GO and SHINE

Have you ever walked down a dark road at night as cars whiz by shining their lights straight in your eyes? Or maybe you have driven down a deserted un-lit road past sunset, and been blinded by the lights of on-coming traffic?

It hurts doesn’t it? It literally hurts your eyes...but you can’t seem to look away from the on-coming lights as much as you may try. You also can’t see anything else. Funny how that works, huh? Looking straight at a light in the darkness, and you can’t see anything around you or even straight in front of you but the blinding light and its source. You can’t even see where you are walking, but yet, you continue to walk forward. 

I think there is a deeper lesson here. 

Our world is covered in darkness, and not only at night. There are deeds, there are words, there are world views that root themselves so deeply in the darkness of this world. They root themselves so deeply apart from God. God is LIGHT, so anything apart from Him is in darkness. There is so much, too much darkness in this world. 

Jesus tells His disciples in the much quoted great commission to “GO and make disciples of all nations.” Jesus tells to GO. Where? To all the nations. To all the darkness. And do what? MAKE DISCIPLES. Shine His LIGHT. Jesus also tells His disciples in Matt 5:14-16 “You are the LIGHT of the world...Let your LIGHT shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” He also says, “Do not fear, for I WILL be with you, even unto the end of the ages.”

Jesus commissions us, He empowers us with His presence, with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, to GO into the darkness, and SHINE light. And while we GO, we are never alone, no matter how we may feel. 

But, much like walking or driving at night towards oncoming traffic with blinding lights, it can be difficult, it can hurt, it can be scary, especially when you can’t quite see where you are going. That’s ok. Remember what is so bright that it is blinding you...the LIGHTs ahead. Jesus is the source of all LIGHT, keep your focus on HIM, the source of the LIGHT.

May that fill your vision, consume your thoughts in such a way that fear is cast out. Yeah, you may trip for a second, get a couple of bruises along the way, and never really know where you are going, but keep walking towards the darkness without fear and know that He is near, He is with you, He will never leave. GO and confront the darkness, GO and SHINE your light, GO and make disciples. 

GOing doesn’t necessarily mean moving to the African Bush, it doesn’t necessarily mean confronting an atheist or abuser, is doesn’t necessarily mean becoming a curbside prophet or preacher. Darkness is all around us. GOing means not idly sitting by as darkness reigns. It means fighting for the truth of Christ, the freedom of Christ in all things around you, all people around. It means standing for HIM, working to build HIS kingdom here and now. 

What does GOing into the darkness and SHINING mean for you, where you are at right now?

Just remember, the victory is already HIS, we have already won. 

Revelation 12:11 “And they overcame him (the devil, darkness) because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.”

Walk in the righteousness HE has clothed you with today, the blood of the Lamb. Don’t shy away from telling what HE has done for you, HIS redemptive work in you, the word of your testimony. And have not fear, perfect love drives out fear, and perfect LOVE is with you, always, in Christ Jesus; so don’t fear death, don’t fear persecution, overcome.

Hope in Brokenness

This world is so broken. I currently find myself surrounded by malnourished children, homeless boys that have run to living on the streets to avoid worse conditions at home; I am surrounded by extreme poverty, evidence of abuse (physical, emotional and from substance use), homelessness, and chaos. I am surrounded by brokenness. 

And yet, I am also surrounded by hope. A hope not found because myself or because of other people; but a hope found in this world because of God alone. God who lives, and is continually restoring and redeeming broken things, people and circumstances.

David said it best in Psalm 27:13-14:

“I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the LORD.”

I would without a doubt despair if I didn’t see the tangible evidence of our living God working all around me. Yes, the tangible evidence of our living GOD restoring broken things, restoring this broken world through the power of the Holy Spirit indwelling each of His saints. God has a way of birthing HOPE out of BROKENNESS. 

He makes beauty come forth out of broken people, broken circumstances, and broken places. He started this beauty-making work, this redemptive work, the moment Adam and Eve took that first bite. Since then, He has been restoring His broken people, and the broken circumstances that have resulted from our brokenness. Jesus, our HOPE, was birthed out of all this brokenness, to bring HOPE, and to bring victory. Praise God that we are not left alone in the brokenness, rather, He has made a path to HOPE through the brokenness. 

Read Matthew Chapter 1, the genealogy of Jesus. Scan through the list of names. Warning: you'll see evidence of a lot of brokenness. Do you see the name of Rahab, the prostitute? How about David and Bathsheba and their son Solomon born out of an extra-marital affair and amidst lies and deception? Even Judah, the man who sold his own brother Joseph into slavery to the Egyptians (in fact, it was even his idea), and slept with his daughter-in-law, who gave birth to yet another name on that list in Matthew Chapter 1, Perez. God’s own Son, the perfect man, was born out of all this brokenness. 

