The Lord Speaks, and I am Listening
Hello Family and Friends (and future self and lovely wife and kids)! Thought I would record some things the Lord has impressed upon me thus far so that I remember them, like the rock pile alters Israel left all over the Middle East when they were waiting on the promised land. These are in no particular order, just as the Lord brings them to mind as I write.
1 - That Jesus does not need the pasty white middle age guy from the United States to build His church. I always knew this intellectually and theologically, however now I am learning this by experience. I suspect that we all have an unspoken "arrogance" about our own cultural traditions and understanding that we do not fully realize is there, and it is good to have God yank it out of us so we can know He is building the church, and we all collectively are His laborers. This is a good thing.
2 - Pastor Janke from our US church stated in a sermon that we know who Christians are because "they have a smell". He didn't really mean they have a literal smell, but it is as if they do. Like you get a "wiff" of the Holy Spirit after only talking with them for 5 minutes. While I know this is no litmus test for confirmation of a circumcised heart, there is a lot of truth to it. I am learning this more deeply as we make new Christian friends here.
3 - That worshiping Jesus in cultural surround sound is very satisfying and evokes from my emotions a profound awe in the Lord. Can't wait for worship in the new kingdom.
4 - A Pakistani, South African, Australian, American, Indian, and a Ghanan all approached the microphone in a single church in a predominantly Muslim country over the course of 2 months and proclaimed the same gospel.
5 - There are many people in the world who just want to work and earn an honest living, and they are willing to give up a lot to travel to a foreign country, work 6.5 days a week for meager wages in 100+ degree weather, and even live in labor camps 6-10 people per room. These people do not want to be pitied or viewed as objects of charity. They are proud and they work hard and they do their work joyfully. I never see them complain. I too must work joyfully with out complaining. They are a constant reminder and example.
6 - Church is where God's people assemble. And this can happen in a zoo. The church is made up of those who started life as "wild animals" (i.e., untamed tongues and hearts), so why not? God has a recorded history of bringing order from our chaos. It is called the Bible. Plus, who would not want camels for greeters every Sunday. Suits Greta just fine.
7 - Life was meant to be lived in community with others. I could not imagine doing this alone. Our family has grown quite close through this experience, and the kids are eagerly making new friends. We all love and frequently talk with family and friends back home, maybe even more that we did when we were in the US! But this is no substitute for relationship and community based on physical presence. I think there is something deeper here God wants me to learn - so I'm not done with this thought yet...
8 - There is something enjoyable about a simple life. We don't own much here and we have very few firm commitments. This was by design because we were not sure how long we would be here and we were looking for a respite from what was a very busy life in the US where both Pam and I were responsible for many things. But I think I might like it better this way? Less distractions and clutter. More time to exercise and play cribbage with Bennett or help Greta find Hamsters or to write this blog post! Maybe this is contentment I'm being taught...to get off the performance treadmill and just enjoy life a bit. To take more of my cues from God and less of them from my personal goals list or the expectations of others.
9 - You must have a daily quiet prayerful meditation time to hear from God. The noise of life can crowd out His voice too easily. Do this for a long time, and you forget what it is like to know His still small voice and gentle leading hand. Sit quietly and prayerfully ask for the Lord to direct your thoughts as you meditate on His word and He will say all kinds of things to you. Many of the things He will say will be hard to hear - because He will say hard things. But many more of the things you will hear Him say will bring you peace and comfort and confidence in Him. And your mind will also drift, even to thoughts that disturb you during this time, and God is saying something to you through that too - "Why are you worried?", "Why do you care what others think so much?", "You know the outcome of your customer meeting is ultimately in My hands right?" Why after 40 years of life, nearly 20 of them being sanctified as a Christian, do my thoughts still sometimes drift to sinful thoughts, even in the middle of prayer! Guess I still need Jesus!
10 - That even though people are sinful, they still have the fingerprints of their Creator all over them. This means even unregenerate people are capable of so much beauty, creativity, and kindness. There is a creeping cynicism about the human condition, that has its roots in reality, but can cause us to miss the imprint of God in all of creation. Affirm what is good and lovely where ever you see it, because these things are a reflection of the Lord, and He desires to be praised and we need to praise Him or we forget to be thankful. We can do this without affirming sin. If we don't do this then our appreciation for and expectations of others will be far too low. We need not be afraid to praise the moments of "Godliness" in unbelievers as though we will affirm them in their own self-righteousness and they will not see their need to be saved from sin. On the contrary, they will know from the affirmation of Godliness the times they fall short, and will know better their need of salvation from sin. When I praise my children for doing what is right, it only sharpens the distinction between right and wrong.
