Sundays

A friend of mine recently said that she thinks Sunday mornings are one of the hardest things about living and working here.  We yearnnnnn to get to be a part of a church body that worships, preaches, serves, fellowships, spurs one another on...

We had some friends to dinner at our place this week and when this discussion came up, Matt told them that we'd love to have a certain gathering of local friends to join on Sunday mornings..... but no one yet wants to come.  May that day come soon!

There are a few gatherings that we are allowed to be apart of here, but there's always difficulties with travel (we've waited cumulative hours on the roadside for taxis lately- not fun with four little ones) or some strangeness about a small group of folks from across the board of theological-church backgrounds that try to settle into a one hour service together.  It can be wonderful and/or sometimes it can be just plain silly or really, really odd.

Recently we heard a "talk" that had some scripture it was supposed to be from but I couldn't tell you what. The only thing I remember hearing was about how Christians should be happy.  There were lots of jokes and then the main point at the end was "for crying out loud, when someone asks you how you're doing, don't be depressing and moan and groan.  Show them a happy face and cheerful voice.  You never know whose life you're going to change with just that."

We were squirming in our seats.  Ahh....   if we could have just raised a hand and mentioned kindly....  "But, sir, surely you're not saying that being Christian is about always being happy;  fake smiles don't mean we're super spiritual.   Nor is it matter of us doing everything right all the time."  Actually the exact opposite is more needful to point out:  the issue that changes everything is that God sent Jesus to rescue us when no amount of effort on our part could bring us to life.  Christ saves us from our own inescapable imperfection and even our own intentional wrongs.    This is shocking, crazy, wonderful news that I know I desperately need to have hammered into my heart repeatedly.

Argh.  If all I ever heard from the pulpit was what I should be doing to be a happy-looking "Christian" person, I sure wouldn't want to come back for more.  Sadly, if this is what many are hearing, or simply a sermon a week about being nice, it doesn't surprise me that so many walk away from the game.  Really, who would ever think it's fun to dress up and pretend to be pious?  Who would say it's truly soul-satisfying to be fake or to trust in our failure-full selves?  How sad to see the name "Christian" here...   like a misnamed shallow social group or a tombstone for a dead church.

Pastors, we would see Jesus... the God Man who came, who knows us, who "gets" our lives and struggles, who calls us precious and has counted the hairs on our heads, who is from eternity but entered this world to bring us to himself....  Let us feed our souls on the truth of Him that we may live.

This week there we heard a much more encouraging sermon.  Really a joy to hear.  And, what a grace too that we live in this day of having such easy access to excellent sermons online.  We're so grateful for the Gospel Coalition group, the blogging and sermon links there, and the many great churches we enjoy hearing from, and for friends sending links they've loved.   We're really filthy rich with resources......  and we're so. very. grateful.

And....  because recorded sermons are still not "The Body of Christ" I will also give a little shout out that we are getting super excited to connect with many of you back in the states this fall when we are back for a visit.  Please let us hear from you if you have time to connect.  What a gift it would be for us!  Thank you friends!

The Gospel

"The Gospel is not a message that 'we are not guilty for what we've done.'  The Gospel is a message that 'there is a Guilt Remover'."

"The freeing thing is to say, in the face of God, "Yes, I'm guilty of that" and have God answer back, "I have made a provision.""

from the sermon, He Made Purification of Sins, from Hebrews 1, by John Piper

reflecting on the best

In reflecting on the best things I enjoyed and learned and was challenged by in 2009, I have to share one favorite: the biography of Charles Simeon, given by John Piper. You can download it and listen for free at www.desiringgod.org .

I blogged a few thoughts (6/29/09) about this great talk already and how it's impacted me, but I think I could probably share much more impact that this talk has had on me, if I had time...

I love the end of this talk where we hear Piper's exhortation to follow in the steps of Simeon as he raised high his sails to adore Christ and serve his church by deepening his own humility before Christ, never forgetting his own sinful brokenness and need for his Savior.

I hope so much that you can listen and I would love to hear what you think! May you be deeply enriched with more joy of affection and adoration for Christ as you hear this story.

worth pondering

This morning I got in a walk in the crisp cool air of this farm town where Matt's grandparents met and married, raised Matt's dad (and his 5 siblings) and have lived ever since. Nothing could be a more stark contrast to the capital city where we lived in Asia. I found a dirt road that dead ended with a tiny grass cul-de-sac where I could stand and stare out at hundreds of acres (I'm guessing) of crops and be shined on by the sun as it rose over those fields. Beautiful.

And I got to listen to a great talk by John Piper (Passion for the Supremacy of God). Here are two bits I definitely want to reflect on....