That fills me with HOPE. When I look around me, I see a lot of brokenness. I feel a lot of brokenness. Abuse, depression, divorce, war, pain, preventable deaths and diseases, malnutrition, poverty, homelessness, terrorism, bullying, fear. But also, when I look around, I see a lot of beauty. Hope, love, friendships, community, laughter, a struggling teacher opening her home for a homeless student, a formerly abused boy offering unconditional love to a stranger living on the streets, a hungry child sharing what little food she has with classmates, a generation rising up out of my friends to selflessly serve and love the communities wherever they find themselves, at home or away. 

God loves His broken people despite our brokenness and our broken world. Our broken circumstances break God’s heart more that we could potentially ever know. He sees the starving single mom and weeps, the boy being abused and moans, the teenager mocked and wresting with depression and cries out. He sees all these things, and He doesn't just sit passively by, He reacts. He reacts to this brokenness by bringing HOPE. God is continually working through the brokenness, He is using His saints, His Holy Spirit-empowered and led saints to make all things new, to do His will and bring His kingdom to earth as it is in heaven. He calls us to fight this brokenness, to love our neighbors as ourselves, and not just sit by, He calls us to react with the power of the Holy Spirit.

If you look around you and only see brokenness, hurt and pain, take heart, Christ has overcome the pains and death of this world, and is alive even now, He is alive in you and He is alive in me.  

There is darkness and pain in this world, but we don’t have to just stand by and watch them continue on. We have the power to fight back, the power to proclaim HIS victory in every broken person, circumstance, and place.

Just say YES to Him today, YES to His Holy Spirit, YES to making broken things around you beautiful and restored, YES for His kingdom coming and His will being done on earth as it is in heaven through you. Just say YES. Say no to self and selfish ambition, and say YES to HOPE, YES to HIM.

“But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in HIM.” Phil 3:7-9a

Trust me, it is totally worth it. There is HOPE in brokenness. 

Sink or Swim, I'm Diving In

Sink or swim, God calls us to dive into a life full of following Him.

A life which will get us a little beat up from the waves and currents every once in a while, BUT also a life full of adventure and fulfillment. A life requiring a trust of knowing that if we sink or swim, our God is with us and is working His purpose for our lives through the circumstances that surround. This life requires jumping in…despite fear.

Recently I had the opportunity to go whitewater rafting…It was an amazing day-long adventure of conquering rapids ranked Class 5 to Class 3. As we were approaching the last rapid of the day, our rafting guide, Jay*, gave our raft-team of 6 two options: We could chose to approach this rapid as we had all others: try to avoid flipping the raft by paddling together and make it through the rapid with almost certain safety. OR, we could choose an option with a little more uncertainty and adventure: all 7 of us to move towards the rear of the raft so that as the first wave of the rapid hit we would all be launched airborne into the water to endure the rest of the rapid waves and current alone with just a life vest and helmet.

After a full day of beating from the rapids, we were all a little hesitant to make a decision. Up to this point in the day, we had endured 7 rapids flipping unintentionally twice, two of us having to be picked up by rescue kayakers mid-rapid once, and gained a couple of new bruises along the way from flying paddles. It was tempting to take the easier path at this point: just paddle together and safely end the day with some fun memories and a couple of inevitable pains from the river. In fact we had every right at this point in our minds to choose this option given our bruises, sunburns and sore muscles. Yet, for each one of us, we felt that by choosing this easier, more secure and comfortable option, we would be missing out on something, we would be ending the day on the river with a sense of unfulfillment and what-ifs. The second option definitely offered more adventure, more promise of fulfillment, as well as potentially more pain and discomfort. We couldn't resist. Despite fears creeping in and looks of concern all around the raft, we all nodded and agreed to not hold back take the adventure…sink or swim, we were diving in.

After hitting the water and making it up for air the first time, the rest of that rapid was the most fun I had all day. Getting tossed to and fro by currents, going under and out of the waters, passing my friends who were also frantically taking and holding breaths as they experienced their own individual adventures, trying to remember everything Jay had taught us earlier to make it safely through…I laughed so hard as I climbed back into the comfort of the raft after making it safely through with the biggest smile on my lips and stories on my mind, as well as a couple of bruises on my arms and face.

Making the conscious choice to get ourselves out of the boat on that last rapid despite our fears and concerns was probably the best decision we made that day. You know what, even knowing now the hardships and pain that came with that decision, I would make that same choice all over again. The sense of fulfillment, no regrets and fun definitely outweighed any of the sufferings or fear I experienced.

