. Once we get to the pier, we have two individuals from the church teams share a quick 5-minute testimony about how God has changed their lives, and someone from our staff shares a quick word (or sermon), offering everybody the chance for prayer. After that we break out the food and enjoy some good eatin' and fellowshipin' under a sunsettin' California sky.
It was at this point when Jay made eye contact with me as he ate his food on a nearby bench. Jay was wearing a gardener's hat and spoke with a little bit of an accent. He was also holding a brown paper bag and smelled a bit like the alcohol he had been drinking (though, he wasn't drunk). He said something to me that I couldn't quite understand, so I moved closer to him and asked him to repeat.
"Do you really believe we will see each other again someday in heaven?" he asked.
"Of course! Whoever professes that Jesus is Lord, believes that he died on the cross and rose again from the dead, and commits their lives to Him will go to heaven and have eternal life," I replied. I showed him Romans 10:9 to assure him of this truth. I've found that there is true power in reading the Word and allowing others to read it for themselves.
"But what if you do something really bad? Do you think he forgives you then?" His tone was so sincere, so innocently inquisitive, that I couldn't help but wonder where this conversation was headed.
"I know he forgives you. If we repent and ask him for forgiveness, we receive it instantly. It's as if that sin never happened in God's eyes. It says so here in 1 John 1:9..." Again I showed him this verse to give him assurance that God is indeed "faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness" if we confess our sins.
To this, he looked up and with a rush of emotion declared, "But I feel so bad! God cannot forgive me when I feel this bad!" He continued on to explain that he had done something horrible (without explaining the details), despite the fact that he had been a good boy when he was young. He kept repeating the line, "My mom always told me to do right, but I didn't listen. Why didn't I listen?"
It broke my heart to listen to his story. Emotions are so deceiving. Just as the mind can serve as either a bridge or as a roadblock to the heart, as was the case with "Saint" James in my last blog, emotions can either enhance one's faith or destroy it. Misleading emotions take the here-and-now circumstances and use them to trap the unexpectant traveller in lies that attempt to annihilate timeless truths. They deceptively shroud absolute truth with clouds of subjective thought and relativity. The timeless truth in Jay's story was that God had forgiven him, but because Jay did not feel forgiven, he could not believe that he was forgiven.
This is precisely why God has blessed us with His Word, the Bible. In his great wisdom God knew we would somehow forget the promises he gave the early believers and recorded them in a great book that is the eternal record of truth. He knew Satan would use our emotions against us and try to get us lost in our "feelings." Romans 10:9, 1 John 1:9, and John 3:16 are all promises God gave us to remind us in times of doubt that we would not be forgiven for whatever reasons.
I encouraged Jay with these promises. I told him a thousand times that since he had asked for forgiveness for his sin he was forgiven. I even showed him the example of David in 2 Samuel 11, when he sins with Bathsheba. I gave him Psalms 51, which was written by David as he desperately sought God's forgiveness for his sexual sin. I told him a thousand times that God loved him more than he could ever fathom. I showed him verse after verse that promised God's love for him.
"But I still feel so bad!" he replied.
At this point Jay's emotions had him in such a vicegrip that his mindful was unfruitful in understanding God's promises. It's one thing to feel forgiven; it's another thing to know you're forgiven. It sometimes does not make sense to our limited human minds that a perfect, infinite Creator would erase the errors of our past without another mention of the mistake. The parable of the prodigal son, which might better be titled the "parable of the incredible father," illustrates the unmatched compassion our Father has for us. I pray that one day Jay will run into the open arms of the Father who did not send his Son to condemn, but to save (John 3:17).
In the meantime, we have to carefully take a toll of our emotions and examine how they are leading us into truth or guiding us into confusion. John Piper writes in Desiring God:
"Truth without emotion produces dead orthodoxy and a church full (or half-full) of artificial admirers... On the other hand, emotion without truth produces empty frenzy and cultivates shallow people who refuse the discipline of rigorous thought. But true worship comes from people who are deeply emotional and who love deep and sound doctrine. Strong affections for God rooted in truth are the bone and marrow of biblical worship."
