MOVE 2012 - Day 3

Today was filled with learning. Our morning speaker even piqued my interest by starting off his message with zombies. He brought up the "you've heard... but I say..." phrases in the sermon on the mount. These are phrases Jesus used to start subjects that contradicted their traditions. Jesus spoke less to these misconceptions and said they weren't going far enough. These ideas of blindly following rules are zombies. They resemble real godliness, but aren't. They infect our lives and ruin a chance we have at really being close to God by making us feel like we could get there because they aren't committed enough. We need to shoot them in the head.
Next we had group time in a local coffee shop and talked about dealing with temptation, etc.
After lunch, we split up for electives and each learned about something different. PB and I went to a video message by Jeff Walling. He talked about how crazy it is to love our enemies like Jesus commands. He made the claim Jesus didn't tell us to love our enemies as enemies, but to love them and not regard them as enemies at all!
Later, I got the chance to rematch Love Costs Every Thing (last year's documentary about the persecution of the church) and others saw it for the first time. I cried, like I do every time.
The evening speaker challenged us with Jesus' words about not judging. We are so ready to throw stones of judgement, but none of us have that right. Rather, we should hold that stone like an oyster would. When oysters hold stones, they turn into pearls. When we deny ourselves of judging others, we can find more value in loving them.
We took in a lot today and relaxed over the talent show, The Alternative. Good times, good times, good times.

MOVE 2012 - Day 2

What is being fatherless all about? That was a major theme today at MOVE. We started off our session discussing the beatitudes in Matthew 5 and continued constantly addressing God as our Father. After our encounter (morning session) speaker finished, we watched a documentary called "Becoming Sons and Daughters" by CIY about the fatherless generation.
The idea of a dad deciding he was done and voluntarily leaving his family is relatively new and prevalent in our generation. You may have heard that being raised by one parent is not a bad thing, but some statistics may have you question that.
* 63% of youth who commit suicide are from fatherless homes.
* 71% of pregnant teen girls are from fatherless homes.
* 85% of young men in prison are from fatherless homes.
These statistics are shocking and were the jumping point for the film. It followed a few stories of the fatherless or those helping them and how God helped them through struggles that resulted. A touching point for me was when a young man wanted to take a pastor's (last) name as his middle name because the pastor spent an hour a week with him, showing him what being a man was about. The pastor told this story and looked at the camera with tears in his eyes saying "are you kidding me?!"
We split into our various youth groups afterward and talked about the film. No one who spoke up in our group could relate, but we were all touched and had a greater sense of how good we have it.
As a personal story, I got to spend my lunch with just our pastor, Bill. I was encouraged by getting to know him more and realize how great a man of God he is. We are blessed to have him as a pastor. Praise the Lord!
Our evening session also focused on God as our Father. The speaker, Whitney, is a passionate speaker and clarified that God loves his children dearly. She used Matthew 6:25-33 to show us we need to trust our Father with everything. And we can believe this because Jesus said so. He would know, because he trusted his Father so much that he would follow his commands, even to the cross.
The topic brought up a lot of stories of trusting God from our students. They have seen so much already, but have been learning to trust their Father with it. Praise him for helping them do that, because they don't know how alone (as with all of us).
I am excited to see how God will continue work this week.

MOVE 2012 - Day 1

So this blog originated to follow my adventure and journey working for CIY MOVE the Summer of 2011. I'm happy to relort back at MOVE! But this time as a sponsor (read leader) of my church, Fox River Christian, and for one week only. But I praise God for bringing me back here with the students I love.
Today not much happened, as it was the first day. We drove in, getting Chick-Fil-A on the way, to Western Illinois University, registered, ate, and had a session followed by youth group time. Before the session, our leaders spoke to a minister from another church about how he saw issues may come to a head this week between some attendees with their church given the topics at hand. It was sweet to encourage and pray for a brother we barely know and to reflect on how God is sovereign and planned each of our attendance. Amazing!
At the session, our worship band encouraged students to worship their Father, not them as musicians, and to let any "craziness" in "rocking" be in praise to God and worship of him. Great reminder and it really helps us all to focus on why we're there.
Our message tonight was a video introducing the week's topic: the sermon on the mount. The speaker showed us his preparation for, and actual, riding of a bull. This is something that is dangerous, and you can't "kind of" do. One cannot expect to ride a bull completely safely or half-heartedly. He pointed out that if we take Jesus' teaching seriously, following him is much like riding a bull that way. We may and probably will get hurt and we can't "sort of" do it. We'll forgo our lives and go all-in.
Please pray for stamina, wisdom, and loving natures for our leaders Mike, Laura, Pastor Bill, and myself. And please pray for learning hearts, inquisitive minds, and openness to the Holy Spirit's work for our students.
Thank you.

