On Pouring Out

My heart has been convicted yet again of the fact that I'm extremely selfish.  Specifically, I'm selfish with myself, and with my time.  Ha!  "My" time.  As if every moment I breathe in and out didn't belong to God in the first place.  Where have I gotten this notion that anything is truly mine, least of all time?  Yet how often I find myself not wanting to do things for other people because it might impinge on my "me time."  I'm starting to realize how very empty a life is when hoarding time is my hobby.

Lately I've been thinking a lot about the idea of being poured out.  We pour ourselves out when we take time for other people and invest our time in their lives.  We are poured out when we serve unselfishly.  We are poured out when we willingly give of ourselves with no thought of being repaid.  Jesus is the ultimate example of being poured out, because He gave his very life for us.  He gave everything so we could live the fullest life.  At the last supper with his disciples Jesus, "took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, 'Drink from it all of you.  This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.'" (Matthew 26:27)  As Christ followers should we not follow his example?  Shouldn't Christians be known for giving of themselves till there's nothing left?

Perhaps it's fear that keeps us from giving of ourselves the way Christ calls us to.  Fear that if we pour out too much of ourselves for someone, there won't be anything left for the next person.  We think that by pouring out we'll eventually run dry.  Psalm 23:1 says, "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want."  Verse 5 says, "You anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows."  Ah yes, an overflowing cup.  I shall not be in want.  How often I forget this.  With God we will never run dry.  No matter how many times we pour ourselves out for others, God just keeps pouring more of Himself into us.  There's a song I love by Audrey Assad called "Blessed are the Ones."  In it is a verse that goes something like this:

Let's build a house with turned out doors

So we can share what love affords

Pour ourselves out like the wine we've been saving

What are we saving the wine for?  Why not pour ourselves out so we can reap the blessing God has for us in being filled with his grace again and again?  First Timothy 1:12-14 says, "I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service.  Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief.  The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus."  In these verses Paul is saying that the love and peace of Christ was poured out on him so he could do the work of Christ.  Isn't it incredible how Jesus always equips us for whatever it is he calls us to do?

I am praying that I wouldn't be afraid to pour myself out for the sake of others, and that through the giving of myself they would see the face of Christ.  I pray that you and I would always rest on the promise that God will sustain us, and continue to fill us with his everlasting grace.  May we remember that God is always enough!

Finding Hope in Hunger

One thing I prayed for before leaving for India was that God would open my eyes to the things He wanted me to see there.  I don't mean all the cool monuments and such, but to really see India, to see how He is at work in that country and to see the needs of the people.  I wanted my heart to be broken by the things that break the heart of God.

I suppose I should preface this by saying that I believe that the knowledge of God that comes through Christ is the only way to be redeemed and saved.  I'm sure there are many people who will read this that believe there are a multitude of ways to heaven, but I think God is pretty clear in His Word about how we can have eternal life.  In John 14:6 Jesus says, "I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.  If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well."  Jesus doesn't say he is one way or one truth.  He says he's the way and the truth.  I don't believe this verse is open to interpretation.

That being said, I will tell you that in India we visited a few Hindu temples, places where I felt an overwhelming sense of sadness.  In the temples there were statues of gods and goddesses set up, and people would come and bow down to them.  The first commandment is "You shall have no other Gods before me."  (Deuteronomy 5:7)  God is very clear that He alone is worthy of our praise and worship, and seeing the kind of idol worship happening in the temples was almost painful.

I could see in the peoples' eyes their hunger to know God, and their hunger to worship, yet their worship of the mute idols in front of them was vastly misdirected.   People pray to mere statues in hopes of finding salvation.  They pray to created things rather than the Creator.  It truly broke my heart.  I think though, that this was exactly what I had prayed God would open my eyes to see.  I caught a glimpse of the great need for the gospel in India, and if anything, it strengthened my desire to become a missionary overseas.  There is a Truth much greater than any man-made idol, and I want to be able to share that Truth with people who are desperate for it.  And yes, I think people are desperate for Jesus, even if they don't know His name.  They are desperate for the One who can save them.  Desperate for Living Water which will truly satisfy their every need.

So even while witnessing the empty idol worship of the Hindu temples, God gave me hope that His name will yet be exalted.  "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.  Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy." (1 Peter 2:9)  Among the worshipers in those temples are ones whom God is calling into his wonderful light.  It is so encouraging to me to rest on the promise of God that we do not hunger in vain.  When we hunger after the Living God, we find Him in Jesus.   

Catching the Fast Train to Chennai

Patrick and I rarely disagree about anything, that is, until we came to the issue of the train.  You may know that the train is a major form of transportation in India, and that 20 million people take the train everyday.  Since this is such a major way of life for Indians, Patrick decided it was something we should experience for ourselves.  In the beginning I was on board with this idea (no pun intended), but the closer we got to our trip the more I started to dread it.  We had purchased tickets from Trivandrum to Chennai, a trip that would take 18 hours and cover more that 700 kilometers.  The ride would take us from one coast to the other (from west to east.)  Did you catch that, 18 hours on a train.  

The thing about traveling is it can be really eye opening to the areas of my life that are easy to hide when we're at home.  I like to think I'm not high maintenance.  I like to think I'm not a princess, but his whole train thing shattered that illusion.  The more I complained about not wanting to ride in a non-air conditioned train with non-cushioned seats, the more I realized how spoiled I am.  When Patrick asked, "What, you think you're too good for the train?" I saw how proud I am and the sense of self-entitlement that has wedge itself into my heart.  Ouch.  I saw there was no getting out of this one.

Our train journey began at 5:30 in the morning, which meant we were up at 4:00 to leave the hotel and get to the station.  Lucky for us, there were few other travelers at that hour making it much easier for us to find our platform and car number.  For the first few hours of our journey we were the only ones in our compartment so we could stretch out on the seats and sleep a bit.  Though sleeping was the last thing I wanted to do since there was so much to see.  Despite the fact that I'd been a complete brat about getting on that train, God blessed the experience for me.  We saw a side of India that we never would have seen had we flown to Chennai.  Patrick took a lot of incredible pictures, but they still couldn't capture the beauty of God's creation.  I had no idea what a gorgeous country India really is!  The best part of the trip was watching the sun come up over the forest of palm trees and catching glimpses of the ocean here and there through the trees.