Emotions are a vital aspect of faith, but we cannot naively trust in them to define our theology or we will never truly grasp how deep, how wide, how great is the love of God!
As tears flowed down Jay's face, I could not help but cry out to God with a spirit of gratitude for his love, and for the realization of that love as articulated in the Word of God. I urged him to replace his feelings of worthlessness with Jesus Christ himself and see how God changes his life. I exhorted him that it is never too late and that God never gives up on us. I prayed for him fervently right there on the bench he was sitting that the Holy Spirit would move in his life so powerfully that his misguided emotions would be replaced with the timeless truth of God's love, grace, and forgiveness.
Please join me in prayer for Jay as you finish this blog, for the "prayers of a righteous person are powerful and effective" (James 5:16).
Living in faith...
I met Jay at our weekly outreach to Santa Monica. Each week we go out there with the church teams and canvass the entire area, inviting all the homeless to come to the pier for free food and testimonies about God's love. Once we get to the pier, we have two individuals from the church teams share a quick 5-minute testimony about how God has changed their lives, and someone from our staff shares a quick word (or sermon), offering everybody the chance for prayer. After that we break out the food and enjoy some good eatin' and fellowshipin' under a sunsettin' California sky.
It was at this point when Jay made eye contact with me as he ate his food on a nearby bench. Jay was wearing a gardener's hat and spoke with a little bit of an accent. He was also holding a brown paper bag and smelled a bit like the alcohol he had been drinking (though, he wasn't drunk). He said something to me that I couldn't quite understand, so I moved closer to him and asked him to repeat.
"Do you really believe we will see each other again someday in heaven?" he asked.
"Of course! Whoever professes that Jesus is Lord, believes that he died on the cross and rose again from the dead, and commits their lives to Him will go to heaven and have eternal life," I replied. I showed him Romans 10:9 to assure him of this truth. I've found that there is true power in reading the Word and allowing others to read it for themselves.
"But what if you do something really bad? Do you think he forgives you then?" His tone was so sincere, so innocently inquisitive, that I couldn't help but wonder where this conversation was headed.
"I know he forgives you. If we repent and ask him for forgiveness, we receive it instantly. It's as if that sin never happened in God's eyes. It says so here in 1 John 1:9..." Again I showed him this verse to give him assurance that God is indeed "faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness" if we confess our sins.
To this, he looked up and with a rush of emotion declared, "But I feel so bad! God cannot forgive me when I feel this bad!" He continued on to explain that he had done something horrible (without explaining the details), despite the fact that he had been a good boy when he was young. He kept repeating the line, "My mom always told me to do right, but I didn't listen. Why didn't I listen?"
It broke my heart to listen to his story. Emotions are so deceiving. Just as the mind can serve as either a bridge or as a roadblock to the heart, as was the case with "Saint" James in my last blog, emotions can either enhance one's faith or destroy it. Misleading emotions take the here-and-now circumstances and use them to trap the unexpectant traveller in lies that attempt to annihilate timeless truths. They deceptively shroud absolute truth with clouds of subjective thought and relativity. The timeless truth in Jay's story was that God had forgiven him, but because Jay did not feel forgiven, he could not believe that he was forgiven.
This is precisely why God has blessed us with His Word, the Bible. In his great wisdom God knew we would somehow forget the promises he gave the early believers and recorded them in a great book that is the eternal record of truth. He knew Satan would use our emotions against us and try to get us lost in our "feelings." Romans 10:9, 1 John 1:9, and John 3:16 are all promises God gave us to remind us in times of doubt that we would not be forgiven for whatever reasons.
I encouraged Jay with these promises. I told him a thousand times that since he had asked for forgiveness for his sin he was forgiven. I even showed him the example of David in 2 Samuel 11, when he sins with Bathsheba. I gave him Psalms 51, which was written by David as he desperately sought God's forgiveness for his sexual sin. I told him a thousand times that God loved him more than he could ever fathom. I showed him verse after verse that promised God's love for him.