When God Is Good

Turns out a lot of what I write about is spurred from social networks. If you have Christian friends on Facebook, you have no doubt seen them get excited about something that has happened and end the status or post with "God is sooooo good!" And they are right: God is a good God. But this ending proclamation is much less prevalent if someone isn't happy. Have we forgotten He is good because of our circumstances?

First of all, I don't think this is the case with any true follower of Christ. If someone has a basic truthful understanding of God, he or she should know that He is good, otherwise He is not worthy of our praise. If you remain unconvinced, consider Psalm 34:8, 100:5, and 25:8, to name a few. The God of the Bible is good, and worthy of constant, continuous worship.

But how, then, do we consider our trials and calamities? One base to lay down is that He is in control of everything, or sovereign. A good illustration is in Acts 17:25 (I'll focus on the last half), which says "(God) himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything." There is a difference here that should be noted between life, the start of a person's time on Earth, and breath, the continuation of that with each inhale and exhale. This means God not only gives someone life, but continues that life himself, and not in a passive manner (Isaiah 42:5 uses the word "gives" in terms of this breath, a very active word). Now think of the implications of the term "all mankind." He not only extends a purposeful life to His children, but to everyone who walks the earth. From you to me to heroes to villains, anyone who is alive is not "left" alive, but He literally keeps them alive. Therefore, God gives life and sustains it purposefully of all who are on the earth. A God this sovereign must have a plan then, if He's to be good.

My personal favorite proof of this plan in the Bible is the story of Joseph (the one with the Technicolor dream coat). As a brief overview, he was beaten within an inch of his life by his own brothers, who then threw him into a well and sold him into slavery. While a slave he was accused of trying to rape his master's wife and, despite being innocent, imprisoned. Eventually he was brought out of prison to interpret Pharaoh's dreams, with God's power, and because of the interpretations, a famine was foretold and the country could prepare, even to the point of helping others. We see in Genesis 50, Joseph's brothers apologizing to him, and his response is one that may shock us. "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today." (v 20) Joseph was not allowed to go through these trials and calamities for no reason, nor was the saving of people's lives a passive after thought. God meant it, in His good and perfect will (Romans 12:2).

Note, this is not an accurate reenactment.

We do not usually have the privilege of seeing this plan from the vantage point of a recounting of events in the Bible, nor do we usually see it while we're in the midst of our trials and calamities. But we trust that He is good, and that He is in control. We have faith in our God's goodness in times of happiness and times of sorrow because He is sovereign and for those who love Him all things work together for good (Romans 8:28). Thus, He is worthy of praise all the time.

If you never knew the meaning of my blog's name, it is derived from Luke 19, when the Pharisees criticize Jesus for letting his disciples shout in praise. "He answered, 'I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.'" (Luke 19:40) Christ followers should keep in mind that God is good all the time, and always worth of praise. Don't let the stones speak: fill the air with praise so they don't need to.

Don't Pray For Patience

The phrase has been passed around for quite some time now, "don't pray for patience because then God will give you an opportunity to be patient in." This saying is not worth holding on to as truth, and should be addressed when we hear it. It paints two untruthful pictures. One tells the believer to not desire to look more like Christ for it will require work and trials. The other is of our Father having a sick sense of humor, giving us more trials when we're asking for his help. The Bible, which should be our basis of the Christian faith, disagrees.

One goal of the Christian is to be shaped to be like his/her Lord, Jesus. We were originally made in God's image (Genesis 1:27) but we fell from this image when Adam and Eve sinned (Genesis 3). For the one who is saved, we are to be more like Christ, both currently (1 John 2:6), and as a hope in a promise we've been given (1 John 3:1-3). Why fear this then, no matter how it comes? The Christian should strive to be like Christ in all things to glorify his/her Father. Trials may not be fun, but trust that they are for good.

The real problem in this saying, though, is the picture it paints of God. Saying that while one is in a trial requiring patience, praying for it will result in more trials is to say that He wants one to develop these skills alone, and will punish anyone who asks for help. This is ridiculous to claim and directly contradicts Luke 11:11-13

What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!

This (ignored) passage comes directly after the (often misused)  verses of Jesus explaining that if we ask our Father for something, we will receive it. He asks those listening if they give their child some calamity in response to a request for food. What kind of person would do that? Even humans, who are evil, will not deliver some trial instead of nourishment. So we should expect this even more from our Father, when we ask for the Holy Spirit. Don't be confused here, because patience is one of the outward signs (fruit; Galatians 5:22-23) of the Spirit promised to those who are to be saved. Therefore, it should be asked, what kind of god would our God be if when we asked for patience in the time of a trial, he instead gave us some serpent or scorpion?

Know, however, that trials are used for our good and are used to sanctify us. James says that we should "count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." (1:2-4) For through trials we are made perfect, with the Holy Spirit giving us the strength. This does not mean that our Father sends us trials in the midst of trials because we've asked for help through the original trials.