First, he shared about George Mueller who charged himself every morning, "I must be happy in God today. Because if I'm not happy in God I will seek my happiness in lesser things that will never satisfy. I'll use people to try to make me happy, though they never will...." (paraphrased.)

Second, in replying to an accusation that Christian Hedonism inappropriately detracts from the virtue of self denial, Piper exhorted us: "Don't pity yourself if your head gets cut off for the cause of Christ. You cannot give up anything for him, that he won't repay a thousand fold."

Christ is worthy- so satisfying, so good, so desireable. I have no cause for complaint, pity, saddness at all in this world. Would that my heart be happy in him today- no matter my circumstance. He is the most worthy Treasure, the One I was created to be filled by and for, and having him, my soul is rescued from certain death and I am filled and at peace. Such cause for joy!

Charles Simeon

"What I have found in my own experience, is that my own personal disappointments and discouragements find resources for endurance when I have before me a model of one who endured. I find tremendous strength flowing to me if I can put before me, in my minds eye, somebody who incurred or experienced what I'm experiencing and more and held on or even thrived in the midst of it.

I think we live in a very emotionally fragile time, and I am a child of my times much more than I wish I were. When I'm honest with myself, the things I hate about my culture, I see evidences in myself. By "emotionally fragile," I mean that we are easily hurt: we pout easily, we mope easily. When I say "we" I mean the American culture, inside and outside the church. We break easily. Our marriages break easily. Our faith breaks easily. Our happiness breaks easily. Our commitment to the ministry and to the church breaks easily. We are easily disheartened and discouraged. We seem to have very few resources and little capacity for thriving in criticism and opposition.

The typical emotional response in a church where your people reject your ideas is: 'Well if that's the way they feel about me, then I'll just find another church.' We don't see a lot of models of people who live out the rugged words 'count it all joy brothers when you fall into various trials.'

I think that when historians write about the character traits of the later quarter of the twentieth century, words like commitment, constancy, tenacity, endurance, patience, resolve, perseverance won't be on the list at all- not even at the bottom. At the top of the list will be an all-consuming interest in self-esteem. Sub points under that list will be self-assertiveness, self-enhancement and self-realization.

And if you think you're not a child of your culture, then I suggest that you just test yourself and ask how emotionally you respond when significant people in your life reject your ideas.

We need help here. We are surrounded in a society of emotionally fragile quitters. And a good bit of that ethos is in you and me and therefore I have found that one of the weapons against being that way is to nuzzle up close to people who aren't that way- even if they're dead.... And most of them are.

'Be imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.' Hebrews 6:12."

John Piper began his biographical talk on the life of Charles Simeon with the words above and when I listened to them, they shook me inside. I need this. I need this badly.

Far too often I am exactly this: an emotionally fragile quitter. And far to often I don't fight this gross tendancy at all. May it not be any longer, by the grace of God.

For me, one example I can think of being like this is when I encounter difficult cultural stressors- comments, stares, obstacles- that I chalk up to being because I live here. Some days I can blame so much on the hereness (if you will) of my life, it's just ridiculous (and altogether grievous). And far too often in this blaming, there is a self-satisfying justification that my rebellion against loving people when I feel insulted or just plain awkward is entirely reasonable or permitted. But it isn't. Not at all.

I sometimes also quit wayyyy to easily and give in to reacting out of my flesh when dealing with temper moments from disobedient or honestly, sometimes just plain curious, playful toddlers. Some might say "but that's only natural." But Scripture says that's not what God sent the Holy Spirit for- so we could live merely natural lives.

I thought of Jonathan Edwards Resolutions... When he was a young guy (19 years old, I think) he wrote up 70 defining resolutions for his life. I would shy away from calling what is below "resolution" for myself, except that I am hugely comforted by the intro he wrote to his own 70.... and I think that maybe, in that same spirit of things (you'll have to check the link to read his intro), I can say-

Resolved, to think less of myself: to consider every interest in self gain or self protection as negative points against me- utter loss- and to patiently and generously love others above myself, to the glory of Christ.

When I feel like others are demanding or expecting far too much of me: humble yourself, serve them. When I feel like my own needs or desires are not being met: lay them down. When I feel like obstacles and responsibilities have piled up too high for me to ever overcome them: go to the Lord and give him your burdens, and then press on. Consider Him who endured the cross and nuzzle up next to Him right there- against our God who humbled himself and served, and loved us to his death.

Lord give me grace to uphold these resolutions.

I really think that perhaps one of the highest privileges of motherhood (and living overseas like this) is having such daily opportunities for being humbled and refined and for learning to serve others with the Spirit of Christ. May it be a joy to us all and may the Lord be glorified in our homes and hearts as He works His grace in these opportunities!