"But I still feel so bad!" he replied.
At this point Jay's emotions had him in such a vicegrip that his mindful was unfruitful in understanding God's promises. It's one thing to feel forgiven; it's another thing to know you're forgiven. It sometimes does not make sense to our limited human minds that a perfect, infinite Creator would erase the errors of our past without another mention of the mistake. The parable of the prodigal son, which might better be titled the "parable of the incredible father," illustrates the unmatched compassion our Father has for us. I pray that one day Jay will run into the open arms of the Father who did not send his Son to condemn, but to save (John 3:17).
In the meantime, we have to carefully take a toll of our emotions and examine how they are leading us into truth or guiding us into confusion. John Piper writes in Desiring God:
"Truth without emotion produces dead orthodoxy and a church full (or half-full) of artificial admirers... On the other hand, emotion without truth produces empty frenzy and cultivates shallow people who refuse the discipline of rigorous thought. But true worship comes from people who are deeply emotional and who love deep and sound doctrine. Strong affections for God rooted in truth are the bone and marrow of biblical worship."
Emotions are a vital aspect of faith, but we cannot naively trust in them to define our theology or we will never truly grasp how deep, how wide, how great is the love of God!
As tears flowed down Jay's face, I could not help but cry out to God with a spirit of gratitude for his love, and for the realization of that love as articulated in the Word of God. I urged him to replace his feelings of worthlessness with Jesus Christ himself and see how God changes his life. I exhorted him that it is never too late and that God never gives up on us. I prayed for him fervently right there on the bench he was sitting that the Holy Spirit would move in his life so powerfully that his misguided emotions would be replaced with the timeless truth of God's love, grace, and forgiveness.
Please join me in prayer for Jay as you finish this blog, for the "prayers of a righteous person are powerful and effective" (James 5:16).
Living in faith...
June 30, 2009
"Saint" James
For my blog today I thought I would tell you about a homeless man I met on our Venice Beach outreach named "Saint" James. He always makes sure to add the "saint" part when talking to me.
It's actually a miracle I even know his name. The first time I ever saw him he was sitting in the area where we were holding a mini-service for anyone interested. Basically, two of the short-term participants get up and tell part of their testimony and we offer to pray for anybody who wants it. Afterwards we hand out about 80 sack lunches. While we were handing out the lunches I saw him sitting by himself, dressed nicely in a t-shirt that said "Addicted" with a giant marijuana leaf under it. I thought it might be interesting to talk to this man. He has been wearing this shirt everytime I see him.
I extended my hand to him and said, "Hi I'm David," which led him to wave his hand at me, indicating he wanted me to leave. "We don't need to be introduced," he replied.
"Oh no, why not?" I asked.
In a very angry and confrontational tone, he said, "Because you Christians are so arrogant coming out here claiming that Jesus died on the cross and that he's the only way you can have eternal life. You can't say that anymore than any Jew or Muslim could say that."
Based off of his tone and attitude towards Christianity, I instantly knew this would be an interesting conversation. Before I even got to Venice Beach, I had prayed that the Holy Spirit would guide me to conversations and within those conversations as well. As soon as the conversation began, I felt the Holy Spirit saying to me, "You're not going to win him with your arguments or reason. If anything you will win him with your love and respect." It seems as if he hadn't met any loving Christians from the things he was saying.
He continued on with his tirade on Christians, insisting that we cannot claim to be heading in the direction of heaven because we haven't done anything to help the AIDS crisis in Africa. (He also claimed that George Bush Sr. is the antichrist and that he was the one who created and sent the AIDS virus to the African continent. He was full of many conspiracy theories, to say the least.) I told him that I agreed that Christians could be doing much, much more to make an impact on the earth in the name of Jesus, and that the AIDS crisis is one of those areas where Christians have the opportunity to spread the love of Christ. I also told him about my good friend Matt Taylor (and several others) who is a committed Christians that is studying for the express purpose of helping AIDS victims. This seemed to surprise him.