I'd thought that it would take awhile before I was ready to say that taking the train was worth it, but in truth it didn't take that long.  Despite being uncomfortable for so many hours, I'm really glad we did it.  I'm grateful that I have a husband who doesn't let me back down from an experience just because deep down I'm a princess who wants to be comfortable.  I'm grateful that God gives me grace when I have a rotten attitude and that He is never finished working in my heart.  I'm grateful for experiences like this one that show me the parts of my heart that aren't totally surrendered to Christ, because it's in those moments that real growth can happen.  Who knew there would be so many life lessons to be learned in Sleeper Class?

The Most Precious Children in the World

For over two years we've sponsored Abhinav through Compassion International.  Through sponsorship children living in poverty are able to have access to education, health and dental care, and most importantly, the gospel of Christ.  For two years we've been writing letters to Abhinav every few weeks, getting to know him and what life is like for him in India.  More recently, we've started sponsoring Jeevalakshmi, and we have treasured getting letters from her as well.

Ever since we first became sponsors we'd dreamed that someday we would meet our kids in person.  This was the reason behind our trip to India, and what a great experience it was!  Abhinav lives in Trivandrum, a fairly small city in the southern part of India, right on the coast.  Our translator from the child development center picked us up from our hotel and we drove out to meet him and his family.  We were told that all the children from the center would be there as well.  I wondered if I would be able to pick him out of the crowd of children, and when we got there I had no trouble knowing who he was.  I can't even begin to describe how my heart felt the moment I laid eyes on Abhinav for the first time.  I was overwhelmed at the reality of meeting him in person after so many letters and prayers.  There's just something special about meeting someone you've been praying for for years.  He doesn't speak English, so we had a translator with us the whole time to facilitate the visit.

All the other kids from the center were there too, and were so excited for us to be there.  They all wanted to shake our hands and ask us how we were doing.  We'd been told that we were only the second set of sponsors who had come to that center to visit the kids.  There were 314 children there, so this really broke my heart.  What also broke my heart was hearing that many of the children rarely or never receive letters from their sponsors!  Sponsorship is so much more than sending money every month, and the part that really makes an impact on the child is knowing that someone out there really loves them and is willing to take the time to write to them regularly.  So if you're sponsoring a child now, I hope you'll write to them often!

We had a chance to visit Abhinav's home and meet his mother and younger brother Abhijih.  The boys were so excited to ride in the car to and from their home.  He lives near a canal in the middle of a palm tree jungle.  While there are beautiful surroundings, the living conditions are hard to imagine.  They were all excited to show us the items they had been able to buy with Christmas money we had sent.  It struck me that they were able to do so much with a relatively small amount of money, and it meant so much to the whole family.

We were able to have lunch with Abhinav at the center, then visit the Neyyer Dam nearby, which is absolutely beautiful!  Unfortunately it started raining so we weren't able to stay long.  The end of our visit came too soon, but we were grateful for every minute we had with Abhinav.

The next day we took the train to Chennai so we could visit Jeevalakshmi.  You could see in her eyes how excited she was that we were there to see her!  I was blown away by how beautiful she is, especially because she was dressed in her nicest clothes with flowers in her hair.  The other children were in school that day so we had a much quieter visit with her.  We got to see the center where she goes everyday after school for Bible teaching and help with school work.

We walked across the street to see Jeevalakshmi's home, and many neighbors were there to greet us.  Apparently she'd been so excited that she told the whole neighborhood about our visit!  As a gift to me, Jeevalakshmi's mother gave me bangles to wear on both wrists.  All day long I jingled whenever I moved my arms.  Our next stop was Jeevalakshmi's school, which was still in session.  It was so fun visiting her classroom and meeting her teacher.  I'm looking forward to sharing those pictures with my students when I go back to school this week.

Both of these visits were such a blessing to us, and our prayer has been that the children and their families would be blessed through it as well.  Actually being there and seeing everything that Compassion is doing makes me proud to be a sponsor through their organization.  Christ is truly being exalted among the nations and among the poor because of the work they are doing.  If you are sponsoring children through Compassion or any other organization I would highly encourage you to try to visit them.  You have no idea what an impact it can make on their lives, and what a blessing it is to know that someone really cares about them enough to visit their country!

India at a Glance

Well, we finally made it home from our two-week trip to India, and what an incredible experience it was! I felt like I was in sponge-mode the whole time just trying to soak up all the details and capture every memory.  Hopefully through these posts I'll be able to re-create some of India for you.  Thanks to Patrick's incredible photography skills, we have many amazing pictures to share as well.

My first impression of the country was how much it reminded me of other places we've been.  The tuk tuks everywhere (in India called auto rickshaws) reminded me of Thailand, while the lack of traffic patterns and street vendors reminded me of Egypt.  Some of the houses even reminded me of Japan.  But the longer we stayed in India, the more I realized it's in a category all its own.  In many ways I couldn't compare it with any other place in the world.


One thing we had been preparing ourselves to experience was the extreme poverty of India.  We saw it more in the northern cities, but there were people everywhere who seemed to just be sitting around waiting.  Waiting for what, I'm not really sure.  We found many people sleeping right there on the ground, no mat or anything.  Despite it all, I was surprised at how few people approached us asking for money.  I had anticipated that we would constantly be surrounded by outstretched hands and hungry eyes, but we encountered relatively little of that.

Another exciting aspect of India is the traffic.  Perhaps exciting is the wrong word.  Death-defying seems more appropriate.  The general consensus seems to be that traffic laws are for sissies.  I figured anyone who is ready to take their life in their hands to risk driving in India had better have made his peace with God.  We were lucky enough to have our own drivers for the two weeks we were there, any they all expertly avoided many an accident.  What is still a miracle to me is how Patrick and I survived being pedestrians.  On more than one occasion I was sure I was about to meet my end at the hands of a tuk tuk or motorcycle driver.

Our first week in India was spent doing touristy things in touristy places.  We saw lots of beautiful monuments and heard a lot about the history of India.  To be honest, this didn't interest me as much as I thought it would.  While I was awed by the beauty of the Taj Mahal (as anyone would be to see it in person), I just couldn't get excited about the old India.  What I wanted to experience was the real, living India of today.  That's why the second half of our trip was so much more meaningful to me.  But more on that later.

As you probably know, the whole point of our going to India was to visit the two children we sponsor through Compassion International.  The story of those visits warrants its own post, so I'll write more details on that later.  Suffice it to say, the few hours we spent with each of our kids was incredible and life changing in many ways.