11 - Simple faith trumps complex theology. Don't get me wrong, complex theology is needed and is good and has its proper place. But one can get wrapped around a spiritual axle instead of remaining safely inside the faith vehicle. For example Pam and I have started attending a small group who is looking at the topic of prayer. This has always been an area of struggle for me personally. I have never developed the discipline of prayer, but I am learning. The first night we were with this group, they were talking plainly about many of the things I know God has said about prayer in His word. God hears our prayers. God speaks to us by His Word through prayers. And the kicker: God works through prayers. Everyone in the room gave their examples of these truths, affirming them, no exceptions, no nuance, no doubts. One by one, giving examples of prayer offered and prayer answered, etc. Annoyed by their confidence, I said something like: "Don't you guys have a hard time KNOWING if God is really working through your prayers or if things just worked out the way we wanted in God's sovereign providence? What about all the unanswered prayers, or the lack of direct input from God on a matter? I don't hear His voice audibly, do you? I mean, there is a big difference between someone slowly being healed at the hands of doctors and the guy born crippled from birth suddenly getting up and walking. Now if I pray for the cripple and he gets up and walks - yes that was the Lord answering prayer for sure...but all this other stuff could be chalked up to coincidence. It would be so much easier to prayer if I KNEW exactly what God was doing with my prayers." My new brothers and sisters did not take the bait. One by one they refuted my lack of faith. Though they didn't say it this way, as I reflected on that night the Lord has clearly stated: "Quit whining and making excuses. If you love those you pray for and trust me and believe my word, then pray. And I who am a Good God who loves all my children will hear your prayers and they will be effective, even when My answer is no. This is simple Jason, don't make it hard, and don't hide behind the excuse bag you've been pulling stuff out of."
1 - That Jesus does not need the pasty white middle age guy from the United States to build His church. I always knew this intellectually and theologically, however now I am learning this by experience. I suspect that we all have an unspoken "arrogance" about our own cultural traditions and understanding that we do not fully realize is there, and it is good to have God yank it out of us so we can know He is building the church, and we all collectively are His laborers. This is a good thing.
2 - Pastor Janke from our US church stated in a sermon that we know who Christians are because "they have a smell". He didn't really mean they have a literal smell, but it is as if they do. Like you get a "wiff" of the Holy Spirit after only talking with them for 5 minutes. While I know this is no litmus test for confirmation of a circumcised heart, there is a lot of truth to it. I am learning this more deeply as we make new Christian friends here.
3 - That worshiping Jesus in cultural surround sound is very satisfying and evokes from my emotions a profound awe in the Lord. Can't wait for worship in the new kingdom.
4 - A Pakistani, South African, Australian, American, Indian, and a Ghanan all approached the microphone in a single church in a predominantly Muslim country over the course of 2 months and proclaimed the same gospel.
5 - There are many people in the world who just want to work and earn an honest living, and they are willing to give up a lot to travel to a foreign country, work 6.5 days a week for meager wages in 100+ degree weather, and even live in labor camps 6-10 people per room. These people do not want to be pitied or viewed as objects of charity. They are proud and they work hard and they do their work joyfully. I never see them complain. I too must work joyfully with out complaining. They are a constant reminder and example.
6 - Church is where God's people assemble. And this can happen in a zoo. The church is made up of those who started life as "wild animals" (i.e., untamed tongues and hearts), so why not? God has a recorded history of bringing order from our chaos. It is called the Bible. Plus, who would not want camels for greeters every Sunday. Suits Greta just fine.
7 - Life was meant to be lived in community with others. I could not imagine doing this alone. Our family has grown quite close through this experience, and the kids are eagerly making new friends. We all love and frequently talk with family and friends back home, maybe even more that we did when we were in the US! But this is no substitute for relationship and community based on physical presence. I think there is something deeper here God wants me to learn - so I'm not done with this thought yet...