I hear this argument from unbelievers all the time:
There are desperate situations in the world,
Some Christians don't seem to care about these situations,
Therefore Christianity is not a valid belief system.
While it breaks my heart that people get the impression that Christians don't care about the world, sometimes it is a reality. I must say, it is not the majority by any means. But there are some people who profess to be Christians and have no desire to care for the world. However, it is faulty logic to believe that because Jesus' followers have sometimes fallen short and been hypocritical that Jesus is not truly the Son of God and the only way to salvation. His Word still stands, whether mere humans follow it or not.
I continued to explain to him that I understood his problems with Christians, but I also took the chance to explain to him why all 85 of us out there that day were there because we cared for our homeless brothers and sisters and we wanted to make a difference in the world. I urged him not to lose faith in Jesus Christ because some of his followers have lost their way. It is the same reason my parents explained to people as to why we chose to remain at New Life Church in Colorado after our pastor, Ted Haggard, fell into sexual immorality.
The conversation continued, and he told me how he based his life on the book of Revelation and how he himself was fulfilling one of the prophecies. He also told me how he doesn't believe the rest of the Bible. Obviously, that didn't sit right logically in my head, so I asked him, lovingly and respectfully, "How can you base your life on the book of Revelation and the writings of the apostle John and still say you don't believe Jesus died on the cross when that same apostle John said in his gospel that He did in fact die on the cross?" To this question he had no answer except for a theory that John was forced to lie in his gospel. We talked about this a little further, and I saw his confidence in that theory begin to wave. But he still did not change his mind at this point.
It was here that God taught me a very valuable lesson. Apologetics, the rational defense of the faith, is designed to plant seeds. You will never argue someone into the Kingdom of God. That's not what God's love created us to do. His love will win someone to the Kingdom of God. Intellectual assent, while it is an important aspect of faith, is not a pre-requisite for belief. Apologetics will merely break down faulty logic and weak arguments in order to create space for the Holy Spirit to convict the heart. The mind will either serve as a bridge or as a roadblock to the heart. For James, it was a roadblock.
At the end of the conversation, and after some friendly discussion during which I encouraged him and thanked him for his passion to see the end of the AIDS crisis, I extended my hand once more and said, "Now what's your name?" He took my hand and smiled, "James... Saint James."
I continue to pray for James and for the Holy Spirit to work in his life. I hope that I helped to remove some roadblocks to faith in Jesus for him, but I know that the rest is up to God. 1 Peter 3:15 says, "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect." That last part is true wisdom... it's exactly what I needed to remember that day because, as I felt God telling me, I will not win someone over with my reason or logic, but with my love and respect.
I saw "Saint" James again today, and we had a nice conversation about his week and his dreams of being a writer. Please join with me in prayer for James as you finish reading this.
Living in faith...
It's actually a miracle I even know his name. The first time I ever saw him he was sitting in the area where we were holding a mini-service for anyone interested. Basically, two of the short-term participants get up and tell part of their testimony and we offer to pray for anybody who wants it. Afterwards we hand out about 80 sack lunches. While we were handing out the lunches I saw him sitting by himself, dressed nicely in a t-shirt that said "Addicted" with a giant marijuana leaf under it. I thought it might be interesting to talk to this man. He has been wearing this shirt everytime I see him.
I extended my hand to him and said, "Hi I'm David," which led him to wave his hand at me, indicating he wanted me to leave. "We don't need to be introduced," he replied.
"Oh no, why not?" I asked.
In a very angry and confrontational tone, he said, "Because you Christians are so arrogant coming out here claiming that Jesus died on the cross and that he's the only way you can have eternal life. You can't say that anymore than any Jew or Muslim could say that."
Based off of his tone and attitude towards Christianity, I instantly knew this would be an interesting conversation. Before I even got to Venice Beach, I had prayed that the Holy Spirit would guide me to conversations and within those conversations as well. As soon as the conversation began, I felt the Holy Spirit saying to me, "You're not going to win him with your arguments or reason. If anything you will win him with your love and respect." It seems as if he hadn't met any loving Christians from the things he was saying.
