Christian?

What if you went outside and saw a catterpillar working to become a butterfly? Except, instead of spinning a cocoon it was trying to literlaly make wings. That's silly!

Yet that is what we do, when we as Christians try to "look" like Christ. We try to make good deeds, try to obey the law. Really, the law serves as a reminder that we cannot do it. The only way anything good comes from us is from Christ being in us. The more time we spend with Christ, the more we look like Him. When we try to do good deeds, we are only deceiving ourselves and those around us.  When we focus on Christ, however, we suddenly find ourselves doing these good deeds, though it is Christ working them through us.

So clearly we aren't just sitting there "letting Christ work". Just like the caterpillar is working to make a cocoon, we work to spend time with Jesus. Doesn't it sound so silly now to even mention our "wings" we have made? "I had this many people at Bible study." "I gave this much money."  We (and by "we" I mean "ME") have missed the point! Christ did those good things, we were just blessed enough to have been chosen to be used.

So, basically being a Christian means spending time with Christ, with the purpose of becoming more like Him. Sounds like a sweet deal to me!

David Platt had a incredible sermon on discipleship over the summer ago entitled "Commisioned by the King".   In it he says "Scripture knows nothing of a disciple of Christ who isn't making disciples." Those are some strong words for some of us...wow!  Nowhere in the Bible does Jesus command people to go to church twice or even three times  week. The only command remotely close is Hebrews 10:5-

"Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching."  It would be so easy to say that being a good Christian means I go to church every time the doors are open. Or even to say tht I go to church twice on Sundays. Yet nowhere in Scripture to you see this. Dawson Trotman was the founder of the Navigators. If you haven't read his biography "Daws", you should!!  In his book "Born to Reproduce" he says "The curse of today is that we are too busy… I am talking about being busy doing Christian things.  We have spiritual activity with little productivity."  So what does "productivity" look like?

Discipleship. Matthew 28 is the classic example: "Go, make disciples...."  What good is "worship" on Sunday morning (and Sunday night) when your life is not a life of worship? A life of worship is constantly looking for ways to make God famous; ways to draw near to God. A life of worship isn't concerned with how many good deeds I've done this week. A life of worship isn't concerned with how many sermons I've listened to this week. A life of worship is looking for needs around you. How can you encourage the person next to you in their walk (or lack thereof) with God? How can you yourself worship God while at work?

Being a Christian means spending time with Christ, with the purpose of becoming more like Him, and encourging those around you to do the same! Live life with each other! Be honest with each other. Challege one another in their walks with God.

Discipleship may look like going to church on Sunday nights, or it may not. It may look like going on Wednesday, or it may not. Each one of us has a unique ministry that God has given us. Thats does not mean, however, that we ship fellowshipping with other believers entirely. Again, Hebrews 10:5. But why do you go to church on Sunday mornings, or Saturday night (whenever your body of belivers meets)? To disciple one another, and encourage one another.

This week I have decided that I am going to live more intentionally. I am going to look for ways to disciple others, and to be a disciple myself. My husband rightfully said "Disciplship isn't a program." It's a lifestyle.

This is war.

"When life and death go to battle, ain't no tellin' what'll happen." Trip Lee

I realized how true this is from a recent trip to Haiti... a life changing week, like no other.

I knew this trip was going to be hard from the moment I began packing. I've always enjoyed traveling, and have never really been scared of a place. Sure, I had the typical response when people heard we were going to Haiti: "Why would you go to Haiti?" "You do know it's the poorest country in the western hemisphere, right?" I've still got some callousing to do, but after two years of ministry, these comments didn't phase me. However, while packing I felt an odd sense of dread. I suddenly did not want to go. This feeling was foreign to me! When have I ever hesitate at a chance to travel?! God has blessed me with so many mission opportunities, beginning with a trip to Spain in 8th grade with my dad, continuing with several trips to Guatemala, and a trip to Whistler. You get the point: missions & traveling was nothing new. I pushed this dread inside, and subcosiously knew this week was going to be intersteing, one way or the other.  Little did I know the effect it would have on my life.

We began our journey at midnight Friday June 29, 2012. After hours of driving, flying, waiting, flying, and driving some more we arrived at the Georgia House in Leogane, Haiti. The drive itself was like nothing I have ever seen. The poverty was impossible to ignore. Sewage and garbage is running in the streets, right past the food vendors and children playing. People are living under tarps, if they even have that. This was a level of poverty I had never seen before. Confirmation #2: this was going to be an interesting week.

Our trip was focused on leading VBS at a local church, and again at a local orphanage. I'm not going to lie: I was disappointed. Anyone who knows me knows that I am not much of a kid person. Confirmation #3: this was going to be an interesting week.

We began with VBS at the church; I was pleasantly surprised at how well it went...and how comfortable I was. The Lord gave me strength and in my weakness He worked through me. That was proven through out the week. In the afternoon, we went to the orphanage. And that is where my life was changed....

The kids were eating lunch when we arrived that first day. "This is awkward!" I thought. Kids covered in mud, food, and water literally begging for attention, pulling from all angles, asking for everything you had. Right there, I just wanted to go home. I remeber praying, "God give me strength. This is going to be a long week." I walked a few steps away to catch my breath, and that's when it happened. I looked down and saw a little boy teeter over to me slowly. When he was at my feet, he looked up and reached. My heart broke right there. This little 18 month boy just wanted someone to hold him. Nevermind the fact that he was clearly malnurished with a swollen belly, he just wanted love. For the rest of the week, we were attached. I'd try to put him down, only to have him scream and roll himself on the dirt until I picked him up again. And honestly, I didn't want to put him down anyways. Monday I was able to put him to sleep before we left. Wednesday is when the heartbreak began. He woke up before we left, and I held him and help him with his snack. The time came for us to leave for the day; he screamed like nothing I've ever heard or felt. He didn't understand. I cried on the way home, dreading the longer goodbye that was to come.