The rich young ruler that we find in Mark 10 had a similar decision to make…no, he didn't have to choose how to head down a rapid, but he did have to choose between two possible ways of living: a life of comfort, knowns, but also unfulfillment; or a life of adventure, fulfillment, but also challenges. He chose the first, he chose to stay in the boat and leave this earth unfulfilled, wanting more, but not willing to let go and enter into a life of fullness. He let fear dictate his choice. He wasn't willing to give up all of his earthy possessions and wealth which gave him a false sense of security, comfort and independence. Jesus asked him straight up to let go, to move to the back of the  boat and get ready for the most uncertain, most adventurous, most fun, most fulfilling life possible of following Him, a life that would also require dependence on Him and trust of His provision and purpose and plan no matter what happens, a life okay with challenges and unknowns, a life okay with sinking or swimming, a life of freedom in Christ.  The rich young ruler turns Jesus down and walks away sorrowful, missing out, and afraid to let go, wanting only to safely glide through the rapids of life. He held back from Jesus. He didn't make the dive.

Jesus calls us to make that same decision: Will we let go of our boats, will we dive into a life of following Him? Will we embrace the challenges and hardships that come our way trusting that no matter what happens, He is in control of our circumstances, our rapids, sink or swim? Or, will we let fear dictate our decisions, our motives and actions, let fear hold us back? Will we let fear of the unknown, fear of the challenges ruin our lives and drive us away from ALL that the Lord has planned for us? "It's gonna be wild. It's gonna be great. It's gonna be full of Him."

Let's move to the back of our boats, our boats full of  false senses of identities and securities apart from Christ, and lets be willing to let go. Sink or swim, let's dive on in.

Life will be messy, you're going to get wet, maybe not know which way is up sometimes or which way to go, and even feel weak and overwhelmed…but you know what; it's going to be so worth it because it is the life that the Lord has intended us to live, the life of fulfillment  and adventure He has called each of us to. It is a life of love and devotion and trust. "Live a live worthy of the calling you have received." (Eph 4:1) A life where we depend upon Him, find our identity, our purpose, our security in Him alone and not our boats, and not restrained by our fears and insecurities. God wants us to jump into our lives, circumstances, and the people around us head first, unrestrained. That's how we make disciples of all nations, investing in other around us with no restraints, with no fears, and with no excuses. That’s how we truly make the most of this life for and with Christ. That's how we dive in. So, wherever you are at and whatever you are doing, don't hold back.  

Peter walked on water, will you dive on in?

"I'm diving in
I'm going deep
In over my head I wanna be
Caught in the rush
Lost in the flow
In over my head I wanna go
The river's deep
The river's wide
The river's water is alive
So sink or swim
I'm diving in
I'm diving in"

"Dive", by Steven Curtis Chapman

"Life's a journey, not a destination"

How cliché is that?

BUT…how true is that? Life's a journey, not a destination. .

When I first moved to Boston, I used to get so frustrated getting around the city, mostly I would get frustrated at the amount of time it would take me to get from point A to point B. From class to home, from my friend's apartment to a coffee shop, from the Trader Joe's  to my kitchen; everything was at least a twenty to thirty minute walk through the city in snow, rain or sun. Walking is the way of life there, it is the only way to get from point A to point B with the occasional option of utilizing public transit, rain or shine, freezing or sweltering. Many times as I made these journeys, I would find myself thinking only about my destination: how much further from this landmark or that landmark, how nice it would be once I got there (to point B), how nice it would be to get out of this weather once I arrived, I can finally rest or unwind when I get there, what am I going to do when I get there…etc. As I thought all this, I would find myself getting frustrated at the amount of time it would take me to get there, to get to my destination. I wasted a lot of time walking around Boston thinking only about my destination, giving no thought or consideration to the journey from point A to point B, no thought or consideration to my present environment and surroundings. Time wasted.

BUT, the time I spent commuting those handful of miles each day was not time wasted, unless I made the choice to waste it. Unless I chose to waste it by thinking about the destination and how much further I had to go until I reached it, or my mental to do lists for upon arrival… instead of enjoying the time spent outside taking in my surroundings, the beauty of the seasons and people around me. Interacting with the world around me, that is not time wasted. How many opportunities have I missed to "build the kingdom" on my journeys throughout Boston, how many walks have I wasted thinking only about the destination?

How much of our lives do we waste by thinking about only our destinations, our 'next steps' and planning our futures?