He continued on with his tirade on Christians, insisting that we cannot claim to be heading in the direction of heaven because we haven't done anything to help the AIDS crisis in Africa. (He also claimed that George Bush Sr. is the antichrist and that he was the one who created and sent the AIDS virus to the African continent. He was full of many conspiracy theories, to say the least.) I told him that I agreed that Christians could be doing much, much more to make an impact on the earth in the name of Jesus, and that the AIDS crisis is one of those areas where Christians have the opportunity to spread the love of Christ. I also told him about my good friend Matt Taylor (and several others) who is a committed Christians that is studying for the express purpose of helping AIDS victims. This seemed to surprise him.
I hear this argument from unbelievers all the time:
There are desperate situations in the world,
Some Christians don't seem to care about these situations,
Therefore Christianity is not a valid belief system.
While it breaks my heart that people get the impression that Christians don't care about the world, sometimes it is a reality. I must say, it is not the majority by any means. But there are some people who profess to be Christians and have no desire to care for the world. However, it is faulty logic to believe that because Jesus' followers have sometimes fallen short and been hypocritical that Jesus is not truly the Son of God and the only way to salvation. His Word still stands, whether mere humans follow it or not.
I continued to explain to him that I understood his problems with Christians, but I also took the chance to explain to him why all 85 of us out there that day were there because we cared for our homeless brothers and sisters and we wanted to make a difference in the world. I urged him not to lose faith in Jesus Christ because some of his followers have lost their way. It is the same reason my parents explained to people as to why we chose to remain at New Life Church in Colorado after our pastor, Ted Haggard, fell into sexual immorality.
The conversation continued, and he told me how he based his life on the book of Revelation and how he himself was fulfilling one of the prophecies. He also told me how he doesn't believe the rest of the Bible. Obviously, that didn't sit right logically in my head, so I asked him, lovingly and respectfully, "How can you base your life on the book of Revelation and the writings of the apostle John and still say you don't believe Jesus died on the cross when that same apostle John said in his gospel that He did in fact die on the cross?" To this question he had no answer except for a theory that John was forced to lie in his gospel. We talked about this a little further, and I saw his confidence in that theory begin to wave. But he still did not change his mind at this point.
It was here that God taught me a very valuable lesson. Apologetics, the rational defense of the faith, is designed to plant seeds. You will never argue someone into the Kingdom of God. That's not what God's love created us to do. His love will win someone to the Kingdom of God. Intellectual assent, while it is an important aspect of faith, is not a pre-requisite for belief. Apologetics will merely break down faulty logic and weak arguments in order to create space for the Holy Spirit to convict the heart. The mind will either serve as a bridge or as a roadblock to the heart. For James, it was a roadblock.
At the end of the conversation, and after some friendly discussion during which I encouraged him and thanked him for his passion to see the end of the AIDS crisis, I extended my hand once more and said, "Now what's your name?" He took my hand and smiled, "James... Saint James."
I continue to pray for James and for the Holy Spirit to work in his life. I hope that I helped to remove some roadblocks to faith in Jesus for him, but I know that the rest is up to God. 1 Peter 3:15 says, "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect." That last part is true wisdom... it's exactly what I needed to remember that day because, as I felt God telling me, I will not win someone over with my reason or logic, but with my love and respect.
I saw "Saint" James again today, and we had a nice conversation about his week and his dreams of being a writer. Please join with me in prayer for James as you finish reading this.
Living in faith...
June 26, 2009
A Little Overwhelmed
Reports have been released that approximately 90,000 people are homeless and sleeping on the streets on any given day in Los Angeles.
Skid Row, a section of about 10 blocks by 10 blocks near downtown LA, consitutes the most concentrated location of homelessness in America.