8 - There is something enjoyable about a simple life. We don't own much here and we have very few firm commitments. This was by design because we were not sure how long we would be here and we were looking for a respite from what was a very busy life in the US where both Pam and I were responsible for many things. But I think I might like it better this way? Less distractions and clutter. More time to exercise and play cribbage with Bennett or help Greta find Hamsters or to write this blog post! Maybe this is contentment I'm being taught...to get off the performance treadmill and just enjoy life a bit. To take more of my cues from God and less of them from my personal goals list or the expectations of others.
9 - You must have a daily quiet prayerful meditation time to hear from God. The noise of life can crowd out His voice too easily. Do this for a long time, and you forget what it is like to know His still small voice and gentle leading hand. Sit quietly and prayerfully ask for the Lord to direct your thoughts as you meditate on His word and He will say all kinds of things to you. Many of the things He will say will be hard to hear - because He will say hard things. But many more of the things you will hear Him say will bring you peace and comfort and confidence in Him. And your mind will also drift, even to thoughts that disturb you during this time, and God is saying something to you through that too - "Why are you worried?", "Why do you care what others think so much?", "You know the outcome of your customer meeting is ultimately in My hands right?" Why after 40 years of life, nearly 20 of them being sanctified as a Christian, do my thoughts still sometimes drift to sinful thoughts, even in the middle of prayer! Guess I still need Jesus!
10 - That even though people are sinful, they still have the fingerprints of their Creator all over them. This means even unregenerate people are capable of so much beauty, creativity, and kindness. There is a creeping cynicism about the human condition, that has its roots in reality, but can cause us to miss the imprint of God in all of creation. Affirm what is good and lovely where ever you see it, because these things are a reflection of the Lord, and He desires to be praised and we need to praise Him or we forget to be thankful. We can do this without affirming sin. If we don't do this then our appreciation for and expectations of others will be far too low. We need not be afraid to praise the moments of "Godliness" in unbelievers as though we will affirm them in their own self-righteousness and they will not see their need to be saved from sin. On the contrary, they will know from the affirmation of Godliness the times they fall short, and will know better their need of salvation from sin. When I praise my children for doing what is right, it only sharpens the distinction between right and wrong.
11 - Simple faith trumps complex theology. Don't get me wrong, complex theology is needed and is good and has its proper place. But one can get wrapped around a spiritual axle instead of remaining safely inside the faith vehicle. For example Pam and I have started attending a small group who is looking at the topic of prayer. This has always been an area of struggle for me personally. I have never developed the discipline of prayer, but I am learning. The first night we were with this group, they were talking plainly about many of the things I know God has said about prayer in His word. God hears our prayers. God speaks to us by His Word through prayers. And the kicker: God works through prayers. Everyone in the room gave their examples of these truths, affirming them, no exceptions, no nuance, no doubts. One by one, giving examples of prayer offered and prayer answered, etc. Annoyed by their confidence, I said something like: "Don't you guys have a hard time KNOWING if God is really working through your prayers or if things just worked out the way we wanted in God's sovereign providence? What about all the unanswered prayers, or the lack of direct input from God on a matter? I don't hear His voice audibly, do you? I mean, there is a big difference between someone slowly being healed at the hands of doctors and the guy born crippled from birth suddenly getting up and walking. Now if I pray for the cripple and he gets up and walks - yes that was the Lord answering prayer for sure...but all this other stuff could be chalked up to coincidence. It would be so much easier to prayer if I KNEW exactly what God was doing with my prayers." My new brothers and sisters did not take the bait. One by one they refuted my lack of faith. Though they didn't say it this way, as I reflected on that night the Lord has clearly stated: "Quit whining and making excuses. If you love those you pray for and trust me and believe my word, then pray. And I who am a Good God who loves all my children will hear your prayers and they will be effective, even when My answer is no. This is simple Jason, don't make it hard, and don't hide behind the excuse bag you've been pulling stuff out of."
#11- Russ and I listened to the audio book, A Praying Life, by Paul Miller and he addressed that attitude. I had to listen extra carefully because I think the way you do! It's an excellent read!
ReplyDeleteThanks Amy, I might be looking into that one myself once our current small group study completes. - Jason
ReplyDeleteThank you for this update Jason! - Ryan
ReplyDelete