When we are kids, everyone asks "What do you want to be when you grow up?" No one ever asks, "What do you want to do while you grow up?" That seems like an odd question, doesn't it? But the truth is, we don't ever really 'grow up', we never reach that specific end-point moment and realize, ok, now I am all grown up, I have finally arrived at my destination, now I can stop walking. Life isn't like that, is it? Life truly is a journey. A journey of doing, while we grow up, while we mature. So, the question still stands, why do we waste so much time thinking about the destination and spend so little time enjoying the world around us? Why are we so concerned about the future, and less concerned about living in the present moment?

"Let your eyes look directly ahead and let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you. Watch the path of your feet and all your ways will be established. Do not turn to the right nor to the left; turn your foot from evil." Proverbs 4:25-27

This verse of wisdom tells us not to worry about the destination, but instead focus on the path before us, focus on the journey and the steps we are currently taking. Focus on the journey of doing, while we make our way to our destination.

Jesus is unique. He lived His life as a journey, cherishing each day, person, moment and circumstance that crossed His path. He kept His gaze fixed straight in front of Him looking the prostitute in her eyes, watching the disciples as they put to practice the words He had just preached, and making eye contact with the man on the mat before Him and not distracted by the large crowds looking on. He kept His feet on the path He was on, undistracted by thoughts of the future or temptations to the right and left of Him. He focused on the journey, not the destination. He knew His destination, was confident in where He was going to the point He never had need to worry about it. All of us living in Christ, we too know our destination. We can be confident in the fact that Christ died for us, we get to spend eternal life in heaven with His presence; that is our ultimate destination.

As Christians, why do we spend much of our life worrying about that? Worrying about where our life is going and what is going to come next? We know where our path leads by following Christ, we need not worry about the curves or mountains or valleys up ahead…we need only focus on the journey, on the path straight before us.  

Jesus was confident in His destination, AND enjoyed the journey. Each person that He encountered, He encountered and didn't turn up His radio or consume His eyes with His smartphone and tune out. He loved everyone around Him no matter what the day's agenda held. He up and dropped everything to go and raise Lazarus from the dead (John 11), was willing to go to the centurion's house to heal his servant, though He didn't know Him (Luke 7). He chose to continue spending time teaching where He was opposed to ditching the eager students for His biological family (Matthew 12). Jesus was willing to let go of the day's plans and just DO. He lived the journey, knowing His destination was secure. He did not waste any time as He got from point A to point B.  

What if I walked the streets of Boston like that? Knowing I will get to my destination and focusing on the path before me, the people and circumstances surrounding me on my journey from point A to point B. What If I let go of my daily agenda and instead of wasting my life by creating mental to dos, responded to the path under my feet, responded to the circumstances, people and moments around me giving each all of my attention, thought and prayers? Living life as a journey allows us to stop planning life, and start living it, start responding to the circumstances God has placed around us for HIS purpose and glory.

What if we lived our lives like Jesus? Knowing we will get to our destination, but kept our focus solely on the path under our feet?

"Man's steps are ordained by the Lord, how then can man understand his way?" Proverbs 20:24

So, let me ask you, since "life's a journey, not a destination:" What are you going to do while you grow up? What are you going to do...right now? 

Thy way, not mine, O Lord

"Thy way, not mine, O Lord,
however dark it be;
lead me by thine own hand,
choose out the path for me.

Smooth let it be or rough,
it will be still the best;
winding or straight, it leads
right onward to thy rest.

I dare not choose my lot;
I would not, if I might;
choose thou for me, my God,
so I shall walk aright.

The kingdom that I seek
is thine; so let the way
that leads to it be thine,
else I must surely stray.

Take thou my cup, and it
with joy or sorrow fill,
as best to thee may seem;
choose thou my good and ill.

Choose thou for me my friends,
my sickness or my health;
choose thou my cares for me
my poverty or wealth.

Not mine, not mine the choice
in things or great or small;
be thou my Guide, my Strength
my wisdom and my all."

-Horatius Bonar, 1857

Here and Now

"The heavens are the heavens of the LORD, but the earth He has given to the sons of men. The dead do not praise the LORD, nor do any who go down in silence; but as for us, we will bless the LORD from this time forth and forever."

Psalm 115:16-18 

The dead do not praise the Lord. Neither can those that aren't yet here on the earth, those yet to be born. That leaves only us, only us here on this earth now, to praise the LORD. Nature praises Him continually, as do the works of His hands, and the angels in heaven. BUT God has created us, here and now, for a very specific purpose. He has given earth to the sons of man. He has allowed us to live at a certain point of history...to praise Him. Our forefathers cannot do that for us, neither can our children's children that have yet to be born. Only we can praise Him here and now. And His timing, is always perfect. 