Now that we're home I feel like my head is still reeling with all the things we saw, felt, and did over the last two weeks.  I think in some ways I wasn't ready to come home, because there was so much of India that we didn't get to see.  You'd have to spend months there to see everything!  God really did bless this trip in so many ways, and I'm thankful for our family and friends who were praying for us while we were away.  Those prayers were certainly felt!  

The Blind Men and the Elephant

Once there were six blind men who came upon an elephant. Using their sense of touch, each of them discovered something about the animal.  One man touched it's leg and said, "It is like a tree trunk."  The second man touched the elephant's side and said, "It is like a wall."  A third touched the tail and said, "It is like a rope."  The fourth touched the tusks and said, "It is like a spear."  The fifth touched the ear and said, "It is like a fan."  The sixth man touched the trunk and said, "It is like a snake."  The men began to argue over what the elephant was.


The elephant is like a tree.
The elephant is like a wall.
The elephant is like a rope.
The elephant is like a spear.
The elephant is like a fan.
The elephant is like a snake.

A seeing man came along and heard the six blind men arguing.  He explained to them that they were all right, and they were all wrong.  Each of them understood a piece of what an elephant was, and only when they put the pieces together could they understand what and elephant is.  

Like the blind men in the story we have a tendency to focus on only one aspect of who God is.  We tease apart just one piece of God's nature and declare that that is what God is like.  Sometimes Christians even get into heated arguments about the nature of God because they don't realize how vastly complex He is.

God is loving.
God is judging.
God is merciful.
God is majestic.
God is comdemning.
God is a deliverer.

God is not just one or the other, He is all of these things and so much more.  Unless we start to put all the pieces of God's nature together, we will see only a fragmented version of our creator.  We cannot understand the depths of God's love if we do not understand who he is as a righteous judge. We cannot understand his mercy unless we see that he is a holy God against whom we have all sinned.  1 Corinthians 13:12 says, "Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face.  Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known."   I thank God that someday I will see him face to face.  I'm thankful that someday I will really see him and know him more fully than I possibly could in this life.  

Since we are finite beings, I think it is impossible for us to fully grasp the magnitude of who God is, but that shouldn't stop us from seeking his face.  Our hunger for God should drive us toward Him and toward a greater understanding of his complex nature.  The more we gaze upon the face of God, the more we love him and the more we will give glory to his Name.  Then when we stand before his throne we will rejoice in the knowledge of the one who has called us into fellowship with him.  

India, Here We Come!

Patrick and I have dubbed 2012 the year of living out of suitcases.  We'll be doing a lot of traveling, beginning with a two week trip to India.  We leave on Saturday, so tonight we started packing.  It's hard to believe that after all the planning that's gone into it, this trip is upon us!

Abhinav

The main purpose of our going to India is to visit the two children we sponsor through Compassion International: Abhinav and Jeevalakshmi.  We have sponsored Abhinav (age 9) for over two years and have gotten to know him through writing letters every month.  We began sponsoring Jeevalakshmi (age 6) back in September, and have already received several letters from her. Both children have become very dear to us in a short amount of time, and we can't wait to meet them in person!  We are praying that we will be able to encourage both of them in the short time we have with them, and that we can share the love of Christ with them and their families.

Jeevalakshmi

The first part of our trip will be of a more tourist nature. We fly into New Delhi and will do a five-day tour of northern India.  Patrick is getting excited to put his new photography skills to use!  I'm sure we'll have tons of stories to tell when we get back, and I'm looking forward to blogging about our adventures there.  (Actually, the reason I began blogging in the first place was so friends and family could keep up with us as we travel around the world in the coming years.)

I'll admit, I tend to get pretty anxious about traveling.  Please pray for me that I would have peace about getting to and from, and that I would simply trust in God's provision for us while we're away.  Also, please pray that we don't get sick while we're there!  My biggest fear is not being well enough to visit with our kids, especially since those visits will be during the second part of our trip.  We aren't taking a computer with us so unfortunately I won't be able to write as we travel throughout the country, but check back in a couple of weeks for updates!

Where is Your Treasure?

I realized that the reason I haven't posted recently is because the things I've been processing lately have been difficult to put into words. God has revealed some things in my heart lately that I thought I had dealt with, and I'm ashamed to say, there's more work to be done.  Just another reminder that we are a work in progress, and the Lord is never finished molding us into his image.  The process of sanctification is just that; a process.

As I've mentioned before, our small group is going through the book "Radical" by David Platt.  This is one of those life changing books that accomplishes the equivalent of putting your life through the spin cycle of a washing machine.  Patrick and I have been looking at the Word of God with fresh perspective and the results are at once terrifying and liberating.  Some of the things Jesus calls us to do as his disciples are difficult.  At times they seem impossible were it not for the grace of God in our lives.

The story of the rich young ruler has really resonated with my spirit the last few weeks.  Here it is from Mark 10: 17-23:

"As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him.  'Good teacher," he asked, 'what must I do to inherit eternal life?'  
'Why do you call me good?' Jesus answered.  'No one is good--except God alone. You know the commandments: Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.'  
'Teacher,' he declared, 'all these I have kept since I was a boy.'
Jesus looked at him and loved him.  'One thing you lack,' he said.  'God, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.'
At this the man's face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.


Jesus calls us to some difficult things; things we'd like to pretend he doesn't ask us to do, like sell all that we have and give to the poor.  We like to rationalize away statements like that saying things like, "What Jesus really meant was..."  As Platt says, "And this is where we need to pause.  Because we are starting to redefine Christianity.  We are giving in to the dangerous temptation to take the Jesus of the Bible and twist him into a version of Jesus we are more comfortable with." (P.13)  Though we might not like what Christ says about what our lives should look like, if we are following him with total abandonment, we cannot ignore the difficult things he calls us to do.

Lately I've realized that the things of this world have a stronger hold on my heart than they should.  As many of you know, Patrick and I plan to go into full-time missions overseas within the next few years.  The other day Patrick mentioned having an estate sale to sell all our stuff before we move.  While I know that at some point we would give it all up as we enter the mission field, for the first time I really thought about selling all our possessions, and it was very telling of where my heart is right now.  I don't rejoice at the thought of giving everything up for the kingdom of God.  I really like my middle class American life, and I know it will be a struggle to move away from all that.