The Fire

"The Fire" is credited, where we live, as the cause for various illnesses and sometimes even emotions.  Physically and emotionally, I can't say I really understand the idea.  

Spiritually, however,  I can clearly see how fire is a great image or metaphor for life... burning, blazing brightly, beautifully.... refining, changing us into more of the image of Christ.... consumingly fueled by joy for the greater pleasure in knowing God than any circumstance (fire) on earth could be or offer us.  Scripture gives us lots to learn about life being refined in the fire (I Peter 1:7) and not wasting our lives on things that will burn up in the fire, ie. that won't last for eternity (I Corinthians 3:10-15), and about our God "who is a consuming fire." (Hebrews 12:29.   And I'm sure there's much more.

I just listened to a great sermon by John Piper titled "Put in the Fire for the Sake of Prayer."  The title was chosen from Zechariah 13: 8-9... Here's the first quote that jumped out for me:

"We have no right to go to God except through Jesus.  If you try to go to God apart from Jesus, you may be incinerated.  God is very dangerous apart from Jesus.  He's angry apart from Jesus.

He has put Jesus Christ forward to remove his anger and to clothe us with righteousness so that we can walk right into the flame of his holiness and not be consumed.  Jesus is the only hope that any prayer will ever be heard."

This reminds me of a quote from John Calvin that I recently came across in Transforming Grace, an outstanding book that is nailing me quite well, written by Jerry Bridges.  (p. 85)  Here's what Calvin wrote...

"All God's promises depend on Christ alone.  This is a notable assertion and one of the main articles of our faith.  It depends in turn upon another principle- that it is only in Christ that God the Father is graciously inclined towards us.  His promises are the testimonies of His fatherly goodwill towards us.  Thus it follows that they are fulfilled only in Christ...   Secondly, we are incapable of possessing God's promises till we have received the remission of our sins and that comes to us through Christ alone."  

What a powerful lesson to dwell on:  we have nothing to stand on but Christ, and in Him we have all of God's faithfulness to all of his promises (Romans 8:32).  As Bridges has reminded me- our merits and demerits do not matter the least little bit to determine God's faithfulness towards those who are in Christ.  He is faithful to us, gracious to us who believe in His Son, for His Son's sake, just as he is faithful and gracious to His Son.

Finally, Piper concluded his sermon also quoting Calvin and though it's a little less connected to this theme, this theme is still compellingly worth noting.  Again from Calvin:

"It is therefore necessary that we should be subject from the first to the last to the scourges of God [Piper explained this to mean "the fire"]  in order that we may, from the heart, call on him, for our hearts are enfeebled by prosperity so that we cannot make an effort to pray."  

Piper went on to add, "If that's not the American church I don't know what is.  We are enfeebled by prosperity so that we can scarcely make the effort to pray because so many other good things, prosperous things, right things, fill our powerless lives.  So would you resolve with me that this simply will not happen to you in 2009?...This meaning that our hearts are enfeebled by prosperity so that we cannot make the effort to pray.  Would you resolve with me...  'I'm not going to be enfeebled by my prosperity?"

YES.  I want this pleasure,  this grace-strengthened power to really live.  

The three points Piper suggested to make such a resolution for prayer happen, and to make 2009 a better year of prayer than any of us has yet known, are:  1) set a time and a place to pray and be there, 2) pray the Word, and 3) pray through concentric circles-  global to local to personal- or whatever order you choose.

I am eager for this resolve to bear fruit in me, and in you with me- in us, this year.  May it be for the praise of His glorious grace and for our great joy in Him!

a story from CJ

"Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, 

though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, 

though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, 

yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior." 

Habakkuk 3:17-19

CJ Mahaney preached a good sermon from this passage at Capitol Hill Baptist Church a while ago. We listened to it several months back, but this sermon illustration has been in my mind a lot since then so I thought I'd try to recall as much as I can for you.

He told the story of a woman whose husband of many years was dying before her eyes, in their home, of unbeatable cancer. They obviously had a very loving marriage and the woman was obviously very broken in grief.  Yet, as family watched her, they noticed that she was simply not bitter or consumed with anger over seeing her husband this way.  She continued to love him patiently and grieve somehow joyfully.

One family member challenged her "Aren't you mad at God for all this? If your God is really loving and powerful, wouldn't he do something for you guys now?!"

