It was one of those moments when time seemed to stand still. A guest speaker was standing in front of our church family, and he said these simple words:
"As a believer, almost nothing that happens in your life, good or bad, is about you."
What?!? What do you mean it's not about me? Everything that happens in my life is about me! (Well...I know that's not supposed to be how we view life's ups and downs, but in reality, that's kind of what happens, right?)
I got a raise. (Translation: God must really think I'm awesome!)
I got laid off. (Translation: God must be really mad at me! Uh-oh, I'm screwed...)
My kids are healthy. (Translation: God loves us more than the Johnsons, because their poor kids always have allergies, asthma, and ADD. How sad...)
I have a car wreck. (Translation: Why, oh why, did God ever put me on this earth?!? I'm the most persecuted human being that ever lived! Please God, take me now! I can't take this anymore...)
And so it goes... Why did this happen to me? Why can't I ever get a break? Why aren't my prayers being answered? What could possibly go wrong next?
But hold on just a second. What if the whole "big picture" of all humankind was actually NOT about you? What if your job status didn't reflect how much God loves you? What if your kids' health was just because they eat right and exercise? What if your car wreck happened because you were sending text messages during rush hour on I-35?
What if it's NOT all about you? Instead of wondering why God never seems to answer your prayers...here's a thought: maybe he wants to use YOU (in your present circumstance, good or bad) to BE the answer to someone else's prayer. Maybe the ultimate goal is HIS GLORY being revealed...not YOUR HAPPINESS being preserved.
If that's true, instead of it making you really, really disappointed (that all of Heaven isn't watching "Truman Show," with you playing Jim Carrey's character), let me offer you another perspective: God loves you, He trusts you, and He believes in you enough to USE YOU in His eternal plan. He knows you can handle whatever comes your way--good or bad. And because of your trust in Him, He knows He can trust you to be a blessing to others.
Cool thought, huh?
Like the opening line of Rick Warren's best-selling book, The Purpose-Driven Life, "It's not about you."
Actually, it's all about Him.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Jesus Encounters
Consider this quote:
"Any revelation from God's Word that does not lead us to an encounter with God only serves to make us more religious. The Church cannot afford 'form without power,' for it creates Christians without purpose." (from Bill Johnson's book, When Heaven Invades Earth, p. 87)
So I ask myself, "Do I really desire to encounter Jesus when I read the Bible and pray...or am I only fulfilling some religious requirements, because that's what I am supposed to do as a Christian?"
Seem like I'm splitting hairs? Look more carefully...or should I say listen more carefully to the distinction here. It's not enough to be informed by study. It's not enough to be inspired by worship music. It's not enough to be instructed by your spiritual leader(s).
You need an ENCOUNTER with Jesus.
And I need one, too, because that is the only hope I have of being changed into the man He wants me to become. And it's never a "done-deal." The process is never finished. But when we encounter Jesus, we will experience his life-changing POWER. And here's the disturbing part: without him, we ourselves become fulfillments the solemn prophecy about the last days, regarding people "having a form of godliness, but denying its power" (2 Timothy 3:5)
Ouch...
"Any revelation from God's Word that does not lead us to an encounter with God only serves to make us more religious. The Church cannot afford 'form without power,' for it creates Christians without purpose." (from Bill Johnson's book, When Heaven Invades Earth, p. 87)
So I ask myself, "Do I really desire to encounter Jesus when I read the Bible and pray...or am I only fulfilling some religious requirements, because that's what I am supposed to do as a Christian?"
Seem like I'm splitting hairs? Look more carefully...or should I say listen more carefully to the distinction here. It's not enough to be informed by study. It's not enough to be inspired by worship music. It's not enough to be instructed by your spiritual leader(s).
You need an ENCOUNTER with Jesus.
And I need one, too, because that is the only hope I have of being changed into the man He wants me to become. And it's never a "done-deal." The process is never finished. But when we encounter Jesus, we will experience his life-changing POWER. And here's the disturbing part: without him, we ourselves become fulfillments the solemn prophecy about the last days, regarding people "having a form of godliness, but denying its power" (2 Timothy 3:5)
Ouch...
Welcome to Texas!