There is a part of the passage in Mark that we tend to overlook.  Jesus didn't tell the rich man to sell everything he has to give to the poor so he would be miserable the rest of his life.  Not at all!  Instead, Jesus tells him that he will have treasure in heaven.  I think it's safe to say that treasure in heaven is more than we can ever imagine or dream about on earth.  Jesus tells us to let go of our earthly things so he can bless us even more abundantly for eternity.  What he's basically saying is, "Let go of your pocket change so I can give you riches beyond your wildest dreams!"

What I've been praying for lately is that I would see Jesus himself as the treasure that he is, and how incredibly worthy he is for my obedience and sacrifice.  Because really, when I stop to think about it, giving up on worldly things isn't even a sacrifice when compared to the eternal reward that is ours when we surrender everything to Christ.  The life Christ calls us to live on earth might be difficult in the moment, but when we see obedience through the lens of eternity, our perspective shifts.  Rather than seeing it as Jesus asking us to give up the creature comforts we love so much, we will see it as Jesus calling us to something better than we could ever think to ask for.  I pray for this kind of perspective daily, and I pray that you would experience it too.

Being Barnabas

One of my favorite people in the Bible is Barnabas.  He doesn't have a flashy story, nor does he get much face time in scripture, but the work he did was foundational to spreading the gospel.  The thing I love so much about Barnabas is that he was so encouraging to fellow believers.  His name even means "Son of Encouragement."  He traveled with Paul sharing the good news of Christ and pouring his life out for those who desperately needed a savior.

As the gospel was spreading to the Jews and Gentiles and news reached him, Barnabas made his way to Antioch.  Acts 11:23 tells us that, "When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts.  He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord."  I'm sure that Barnabas was a simple man.  Scripture doesn't tell us much about his life prior to his work with the apostles, but I imagine that he was a humble man who loved others and put their needs before his own.  He saw people through the eyes of God and understood their needs.  He knew how to speak to their hearts so they would be encouraged to press on in their faith and not lose hope, even when things were difficult.  Through his encouragement and love, many people came to know the salvation of Christ.

The kind of encouragement that Barnabas gave was more than just nice words to make his hearers feel good.  Sometimes encouragement means saying the things that are hard to say and even harder to hear. Paul told Timothy to, "Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction." (2 Tim 4:2)  Sometimes encouragement comes with correction and rebuke, and that is often hard to bear.  No one likes to think that they aren't on the right track to a godly life, but correction, given with love and encouragement, can be exactly what they need to set them back on course.  To correct in this way requires discernment, and I pray for this every day.

I want to be this kind of encourager.  I want to see people through the eyes of God and understand their needs.  Hebrews 3:13 says, "But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness."  There is a very real threat, even for Christians, to be lured away from Christ by Satan.  We can encourage one another by walking through trials together, and by loving each other through the hard times.  When I walk through difficult circumstances, sometimes I need others to remind me that God is still in control and that he will never forsake me.  This kind of encouragement from godly friends is always instrumental in helping me maintain a Christ-centered attitude.    

I want to be like Barnabas to those around me, and I have found that when I pray for opportunities to offer encouragement, God always places someone in my path who needs to be reminded of His goodness of love.  It still amazes me that God would use people like you and me to reach out and be the hands and feet of Christ to others.  Who has God put in your life today that needs your encouragement?

Life in the Lowcountry

I'll be honest, for the longest time I really didn't like living in Beaufort.  I didn't feel connected to that many people and just didn't feel like this town was a good fit for us.  For months I've been praying for contentment, and God is really changing my heart toward living in the Lowcountry.  It's been amazing!  For the first time the other day I actually got sad thinking about moving in June.  I'm finally at the point where I feel like Beaufort is home.  We have several really awesome friends, and we're plugged in to our church community.

A few weeks ago I wrote a post about loving life in Okinawa.  Well, here is my tribute to loving life in South Carolina.

We've done several weekend treks with our friends Shane and Melia, and several weeks ago our exploring took us to Columbia for my first ever basketball game.  Though I've never been much of a sports fan, I found that going to a real game with friends is a ton of fun!  It was a UK vs. USC game, and I was surprised to see that there was more blue in the stands than garnet!

We have an awesome small group, and we meet every week at our place for food, fellowship, and studying the Truth of God.  It's so encouraging to be surrounded by those who can encourage us in our walk with the Lord.

I'm still working as a teaching assistant in first grade, and though it can be a frustrating and exhausting job, at the end of the day, I still love all my students and I wouldn't want to be doing anything else.  God has a way of reminding me why I want to teach.

Sometimes my job is especially fun, like on Books and Blankets Day where all the teachers are supposed to dress up like storybook characters.  Yesterday I dressed up as a pirate and went around to several different classes to read pirate stories.  It definitely reminded me of my glory days as a library storyteller.  Yep, reading to kids is still my favorite thing ever!

We've had several visitors to Beaufort since we moved here last June.  Most recently, my sister-in-law Holly came to visit.  It was wonderful to catch up with her and spend time relaxing and hearing more stories from Zambia.

Like I said, we've done lots of exploring with our friends Shane and Melia.  Since Patrick took up photography he wants to go to all the scenic places around Beaufort to take pictures.  It's been fun to check out different areas of South Carolina.  This picture was taken at Hunting Island about 30 minutes away.  

Though I don't spend much time on base these days (and subsequently don't feel as connected to the military), there are some really beautiful sunsets that can be seen there.  Yet again, I'm glad Patrick has taken up photography! 

Freedom from Fear

Our small group has started reading "Radical" by David Platt, and once again, it's turning out to be a life changing experience.  Patrick and I went through this book last year with a different group, and it turned our world upside down.  (I'll write more on the book later.)  One of the discussion points from our meeting this week was about fear, and how total abandonment to Christ casts out all fear.

Jesus calls us to do some pretty radical things; things many of us are not comfortable with at first glance.  Sometimes it takes two or three glances before we really get to the heart of what Christ is saying in the Bible, and the implications for our lives today.  It's tempting to try to relegate Jesus' words to two thousand years ago and pass them off as irrelevant for us now.  To do so would be to deny our purpose in life.  Everything that Jesus said in the Bible very much applies to you and me and has drastic implications for our lives.