Thursday was our last day at the orphanage. My little boy came waddling over to me. He moves slowly because of his vitamen deficiency. I immediately cleaned him up; he was covered in dirt and food. I held him, and played with him. And I tried so hard to put him to sleep. I dreaded the goodbye that was to come. But he never feel asleep that day. The time came to leave, and he screamed. I walked away, and he got up to follow me. It was all I could do to keep walking to the car; he wasn't fast enough to catch me. I watched him stop and reach for the car while he screamed. I was leaving him to continue this life of poverty, this life without the love and care of a family, to return to my life of comfort and gluttony. It was the hardest moment of my life.

Why would God allow this to happen? Even now, I can't relive the moment without crying. My heart has been broken by a little 18 month Haitian boy. No, my heart has been broken by God.
   
God has shown me a glimpse at the compassion He has for these orphans, for this poverty striken-nation, and for the world. And it is so overwhelming. I still don't know how God will use this broken heart, but I know He will.

We are currently investigating the possibilty of adopting him. Please pray for us, pray for the boy, and pray for the 300,000 other orphans in Haiti. And remember God's cammand in James 1:27: Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being.

The Joy of Salvation

"The first and greatest victory is to conquer yourself; to be conquered by yourself is of all things most shameful and vile." ~Plato


How empowering! If you don't like something, change it! But wait...
You don't like your hair? Dye it. You don't like your shape? Loose weight. You don't like your attitude? Change it. You don't like your anger probelm. Work on it. You fight anxiety. Trust God more. And on and on.... Yet how frustrating and neverending this changing, fighting,  and changing some more can be. It can actually be maddening!  If you have lived for any amount of time, you know that once you "conquer" one problem (if you ever do!), another one arises.  Suddenly you are trapped in a cyle of perfecting yourself! Sure, you may have a picutre of what "perfect" looks like, and a self-help plan to get there.  But let's be real: will you ever be "perfect"? Have you ever heard someone say, "Finally, I have attained perfection. I never sin; I am beautiful; I have enough money. I am living in a way that pleases God. I have gained control."  No, we never reach that point because we can't. And since we're on the subject, what does it mean to please God?
 
Romans 2
¹² All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. ¹³ For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous.
 
Yikes. "Those who obey the law will be dedlared righteous."  Well, we know every one of us has disobeyed the law.
 
That's right; even if I read for Bible for one hour a day, pray for three hours a day,love your neighbor, and do all of this before breakfast,  I still have not done enough to please God. Why?? Because I cannot be perfect. So, if you're not depressed about this situation, let me summarize. I am a sinner by nature. Therefore, by nature I cannot please God. Even if I go to church every Sunday morning and Sunday night, I am destined to hell, because I cannot please God.   
 
But there is hope.
 
Galatians 1
^"3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, ⁴ who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father"
 
I have been rescued! Jesus has rescued us. Did I do something to deserve this? No!
 
Ephesians 2
"1As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature^a and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. 4But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast."
 
I was dead. Dead people can't  do better; dead people can't respond. Therefore, I have no reason to boast. Did God save us so we can make Him proud? Absolutely not. He saved us to show His power, His grace, and His kindness. So, were in that do you see yourself working, or showing off? Umm, yeah.
 
Tullian Tchvidjan is one of my favorite pastors. His series "Free at Last" has been life changing for me. I honestly believe I have never know the "joy of my salvation" until very recently. 
 
Galatians 1 explains why I (and maybe some of you) struggle to find that joy. Why I struggled even wanting to go to church. Yeah, that's right. That is the last place I wanted to go.
 
10 Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.


Read the whole chapter (actually the whole book!). Grace is incredible!!  

It is not possible to please God any more! I was not saved because of my good works, therefore, any good works I do now cannot please God any more! It's all about Jesus, nothing about me. And what a relief! It doesn't matter if I don't pray before breakfast; God is still pleased because He is pleased with Christ's work in me. It doesn't matter if I skip church Sunday morning; God is still pleased because He is pleased with Christ's work in me. Do you feel that joy?? That relief????

Why don't we talk about grace more? Why do we hear so many mesages about what we need to do? Because grace is embarrassing. Grace is messy. Grace means: you are worthless without Christ. Grace means there is nothing you can do; you are helpless. People would rather be told a list of things to do no matter how long and hard that list is than the fact that they can't do it.

Paul explains his previous manner of life. He really thought he was pleasing God while persecuting these Christians. What are the "good deeds" I think are pleasing God? Doing my quiet time every day, praying every day, going to church, tithing.... Isaiah 64:6 tells us how "good" those things are: like menstrual rags. Yuck. Kind of embarassing to think we are giving this to God to please Him.   

So, why do I have a quiet time? Why do I tithe? And the biggest question for me: why do I go to church? Because I get to! I get to spend time with God everyday; I get to worship Him on Sunday mornings; I get to talk to Him whenever I want to. It is a privilege that I enjoy. And it doesn't make God mad when I don't. Now that is true joy.