One more thing about Kelly Brown...
They have an annual outreach event to new international students at UT. It's called "Welcome to Texas." There are 2 parts to the event: a huge BBQ dinner-on-the-grounds, and then 2 weeks later, a square dance celebration. (Trying to get a mental picture? Just imagine lots of red & white checkered table cloths, picnic tables, straw cowboy hats, denim overalls, and photo ops with real longhorn cattle...)
Got it? Now, instead of a bunch of red-necked country folk wiping BBQ sauce off their chins with red bandannas...imagine the cowboy hats being worn by a Vietnamese pre-law student, or a Tanzanian engineer. In fact, you don't have to imagine; you can actually go and see for yourself. The 2nd of these two events (the square dance) will happen next Friday night, August 28th on the UT campus. If you're interested in attending, contact Kelly yourself (isfm_austin@yahoo.com).
FYI: Check out this list of countries represented last Friday night at their BBQ dinner (the number of students from each country is noted, as well) :
Australia 8
Austria 4
Belgium 1
Brazil 3
Bulgaria 1
Canada 1
China 31
Denmark 2
England/Great Britain 4
France 9
Germany 6
India 22
Indonesia 1
Italy 8
Japan 3
Kazakhastan 1
Korea 10
Macedonia 1
Mexico 6
Netherlands 1
Norway 2
Paraguay 1
Peru 3
Poland 2
Puerto Rico 1
Scotland 4
Singapore 6
South Africa 1
Spain 2
Sri Lanka 1
Taiwan 33
Ukraine 1
Vietnam 4
They have an annual outreach event to new international students at UT. It's called "Welcome to Texas." There are 2 parts to the event: a huge BBQ dinner-on-the-grounds, and then 2 weeks later, a square dance celebration. (Trying to get a mental picture? Just imagine lots of red & white checkered table cloths, picnic tables, straw cowboy hats, denim overalls, and photo ops with real longhorn cattle...)
Got it? Now, instead of a bunch of red-necked country folk wiping BBQ sauce off their chins with red bandannas...imagine the cowboy hats being worn by a Vietnamese pre-law student, or a Tanzanian engineer. In fact, you don't have to imagine; you can actually go and see for yourself. The 2nd of these two events (the square dance) will happen next Friday night, August 28th on the UT campus. If you're interested in attending, contact Kelly yourself (isfm_austin@yahoo.com).
FYI: Check out this list of countries represented last Friday night at their BBQ dinner (the number of students from each country is noted, as well) :
Australia 8
Austria 4
Belgium 1
Brazil 3
Bulgaria 1
Canada 1
China 31
Denmark 2
England/Great Britain 4
France 9
Germany 6
India 22
Indonesia 1
Italy 8
Japan 3
Kazakhastan 1
Korea 10
Macedonia 1
Mexico 6
Netherlands 1
Norway 2
Paraguay 1
Peru 3
Poland 2
Puerto Rico 1
Scotland 4
Singapore 6
South Africa 1
Spain 2
Sri Lanka 1
Taiwan 33
Ukraine 1
Vietnam 4
No Milk Without Manure
I was talking to a friend of mine yesterday about spiritual growth. He's a missionary to the University of Texas, particularly the international student population. For the last 21 years, Kelly Brown has been the leader of ISFM (International Students Friendship Ministries). We were talking about the many challenges of ministering to such a wide range of cultures. It takes constant work to evaluate, plan, implement, re-evaluate, re-plan, and re-implement (and so on...) effective ministry strategies.
So many ethnic groups. So many languages. So many cultural barriers. So many attempts to build bridges. (...and so many failed attempts to build bridges.)
The work is never done. The strategies are always changing. The satisfaction is ever elusive...
But, even though it's a challenge, Kelly shared one of the Proverbs that has often encouraged him, and kept him focused during this season: "Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty, but from the strength of an ox comes an abundant harvest" (Prov. 14:4). Then he shared his college-ministry-translation: There is no milk without manure.
The work of God in our lives will always be just that: WORK. But it is necessary for effectiveness. Sure, you can have a perfectly clean barn without any animals in it...but you would also have no milk, or eggs, or whatever else you get from barns! There is always a "mess" in ministry...but changed lives are always worth it!