Those are just stats. But living here has been an eye-opener in itself. It is nearly impossible to go anywhere... whether I'm going to a movie, to the beach, or somewhere to eat (probably Taco Bell!) without seeing multiple people living on the street. Because there is so much need and poverty here, the ones caught in homelessness are forced to be more bold with their panhandling. Multiple times in the last week I have been sitting in a restaurant and a homeless man has walked straight to our table asking for change. Instead of giving out money, potentially contributing to alcohol or drug problems, I (or someone with me) bought them a meal and talked with them. It's amazing the stories I have heard while being on the streets here.
Those times I was at the different restaurants were not "ministry" times. I wasn't on an outreach. We weren't with short-term teams from churches. We were using our time off to enjoy fellowship and good food (Chipotle!). And yet still I met multiple homeless men and felt the need to care for and serve them.
To be completely honest, I feel a little overwhelmed. Jesus said that the poor will always be with us, but I've never experienced something like this. It is difficult to have a "day off" from the outreaches and Dream Center ministry and be faced with the same issues and the same things that break my heart during the rest of the week. Sometimes all I can do is stop and pray, because I feel powerless to do anything else. (And of course God is powerful in our weakness).
I really don't have a positive twist to this blog or some great nugget of wisdom to share. I guess I'm just learning what it is to be broken for others. Sometimes it feels like we're barely putting a dent in the problem of homelessness, and my heart continues to break. I think God is teaching me to rely on Him and take every problem I see and give it to Him. I can't hold on to these burdens myself... I'm nowhere near strong enough. God cares for these people even more than I do. I need to be reminding myself of that. His love is deeper and thicker than my love ever could be. HE is the one who sustains, provides, heals, and saves them, not me. It is my duty to be faithful and serve in whatever way I can. God will do the rest.
Please pray that I don't get discouraged or burnt out, but that my love for God is freshly anewed everyday. Pray that I am reminded of His incredible love for these people so that I am not overwhelmed with burdens that I can't carry.
Isaiah 1:17
"Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow."
Skid Row, a section of about 10 blocks by 10 blocks near downtown LA, consitutes the most concentrated location of homelessness in America.
Those are just stats. But living here has been an eye-opener in itself. It is nearly impossible to go anywhere... whether I'm going to a movie, to the beach, or somewhere to eat (probably Taco Bell!) without seeing multiple people living on the street. Because there is so much need and poverty here, the ones caught in homelessness are forced to be more bold with their panhandling. Multiple times in the last week I have been sitting in a restaurant and a homeless man has walked straight to our table asking for change. Instead of giving out money, potentially contributing to alcohol or drug problems, I (or someone with me) bought them a meal and talked with them. It's amazing the stories I have heard while being on the streets here.
Those times I was at the different restaurants were not "ministry" times. I wasn't on an outreach. We weren't with short-term teams from churches. We were using our time off to enjoy fellowship and good food (Chipotle!). And yet still I met multiple homeless men and felt the need to care for and serve them.
To be completely honest, I feel a little overwhelmed. Jesus said that the poor will always be with us, but I've never experienced something like this. It is difficult to have a "day off" from the outreaches and Dream Center ministry and be faced with the same issues and the same things that break my heart during the rest of the week. Sometimes all I can do is stop and pray, because I feel powerless to do anything else. (And of course God is powerful in our weakness).
I really don't have a positive twist to this blog or some great nugget of wisdom to share. I guess I'm just learning what it is to be broken for others. Sometimes it feels like we're barely putting a dent in the problem of homelessness, and my heart continues to break. I think God is teaching me to rely on Him and take every problem I see and give it to Him. I can't hold on to these burdens myself... I'm nowhere near strong enough. God cares for these people even more than I do. I need to be reminding myself of that. His love is deeper and thicker than my love ever could be. HE is the one who sustains, provides, heals, and saves them, not me. It is my duty to be faithful and serve in whatever way I can. God will do the rest.
Please pray that I don't get discouraged or burnt out, but that my love for God is freshly anewed everyday. Pray that I am reminded of His incredible love for these people so that I am not overwhelmed with burdens that I can't carry.
Isaiah 1:17
"Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow."
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