The Holy Spirit that a Christian has been sealed with is our comforter and source of patience. We may be taught patience through trials, but He is there to guide us through them. Our Father will not give us scorpions or serpents instead of food, and he will not give us calamity when we ask for His Spirit.

How A Body Is Built

What does it look like for a body to be completely mouths? What about only arms or feet? Or, if the legs not only walked, but tried to talk, digest, and think? Taking a look at many churches or para-church organizations answers these questions. These communities have lost sight of what a body looks like and why they are made of different parts and have lost their effectiveness, in at least some sense.

The Thumb-Thumbs from Spy Kids were pretty ineffective...

One cannot say another is acting foolishly, without explaining the proper way to act. So before expanding upon what behavior could be considered an ill-formed body, a proper body should be considered. A brief introduction to the gifts of the Spirit (in which this idea is based) is found in 1 Corinthians 12:4-7.

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.

Note that the same sentiment is repeated three times in a row. There are different gifts, types of service, and activities, but the same Spirit, Lord, and God respectively. Displaying the gift of teaching does not mean that someone has a different Holy Spirit than one who is an administrator. And because one person serves in the kitchen while another serves as an usher does not mean they serve a different Lord. Finally, the senior pastor and the VBS volunteer serve the same God, who empowers them to complete each of their tasks. Verse seven tells us that all of this, everything we do to serve God in his power, is for the common good. When we use our gifts, whether it's healing or preaching or encouraging, each is for the common good.

Further in the passage(vv. 8-10), language like "to one is given," and "to another" is used to stress that each gift is not given to each person. The same Spirit gives each gift to whom he chooses as he chooses (v. 11). These verses explain that the Holy Spirit has a will in this, deciding who gets which gift, and that he does not empower everyone the same.

Moving forward in chapter 12, is the body analogy. Please read vv. 14-20 for an extension of how foolish these bodies Christians try to form are. The illustration is used to teach that each part of the body is important, and each role needs the other. This is why God, our Father, has built his Church with diversity in the gifts the Holy Spirit has manifested in us. Personally, I am a bad encouragement, but I have a passion and wisdom about the Bible that is not my own. My best friend, ChrisKolb, is a huge encouragement and just as passionate about God, but if he ran a church, paperwork might not get done. Another best friend, Nik, would make the paperwork and leadership duties beg for mercy, but has not been given wisdom in the word like I have. We all need each other, as we'd fail miserably if we tried to do everything. This dependence is good and willed by the Father.

But there are countless people who may have ripped this chapter out of their Bibles. Some churches claim that a specific gift needs to be shown in your someone's life as evidence they are saved. Other organizations require everyone to show every gift of the Spirit that they acknowledge, making all who are involved teach and encourage and administrate and evangelize and so on. While each of these gifts alone are good, there is not a specific gift that proves salvation (that's what the Fruits of the Spirit are for), nor are all the gifts given to everyone. Each believer is instructed to be empowered by the Spirit in the way he has manifested himself in them.

This is a part of the Bible the Church has ripped out or scratched out, so we can hold on to our own power. When will we stop ignoring God's will for his Church?

Why I Am Ok Without God

All of us at one point have thought we are alright without God, with no need for him, his grace, or his presence. Understanding why that's a lie is one matter, but why would someone even think that? As I said in my last post, we often rely on other humans to feel loved when on their own they are incapable of such a thing. This is not limited to other humans, but we put our faith and trust in so much to survive everyday life or even eternal life. How could we be so foolish?

One examination of the problem is in Jeremiah 2. The chapter comments on Israel's condition, having turned from the LORD and seeking their own glory. God illustrates it beautifully in verse 13:

for my people have committed two evils:
    they have forsaken me,
        the fountain of living waters,
    and hewed out cisterns for themselves,
        broken cisterns that can hold no water.

Just like someone would not turn to a cracked water bottle for relief from thirst or a glass with a hole at the bottom, this verse illustrates the foolishness of people turning from God and turning to false gods, like we do all the time. Obviously, there are so many other places we see this, but I prefer the imagery here.

A key to this question is what the flesh desires. Galatians 5 lays it out explicitly. "Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these." (vv 19-21a) If our physical being, our evil selves seek such things, and find them, they will feel satisfied. It is their foolish replacement for the joy and grace of God. So telling someone that they will not be satisfied without God may seem as a lie to them, because their flesh is satisfied with evil things. But their soul will not survive on these.

If God is working in someone's heart, they will come to know their longing and need of him. Nothing we say or do can change their mind, unless it is God's work as well (1 Corinthians 3:5-9). So we think we're ok without God unless he's working in us to convince us of his truth. We are satisfied with sins and evil, even when we let the flesh control us, and God is the one who reveals our brokenness.