So many ethnic groups. So many languages. So many cultural barriers. So many attempts to build bridges. (...and so many failed attempts to build bridges.)
The work is never done. The strategies are always changing. The satisfaction is ever elusive...
But, even though it's a challenge, Kelly shared one of the Proverbs that has often encouraged him, and kept him focused during this season: "Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty, but from the strength of an ox comes an abundant harvest" (Prov. 14:4). Then he shared his college-ministry-translation: There is no milk without manure.
The work of God in our lives will always be just that: WORK. But it is necessary for effectiveness. Sure, you can have a perfectly clean barn without any animals in it...but you would also have no milk, or eggs, or whatever else you get from barns! There is always a "mess" in ministry...but changed lives are always worth it!
You Can't Keep It To Yourself!
One year ago TODAY (August 19, 2008) I did the unthinkable. On a 146-yard par 3 (that’s a golf hole, in case some of you aren’t into the world’s greatest life-long sport), I hit a perfect 7-iron that hit the green, bounced twice, and rolled right into the cup. It was a hole-in-one!
I couldn’t believe it! I’d never hit one before. I’d never had a friend to hit one. In fact, I’d never even seen one at all…except for on TV. It was awesome! And immediately, the first thought that came into my mind was, “I’ve got to tell someone!”
(Luckily, my friend Justin was there to witness this extraordinary athletic achievement—OK, so it’s not exactly like breaking the 4-minute mile, but it was still pretty cool for a hacker like me!)
As soon as I got back to the car, I started working my way through the contact list in my cell phone. I called my wife, my parents, my golf buddies, my fourth-grade math teacher, my dentist, and even returned a few of the “wrong numbers” in my call history. After all, wouldn’t want to leave anyone out, now would I? (The following week, my name even appeared in the Austin American Statesman, where they document all the hole-in-ones from local golf courses. And yes, I still have the newspaper clipping, along with the ball, which I will pass along to my children when I die.)
So, you see, this was a big deal! Ranks right up there with world peace, Haley’s comet, and the invention on Blue Bell ice cream. This is the kind of news you have to share! It must be told.
Now, time-out. Let’s pause Sportscenter for a moment, and ask yourself one simple question: Does Jesus mean so much to you that you have to share Him? Is it impossible for you to keep quiet about Him?
When you get a chance, read 2 Kings 7. It tells the story of 4 lepers who make an incredible discovery. When they realize the miracle that has taken place in front of their very eyes, they make a powerful statement: "We're not doing right. This is a day of good news, and we are keeping it to ourselves." (v.9)
Wow! Enough said...
I couldn’t believe it! I’d never hit one before. I’d never had a friend to hit one. In fact, I’d never even seen one at all…except for on TV. It was awesome! And immediately, the first thought that came into my mind was, “I’ve got to tell someone!”
(Luckily, my friend Justin was there to witness this extraordinary athletic achievement—OK, so it’s not exactly like breaking the 4-minute mile, but it was still pretty cool for a hacker like me!)
As soon as I got back to the car, I started working my way through the contact list in my cell phone. I called my wife, my parents, my golf buddies, my fourth-grade math teacher, my dentist, and even returned a few of the “wrong numbers” in my call history. After all, wouldn’t want to leave anyone out, now would I? (The following week, my name even appeared in the Austin American Statesman, where they document all the hole-in-ones from local golf courses. And yes, I still have the newspaper clipping, along with the ball, which I will pass along to my children when I die.)
So, you see, this was a big deal! Ranks right up there with world peace, Haley’s comet, and the invention on Blue Bell ice cream. This is the kind of news you have to share! It must be told.
Now, time-out. Let’s pause Sportscenter for a moment, and ask yourself one simple question: Does Jesus mean so much to you that you have to share Him? Is it impossible for you to keep quiet about Him?
When you get a chance, read 2 Kings 7. It tells the story of 4 lepers who make an incredible discovery. When they realize the miracle that has taken place in front of their very eyes, they make a powerful statement: "We're not doing right. This is a day of good news, and we are keeping it to ourselves." (v.9)
Wow! Enough said...
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