In Matthew 10 Jesus is speaking to his disciples about going out among the people and preaching about the kingdom of God.  He explains to them that they will suffer persecution for their faith, and the mission may demand their very lives.  In verse 16 he says, "I am sending you out like sheep among wolves."  I think his point here was to show them that they would be vulnerable to those who wish to harm them.  But if we keep reading we see that in verse 28 Jesus says, "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.  Rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in hell."   Do you catch the implication of this verse?  As disciples of Christ, we might be asked to give up our lives, but we are still told to not be afraid.  The worst they can do is kill us.  Wow.

These are the verses we like to skim over.  We like to pretend that Jesus didn't really mean it when he said we would suffer for his name.  We don't want to think that we might be called to die for our faith.  But if your faith isn't worth dying for, what's the point?  Jesus is worthy of all our worship, all our love, and all of our lives.  When we abandon our lives for him, we have no need to fear.

David Platt says it well in his book.  "We don't need to be afraid to go anywhere in this world, because the worst that could happen is that we might be killed.  The only way this can comfort us is if we have already died with Christ.  The only way this can encourage us is if we are so focused on an eternal God that temporal human beings strike no fear in us." (P. 175)  To die with Christ means to die to ourselves.  We die to ourselves when we are willing to give up the desires of the flesh such as wealth, prestige, or even physical safety.  When we give these things up for the glory of God, we die to ourselves so we can live in Christ.  Jesus says this in Luke 6, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.  For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it."


The whole idea of suffering stems from the command that we go to all the nations to share the gospel.  Too many Christians want desperately to believe that God would never call them to suffer or lose their lives.  They want to live safely behind their white picket fences and never step out in faith in what God has commanded them to do.  This is not the gospel.  This is not what we were created for.  Jesus sends us out among the wolves so we can reach out to them and show them the love of Christ.  Yes, we will face persecution, suffering, and maybe death.  But our reward in heaven makes the sacrifice on earth seem like nothing.  We have nothing to fear when we serve the Lord.  Paul reminds us in Romans 8:18, "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing to the glory that will be revealed in us." 

These verses are an encouragement to me today as we contemplate our future work on the foreign mission field.  The idea of persecution and suffering is very real in my mind because we plan to work in an area that is relatively hostile toward Christians.  We want to go where the gospel has not been proclaimed, and share the grace of God with people who have never heard it.  There is risk involved, and we may be called to suffer greatly for the glory of God.  We may even be called to give up our lives.  So the promises of God in these verses are precious to me, because I can trust that our sufferings here are nothing compared to eternal life with Christ.  I want to be able to echo the words of Paul when he says, "I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.  For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain."  May we all be so in love with Jesus that even to lose our lives for his glory would be a blessing.

Book Review: The Gospel for Muslims by Thabiti Anyabwile

Let me start by saying that I know even reading the title of this book will offend a lot of people.  It's offensive to them because of the implications.  This book implies that without trusting in Jesus to save us from our sins, we are hell-bound in a very real and literal sense.  To be honest, this has been the most difficult thing about being a Christian for me.  It's hard to come to grips with the fact that not everyone will experience the gift of eternal life.  Though this is a serious issue, it is not one I will deal with here.

For those of you who are Christians and understand the Biblical mandate for world missions, this is a book you will appreciate.  Anyabwile is a former Muslim who discovered that Islam just doesn't answer the ultimate questions of reality and purpose.  His story gives credence to his words, because he studied the Qu'ran for years and has a breadth of knowledge of the foundations upon which Islam is built.  

Anyabwile begins by reminding us that the gospel doesn't change just because we are speaking to a Muslim.  We don't really present it any differently, because Muslims, just like everybody else, need Jesus. Our God is unchanging, as is the gospel.  The difference lies in how we approach the use of scriptures, and the angle from which we even begin the conversation.  

The book takes you through several foundational principals of Islam and how they are in contrast with the gospel of Christ.  For example, many people wrongly believe that God of the Bible and Allah are the same.  Muslims deny the reality of the Trinity, that is, that God is one is essence but three in person as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  To deny this truth is to deny God Himself.  The Muslim faith is in opposition to the Trinity, thus refuting the idea that the God of the Bible and Allah are one in the same.

Anyabwile encourages Christians to share their faith with sincerity and love to everyone, not just Muslims.  We have the truth of God, and that cannot be kept hidden.  The salvation we have received is something to be shared!  When you have any kind of good news, your natural reaction is to want to tell someone about it.  The same should hold true for us as we share our faith.  Reading this book will help you see the simplicity and the necessity of doing just that.


Quotes from the book

"Often Christians place incredible pressure on themselves to have 'all the right answers' and to say 'just the right thing.'  I often think that that kind of pressure is a mixture of godly desire to help others and a serious lack of faith in God's ability to use what we do know to minister to others.  Consequently, many Christians never begin to reach out to their Muslim neighbors and friends.  We doubt our own ability and doubt that God can use us." (P. 47)


"Maybe the best way for Christians to build friendships with Muslim neighbors is to host them in our homes.  We may reach the world for Christ by simply reaching across our picket fences or crossing the street and then inviting them into our dining and family rooms."  (P. 124)


"Much of the Muslim concern about how "Christians" behave comes from equating Christianity with Western culture generally.  Most Muslims don't realize that Christians agonize over Hollywood films, immodesty, promiscuity, drunkenness, violence, misogyny, out-of-control youth culture, and other social ills.  Those things are not the Christian faith.  moreover, many professing Muslims living in lands with greater freedoms also participate in these ills.  The church has her faults, but she should not be blamed for the sinful productions of a fallen culture and more than all Muslims should be blamed for the terrorist actions of a few."  (P. 138)


"Some Muslims appear willing to suffer great things for Islam.  In contrast, many Christians seem unwilling to suffer for Christ."  (P.149)

Carseats and the Sovereignty of God

I believe wholeheartedly in the sovereignty of God.  That is, God is in control over everything and is all-knowing, and all-powerful.  We do have free will, yes, but God knows each decision we will make and the outcomes of those decisions.  Proverbs 16:9 says, "In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps."  I believe that God's hand is in every aspect of our lives, and is actively involved in what we do on a day-to-day basis.  Even in small and seemingly insignificant things like installing carseats.