As HIS people, HIS holy priesthood, HIS possession (1 Peter 2:9) here and now, we have a responsibility to praise Him, for that is why we were created, why we are HIS, that purpose is the only purpose that can bring us true fulfillment. It is apart of bringing the kingdom of God to earth (see earlier post). We are to be the light of the world (Matt 5:14-16) at this point in history. What a responsibility! But also, what an honor. May we live with that mindset today, the mindset that our purpose today is to PRAISE HIM here and now. Because, if we don't do it...who will?

"Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." Isaiah 46:10

He will be exalted. Let's do our part. Let's praise. Let's exalt. Let's truly live. 

Building the Kingdom

"Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." 

Matt 6:10

These are words prayed every Sunday at my church, words that Jesus instructed His disciples to pray, words that have profound implications and significance when spoken with sincerity, but also words that easily get lost in the translation from our mouths to our hearts and minds. Words easily forgotten. Lord, may that not be the case.

What is God's kingdom and how is it manifested on earth?

                According to the Bible,

                                àit is something to be sought (Matt 6:34)

                                àit is to be preached (Acts 28:31)

                                àyou must be born again to see it (John 3:3)

                                àit has been given to us by God (Luke 12:32)

                                àJesus is central to it (Matt 26:29)

                                àbeing a "good" flourishing seed makes us a son of it (Matt 13:38)

                                àit is Jesus on earth (Matt 3:2)

                                àwe are to pray for it to come (Matt 6:10)

As a follower of Jesus, I believe the kingdom of God is something we are responsible to build each and every day. I believe that God manifests His kingdom on earth through us, His genuine followers. Take a flip through the Old Testament…David, Samson, Moses…Now the New…Mary, Paul, Peter, John…

God's kingdom on earth is, I believe, life as it was purposed to be from the start: life without sin, life full of love, life full of God's presence. Think Adam and Eve…pre-serpent. After the fall, this life was broken with the entrance of sin and hate, and thus the rescinding of God's  presence (but not purpose) in sinners (us all). Since the fall, God has so graciously restored this original life back on earth through Jesus Christ in true believers.

As true believers, we are freed from sin through Christ Jesus (Gal 5:1), love because we were first loved by God (1 John 4:19), and are gifted with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (Rom 8:11). We are then called to spread this life of freedom, love and God's presence to others by "loving our neighbor " regardless of who our neighbor is: whether they be friend or foe, stranger or family, foreigner or authority. That is, I believe, how God brings His kingdom to earth, through us.

When we pray "Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is on heaven," we are praying for love, for the spread of the Gospel, for missionnal living.

We have an important role to play in God's prevailing purpose. It is an honor, really, that He has bestowed upon us. He doesn't necessarily need us to build His kingdom on earth, but He has specifically chosen us to do so. STOP and reread that. He doesn't need us, but He chooses to use us. Let that sink in.

That is true love. He has chosen to create us despite knowing we would betray Him and choose sin. He has chosen to create us despite knowing it would cost Him, Jesus, His life on earth and 3 days of separation from God. Hell. He chooses to use us to spread the Gospel and love His people despite knowing we will continually fall short and fail. Yet, He still chooses to use us.

My mom used to let me "help" her in the kitchen during Christmas roll the dough for cookies and add the flour saying she needed my help, I knew she never did. Nonetheless, in those moments I felt like I had a purpose, I was needed, and mostly, I was loved because I got to work side by side with my mom. God has allowed us to "help" Him. We get to work side by side with Him (notice it’s with Him, and not for Him.) I feel important and wanted by God when I allow Him to use me to build His kingdom.

To build the kingdom of God, it is as simple as loving the Lord my God above all else, and loving my neighbor as myself. It is choosing others' needs above my own. It looks like taking time to talk to a friend instead of stressing out over homework that has yet to be finished, it means smiling at that stranger and even initiating small talk instead of walking by with IPOD blasting or face down texting, it means going to church instead of sleeping in, it means completing an assignment with joy instead of pouring over FB posts, it means thanking the clerk at the store instead running out the door late for the next item on your check list, it means being flexible to circumstances and not stringent on tasks.

It means so many things, but in the end it is a choice we must make. Who's kingdom will you build in this moment? God's, or your own?  

Philippians 2:3-8

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.

 Rather, in humility, value others above yourselves,

not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of others.

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset of Christ Jesus:

Who being in the very nature of God,

did not consider equality with God something to be grasped.

Rather, He made Himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant,

being made in human likeness.

And being found in appearance of man,

He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!"


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZ-fghqc8Oo