She replied, "He has saved my husband from sure and certain, eternal death, by sending His own Son, Jesus, to die to rescue my husband- and me- from hell. He has secured our pardon, become our Righteousness, and prepared a place for us to be with Him for all eternity.  How could I be bitter against a God like this? "

Gems of Hope

Living overseas, we often end up listening to Bible teaching off of one of our favorite web sites. We recently listened to some great sermons taught by Sunder Krishnan (www.rexdalealliance.org) that were especially good. I know this is a lot of text to post- but this stuff has been pretty life changing for me and I hope it might be for you as well! My notes are kinda flaky- the sermons were much better- but I hope that you will be, as Matt and I have been, re-inspired to come with fresh hunger and thirst to the Word of God, the Bible, as you look over these points.

Learning from Saul's Fatal Errors
1- Impatient Worship, I Samuel 13
Saul wasn't willing to wait. His impatience led straight to disobeidence. For Israel (Exodus 32:1), impatience's offspring was idolatry. Why is it that we (the church) and that I myself tolerate this sin as if it's not anything too terrible?
Sunder suggests that a key way we allow impatience to rule in our times with the Lord, are when we hold (knowingly or not) our To-Do lists as more important than His Word.

2- Utilitarian Worship, I Samuel 24:16-21
Just like an old ad, "things go better with Coke," too many times we come to God because we think He should make things better, nicer, easier for us. We come to Him only or mainly for blessing, guidance, help or instruction. (side point- SK mentioned a quote from Bible professor Bruce Waltke that sometimes our obsession with "the will of God" is primarily a pagan obsession... because we can get too focused on some magical, mystical perfect plan, instead of focusing on relating to and loving, honoring the Perfect God whose plans cannot be thwarted.)
The Word has more to say about our need for God for strength, hope, courage for trials than it has to say about happy, easy lives for believers. Jesus said we are His branches- to live intimately (in relationship) wrapped around Him.

3- Rationalistic Worship, I Samuel 28:5-7
Too often we worship God just like Baal worshippers worshipped... our worship is defined by, tyrannized by our feelings and emotions. We worship the experience of worship. It wasn't a "good worship time" unless we were deeply caught up in exciting, sensory emotion... Yes, worshipping God can be like this (David's experience was just this when the ark was brought into Jerusalem) but we must not limit worship, ourselves, or God to be only this.

Recapturing the Wonder of the Word
The Word of God is not just words: data, information to be communicated.
Genesis 1 shows us how God's voice creates out of nothing.
Psalm 29
For Hosea, his whole life became a vehicle for communicating God's voice, His Word to him.
For Jeremiah, God's voice to him was like a "fire shut up in [his] bones."
For Amos, God's voice was like a lion roaring out of his mouth.
God's Word is, still today, spoken to us with His own living voice. It is not a dead message, merely words on a page... The Word is not just a transferable piece of info.
The Voice of God that creates, destroys, transforms... invites all people into dialog with Himself.

(Sunder acknowledges learning this from Eugene Peterson- not sure which book)
The Printing Press brought big changes
A Shift from Listening to Reading
Before the press, the Word would usually be read over people, from a pastor in an elevated pulpit. The Greek word for obedience means something like "to listen under." Readers initiate the start and stop of reading (unless you follow a reading schedule of some sort.) Listeners are more submissive, less in control.

A Shift in Education- from relating to the teacher/ master to acquiring information. *We need to refocus our time in the Word to come ready to hear the Living Voice of God, eager to relate to the Speaker and not just acquire information.

To turn our reading eyes (which can easily skirt letting words' message enter our hearts and minds) into listening ears, receiving hearts: Expose yourself continually to all of God's Word. SK suggests reading through it yearly or some comparable plan. "Let the texture of the text get into you," Eugene Peterson.

Like the Word, prayer is not dry either... (we are not merely talking at God like we could talk to the ceiling) we are responding to the voice of God in His Word.
Let the Word be your fuel in prayer. God initiates prayer by speaking to us in His Word. He tells us of Himself, His ways, His promises. Engage with Him in His words, respond to Him.

Prayer is like learning a language. How many children are nervous about learning their mother tongue? How many parents tell their child, "I'll start talking to you once you learn to talk"? Dive in. Pick a passage and respond to what the Lord has spoken there in His Word.

Final Thoughts
The burning bush didn't burn up not because it was some extraordinary species of bush, but only because the fire didn't need it for fuel.
The purpose/ life work that God gives us to do, is not our gift to Him, but it is His gift to us... He uses it to refine us, recreate us in His image, refresh us with His own faithful care and presence in our lives.

These teachings are affecting lots of change in my heart and perspective when I come the Word. I've known that it is the Living Word of God... but did I really know it? Lord, work your transformation in me!
Matt and I are going to try to listen to a little bit together- either straight from the Word or a short teaching- together two mornings a week. You can check back with me in a little while to hear how it's going...