A couple days ago I picked up my friends' two boys from school.  Not being a mom myself and having very little knowledge of how to install a carseat, it took me quite awhile to get them strapped into my car and ready to go.  On our way home we ran into some bad traffic due to a horrible car accident that had taken place probably just minutes before we arrived at the intersection.  I found out later that a man had stolen a fire truck (seriously?!) and had caused three major accidents in Beaufort, one that proved to be fatal.

I thought about what a terrifying scene it would have been had we been there.  And then I realized how easily it could have been us in that accident.  It might seem crazy, but had I known exactly how to strap in those crazy carseats, it might have been us being hauled away in the ambulance.  It is in instances like this that I believe God's hand is upon us, orchestrating our steps.  I believe that Paul's words are true when he says, "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."  (Romans 8:28)  This doesn't mean that bad things never happen to Christians.  We cannot understand all of God's purposes, and sometimes what we see as devastating is really being used for our good in the end.  We cannot see the whole tapestry from the viewpoint of God; all we can see are individual threads.  But even in the darkest moments of our lives, God weaves something beautiful that we will only understand from the other side of eternity.

God is sovereign over both life and death.  He is sovereign even over the struggles and difficulties we face.  Many times we endure hardships so that our faith is refined and we learn to depend on God even more.  James writes that we should consider it joy to be tested in our faith, "because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance." (James 1:3)   Nothing ever surprises God, even though it may surprise us.  There is a plan for each of us, and God is ultimately in control over every aspect of it.  He alone knows every detail of our lives, and the timing of everything.  It is comforting to know that my life is in the hands of my creator, and I can trust in his sovereignty, even when it comes to strapping in a carseat.

A Turning Point

To be honest, the season of Lent hasn't always meant that much to me.  I never really sat down to contemplate what this time was meant for, and how it should draw us closer to Christ.  Last night Patrick and I went to the Ash Wednesday service at our church, and I was hit with a fresh dose of what God can do in my life when I submit everything to Him.

Lent is a time of reflection, repentance, and renewal.  For the longest time, I thought the word repentance had a very negative connotation, and maybe many of you reading this feel the same way.  When we think of repentance we tend to think of someone wallowing in the guilt of their sin.  Recently though, God has shown me that repentance is quite the opposite.  Yes, repentance means confronting your sin and confessing it to God, but more than that it means turning from your sin and being freed from it's grasp.  When we repent, we are in agreement with God that we have sinned against Him, and we acknowledge that we want live in a way that pleases Him.  1 John 1: 8-9 says, "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."  We all need to be wrecked by our sin and the fact that it separates us from a loving and holy God.  But being brought low by our sinfulness isn't the end of the story.


Jesus didn't come to this earth and die on a cross so we could live forever under the guilt of our sin.  He took our guilt on his shoulders as he carried the cross.  It was our sin that crucified him, but it was by the power of God that he overcame death and set us free.  Christ died so we could be free.  What a liberating thought!  Jesus says, "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."  When Jesus says he'll set the prisoners free, he's not referring to convicts.  He's referring to you and me, who were held in captivity by our sin.

Lent is a time of renewal.  The more I think about it, the more I see that repentance and renewal really go hand in hand.  When we are cleansed from our sin, God renews our heart and refreshes our spirit.  My favorite verse in Psalms is, "Create in my a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.  Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.  Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me."  (Psalm 51: 10-12)  I have found that when I bring my sin before the Lord and truly repent, this verse becomes true.  He renews my heart, and He reminds me of the joy of his salvation.  God makes it possible for me to turn away from my sinfulness and walk in paths of righteousness.

I hope that you will take some time during this season of Lent to reflect on the things that are holding you captive, and the sin that keeps you from experiencing true fellowship with the Lord.  Pray through these things and allow yourself to be restored and renewed in your walk with Christ!

Not Invisible

When I worked at the library in Okinawa I did a children's program for the homeschool kids about the five senses.  It was a great program, and the kids loved it because when we got to the sense of taste, I brought in different foods for them to try to show what salty, sweet, sour, and bitter taste like.  One of the samples was a plate of chocolate shavings.  The kids could barely contain themselves when I brought it out, and they eagerly grabbed for the biggest chunks.  What I hadn't told them was that it was bitter chocolate, and let me tell you, I got some funny reactions!  Where they expected something sweet and delicious, they got something bitter.  What they thought would be satisfying left a bad taste in their mouths.  The lies Satan feeds us are so similar to that plate of chocolate.  We grab for it thinking it'll be sweet but once we eat it, we realize how bitter it actually is.  How often have I experienced this?  How often have you?

The past couple of weeks have been a little rough.  For the longest time I just thought it was me being discontent with life in Beaufort; me being ready to move on to the next phase of our lives.  But the more I prayed about it the more I realized that the darkness was because I had swallowed the Enemy's lies, yet again.

Do you ever feel invisible?  Like you're standing in a crowded room screaming at the top of your lungs, but no one turns around?  I know it's cliche, but that's how I'd been feeling for a while.  It seemed as though I wasn't making any positive impact on people's lives around me.  I was becoming more and more angry, negative, and critical about everything, and it was slowly eroding away at my heart.  I was buying into the lie that I don't matter and that God doesn't love me.  I think if I had really stopped to think about what I was starting to believe, I would have recognized it as Satan at work.

God brought several verses to mind as I sat on the couch late one night praying.  The first was 1 Corinthians 13:12, "Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face.  Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known."  The part that stuck out was, "as I am fully known."  God knows us better than we know ourselves.  He knows all the rotten things we do or think about.  He sees us at our very best and our very worst, and he still wants a relationship with us!  Another verse on my heart was Zephaniah 3:17.  "The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save.  He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing."  What an incredible thought that the God of the entire universe delights in me!  Each time I read this verse I am refreshed in knowing that not only does God know me but he delights in me, and he delights in you too.

Finally I prayed over John 14:27 in which Jesus says, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not be afraid."  It is times like these when I know that God speaks to us directly through His Word.  Jesus came into the world to set us free from fear, but how often do I run back to it?  How often do I allow myself to believe the lies of Satan, which only serve to pull me away from my Lord?  By standing firm in the promises of God and praying for deliverance, we can be set free from the lies and we can live as Jesus intended us to live: life to the fullest!

My prayer for you is that you would not be taken captive by the lies of the Enemy but that you would, "take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." (2 Corinthians 10:5)  You are not invisible.  You are known and loved by God.  That is a Truth you can stand firm on!

The Goodness of the Good News

There are always two sides to any coin.  Two sides to every story.  In first grade I teach my students how every good story has a problem and a solution.  The same holds true for the gospel of Jesus.  There is a big problem with humanity.  There is a lot of bad news about sin.  But God gives us a solution, and there is good news for those who believe.

Our pastor Mark Oshman has often been quoted as saying, "The good news is only as good as the bad news is bad."  If we don't grapple with our sin and understand the seriousness of our separation from God, we won't ever understand our need for a savior.  Until we see our sinful nature for what it is, the gospel will ring hollow and empty in our ears.  So here's the bad news: we are sinners, separated from God, deserving hell.  But the good news is God has provided a way out for us.  God himself is the sacrifice to atone for our sin and be saved from death.

Jesus came to give us hope for eternity.  I know that sometimes Christians throw around words like hope, faith, joy, etc. without giving any real weight to what they mean.  So what does it really mean that we have hope in Jesus?  He didn't come just to give us a good life here on earth; in fact, many Christians suffer severe persecution for their faith.  The gospel is about having an eternal perspective and realizing that there is more to life than what we have here on earth.  We will one day worship at the throne of God in heaven for eternity.  We have hope that one day all the ugliness of this world, all the suffering and pain, will be wiped away by the One with nail-scarred hands.  "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us." (Romans 8:18)  This life is but a glimpse of eternity.   Now that's something worth living for.

In Mark 2:17 Jesus says, "it is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.  I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."  Jesus' sacrifice on the cross is an atonement for every man, woman, and child on the planet.  His death was enough to cover us all with His grace.  The gospel is for everyone, not just the ones who sit in the pews on Sunday morning.  It's for the homeless man on the street, and the crack-adled prostitute desperate for money.  It's for the single mother and the gay couple next door.  The gospel is for the frazzled college student and the retiree in the nursing home.  The gospel is for you and me.  There is no sinner beyond the reach of God's hands.  In 1 Timothy 2:3 Paul reminds us that we serve a God "who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth." 

God's grace is for everyone who believes, and the most important decision we will ever make is how we will respond to that grace.  For many it is a lifelong question.  My prayer for you is that you will know the goodness of God and answer his call to eternal life! 

Book Review: Adopted for Life by Russell Moore

One might think that, based on the title, this book is meant only for families considering adoption.  If so, think again!  While adoption is something Patrick and I are only vaguely considering at this point, reading Moore's book has changed my perspective not only on adoption itself but on our adoption into the family of God.  And that is what makes this a book for any Christian, whether they are thinking about adoption or not.  "Adoption is not just about couples who want children-or who want more children.  Adoption is about an entire culture within our churches, a culture that sees adoption as part of our Great Commission mandate and as a sign of the gospel itself." (P. 19)

Moore begins the book by explaining our spiritual adoption.  For Christians, prior to finding salvation in Christ, we were orphans.  We were lost.  We were unloveable and unwanted.  We were enemies of God.  But then Jesus came on the scene and welcomed us into the family of God.  Through his sacrifice He made it possible for us to receive an inheritance of eternal life.  The salvation of Christ is the ultimate picture of what adoption really means.  To this point Moore says, "None of us like to think we were adopted.  We assume we're natural-born children, with a right to all of this grace, to all of this glory... We're ashamed to think of ourselves as adopted, because to do so would focus our minds on the gory truth that all of us in Christ, like my sons, once were lost but now we're found, once were strangers and now we're children, once were slaves and now we're heirs."  (P. 31)


The clear explanation of our adoption by God makes it easy to see why caring for orphans should be such a priority for Christians.  Moore calls for an attitude adjustment when it comes to adoption.  He says there needs to be a shift in the whole culture of our churches to be one which embraces and encourages adoption.  It makes sense that when we see more adopted children in the pews next to us that adoption itself becomes less strange or intimidating.  "Once children are seen as a blessing, and once adoption doesn't seem strange or exotic, an adoption culture tends to flourish in gospel-anchored churches." (P. 172)

One of my favorite parts of the book was one chapter in which Moore describes part of his own family's experience in adopting their two little boys from Russia.  He describes the scene as they drive away from the orphanage where the boys were reaching back to it and crying.  They didn't understand the goodness that awaited them in their new life.  Moore equates this with how often Christians are tempted to turn back to the old life because we have difficulty seeing the goodness of our heavenly father.  "We don't believe that our new Father will feed us so we hang on to our scraps and long for the regimented schedules of the orphanage from which we've come.  And when our Father pushes us along to new tastes, we pout that he's not good to us.  But he's readying us for glory, preparing us to take our place on thrones as heirs."  (P. 50)

The second half of the book goes into more detail on the adoption process and some questions that adoptive parents may have.  Moore also discusses the importance of the church in being a supporter of adoption and the way the gospel is seen in adoption.  "The gospel welcomes us and receives us as loved children.  The gospel disciplines us and prepares us for eternity as heirs.  The gospel speaks truth to us and shows us our misery in Adam and our glory in Christ.  The gospel shows us that we were born into death and then show us, by free grace, that we're adopted for life."  (P. 214)

Adopted for Life is an incredible book, and I would highly recommend it to anyone, even if adoption is the farthest thing from your mind.  Moore's book will encourage you to live out the gospel not only through adoption but by supporting families that adopt and welcoming adopted children into the family of God.



A few more quotes from the book:

"When we adopt --and when we encourage a culture of adoption in our churches and communities-- we're picturing something that's true about our God.  We, like Jesus, see what our Father is doing and do likewise.  And what our Father is doing, it turns out, is fighting for orphans, making them sons and daughters."  (P. 73)


"It's true that adoption isn't "natural."  We have adoptions because we live in a world groaning under the curse of sin and death.  Fathers abandon mothers.  Mothers get pregnant without marriage.  Parents are killed.  Disease ravages villages.  It was not so from the beginning.  The hard questions about adoption --and the easy ones too-- are only with us because something's gone with the world." (P. 165)


"The Bible reminds us that not many of us "were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth." (1 Cor 1:26)  So why did God choose to save us, to pursue us with the gospel in the first place?  It's all due, simply, to what the Scriptures call his "good pleasure."  (P. 195)

There's No Such Thing as Divine Drifting

I've been thinking a lot lately about perseverance, and what it means to persevere in my christian walk.  As some of you may know I am an avid journal writer.  I've written every day since February 1996, and it is always interesting to see how I've changed over the years and how God has been at work in my life.  Looking back I can also see how the idea of perseverance has played out in my life.  

Have you ever thought about how most of the words we use to describe our relationship with God are all active verbs?  We talk about our walk with Christ or our journey.  We follow Jesus and carry our crosses.  These words don't paint a picture of sitting still; rather they point us toward the idea of actively pursuing Christ as we pursue godliness.  No one can stand idle in their relationship with Christ and expect to be transformed into his image.  A quote I heard recently from D.A. Carson sums up very well what I've been thinking lately.

“People do not drift toward Holiness.  Apart from grace-driven effort, people do not gravitate toward godliness, prayer, obedience to Scripture, faith, and delight in the Lord. We drift toward compromise and call it tolerance; we drift toward disobedience and call it freedom; we drift toward superstition and call it faith. We cherish the indiscipline of lost self-control and call it relaxation; we slouch toward prayerlessness and delude ourselves into thinking we have escaped legalism; we slide toward godlessness and convince ourselves we have been liberated.”  

How true; we do not drift toward holiness.  If we are on this road with Jesus then we are moving.  We might be moving toward Him or away from Him, but we're always moving.  There is no standing still.  We can't loiter our way to godliness.  We're not on some heaven-bound moving sidewalk.  When we stand still we naturally gravitate toward godlessness, prayerlessness, and the lack of discipline.  These are not words that characterize the christian life.  

The christian life is a race; more of an endurance race rather than a sprint, but a race nonetheless.  In Hebrews 12:1 we are encouraged to,"run with perseverance the race marked out for us."  In a race no one expects to win unless he runs.  You'll never make it to the finish line unless you keep moving.  James 1:4 says, "Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."  How are we to mature in our faith if we do not seek the Lord daily?

So what does it actually mean to walk with Christ?  Psalm 105:4 says, "Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always."  We seek God by reading His word and opening our hearts to him in prayer.  I've talked to some people who don't think it's necessary to read scripture on a regular basis. I don't think you'll go to hell if you don't read the Bible everyday, but it is incredibly important for Christ-followers to seek the face of God through his revealed word to us.  Our lives ought to echo Psalm 119:105 which says, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path."  Without the guidance of the Word of God it would be easy to start to morph God into the image we want  him to look like rather than who he is.  That's a very dangerous road to tread.

I don't want to sound legalistic here, but I believe that true christians will actively walk with Christ.  I believe that Ephesians 2:8 is true when it says, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith- and this not from yourselves it is the gift of God -- not by works, so that no one can boast."  We can do nothing to save ourselves - that is the redeeming work of Christ on the cross alone.  However, when we are saved, we should continue to pursue Christ throughout our lives.  Salvation isn't just a check in the box where we then go back to our old life as usual.  Like Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:17, "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"  And like D.A. Carson said, no one drifts toward holiness.  To be holy means persevering to walk as near to Christ as we can.  We can walk toward or away from Christ.  Which direction will you choose?

Book Review: A Holy Ambition by John Piper

Once a month Patrick and I have a standing Skype date with our good friends John and Sarah who still live in Okinawa.  Each month we read a book together then discuss it during our chat time.  We tend to focus on missions-related books since the four of us plan to go into ministry together overseas.  Reading and dissecting books with friends is such a great way to expand your mind even further, and I would recommend this approach!

This month our book of choice was A Holy Ambition by John Piper.  This particular book was something of a piggy-back on Let the Nations Be Glad and was one I got a lot out of.  The book is really a compilation of sermons and other texts Piper has written throughout the years pertaining to missions.  Though there is some overlap, the ideas he presents are ones worth repeating.  Piper writes quite a bit on the subject of missions because it is close to his heart, and obviously close to God's heart.  Christians all over the world are called to be a part of God's global purpose, and it is a blessing to be able to respond to God's call!
 
The book discusses the idea of a holy ambition, a concept taken from Paul who declared in Romans 15: 18-24 "I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation."  As christians we all have a holy ambition, or a deep desire to serve God and bring about his kingdom on earth.  We should strive to align our heart's desire with what the heart of God desires, and that is that we would worship at the throne of God!  Piper reminds us that the goal of missions is, "the global worship of Jesus by his redeemed people from every tribe, tongue, and nation."  

Some people have a problem with the idea that God only wants followers so we can worship and glorify Him.  Piper tackles this issue head on.  "If knowing Jesus were anything less than the greatest of enjoyments, the his pursuit would be unloving.  but he is the most valuable Reality in the universe.  Knowing him is "the surpassing worth" that makes it gain to count all else loss.  Therefore it is profoundly loving for Jesus to exalt himself.  He cannot love the nations without putting himself on display because it is only him that truly satisfies the human soul." (p. 23)  

One of my favorite things in this book is the challenge that all christians are called to glorify God among the nations.  "You were made for this.  I mean all of you who say from the heart, 'Jesus is Lord.'  When you confess Jesus as the Lord of the universe, you sign up for significance beyond all your dreams.  To belong to Jesus is to embrace nations for which he died and which he will rule.  Your heart was made for this, and there will always be a serious or mild sickness in your soul until you embrace this global calling."  What a challenge for all of us to be more and do more for the kingdom of God!  We serve a God who is victorious over all evil, and his is a mission that will be fulfilled.  I for one want to be part of that mission, and I hope it is one that you will embrace as well.


A few more quotes from the book:

"Growing up means getting a holy ambition to wield the sword of the Spirit mightily and drive a truckload of love to the needy and kick Satan's rear end in the name of Jesus." (p. 15)


"So my answer to the question where does a holy ambition come from is this: It comes from a personal encounter with the living Christ, shaped and informed and empowered by the written word of God." (pg. 17)


"Faith is a precondition for enjoying the symphony of God's glory not in the sense of getting a ticket, but in the sense of getting an ear for heaven's music.  The real precondition of enjoying the music of heaven throughout eternity is a new heart which delights in the things of God, not a decision card which you carry in your pocket to ease your conscience while your mind is captivated by the delights of this world." (P. 59)


"Stunning shifts are taking place as God gathers his elect from all the nations and sends his church to all the nations.  Europe and America are not the center of gravity in world Christianity any longer.  The center is shifting south and east.  Latin America, Africa, and Asia are experiencing phenomenal growth and are becoming the great sending churches."  (P. 139)