Northward, Southward, Eastward, Westward

I have spent many hours in the last few months driving, walking, biking around Lee's Summit. It is a large area.   I have since been told that it is the 2nd largest city far as overall space (64 square miles) in the state.  I find myself in good company in such movement across this land.  

Abram (before he was Abraham) so many years before me was told by God to lift up his eyes and look every which direction.  All that Abram was able to see was land that the Lord was promising to give to he and his offspring...forever (Gen. 13:14-15).  It is interesting to note just a few verses following the Lord challenges him further to see the expanse of God's promise and rule when the call is to "walk through the length and breadth of the land" (13:17).  And as he walked, he could see further, and if he could see further, he could know that it was one day going to be realized as his.  Of course in the longer plan God had to bring about a complete fulfillment of this, it is Christ in whom we find this manifest.  We are the offspring of Abram in that we are those of faith, even as he was of faith (Rom. 4:16).  The point is that the land God had for Abram and his offspring is finally understood and realized not merely in a small space we might now call Israel, but in all that is called earth.  And of course the coming Kingdom of Christ will reveal His rule expands to and through the entire universe, and worlds physical and spiritual.

And so we need not look at the expanse of our world, our state, our city and feel as though only pockets belong to Christ.  It may look that way to an outsider who drives through, or even lives in the areas mentioned, who sees the church buildings around and concludes Christ owns small parts.  I think it is time to drive around and dream.  Dream often of the coming day where Jesus shows us His rightful ownership of everything.  Dream often of the opportunity He affords us to speak of His rule.  He will one day remove all those who are on His territory, but in the meantime He extends an offer to possess it with Him and for those who embrace the offer they stake claim to eternal possession of it, with Him, in His presence.  That is what I want to dream about as I look around at the length and breadth of what I can see. 

Prayer and the Word - Acts 6:4

My heart has for sometime resonated with the words of the apostles from the above mentioned reference.  So there they were, serving tables.  It was not that they viewed the serving of such tables as below them, or an unworthy cause in the least bit.  Rather, they came to this realization that they were entrusted the message of Christ, and in their serving tables they were actually neglecting the ministry of prayer and the Word.  And so they find men who are willing and able to serve these tables so they can "devote" themselves to prayer and the Word.  

I have had to wrestle lately with this application.  Not that I believe one or the other is wrong, but instead if there is any ability to actually divide prayer and the Word.  Ultimately I would argue of myself that prayer is lacking in my own life and ministry (and likely most pastors would say the same), while the ability to be disciplined in handling and proclaiming the Word is not as neglected.  But I am coming to see that a lack of discipline in one or the other will inevitably lead to a failure of both.  That is ultimately to say, there is not so great a divide between these two "disciplines" but instead we'd do well to see them interactive with one another. 

Note:

1) Prayer should always be flowing out of the Word in the first place, so that we are in accordance with God's will,

2) Prayer apart from the Word will only lead to some potentially dangerous conclusions and requests because of a wayward theology, 

3) Prayer is the end aim of the ministry of the Word, where prayer is understood as a deeper level of intimacy with God and learning to commune back to Him His will,

4) The Word proclaimed apart from prayer, breeds independence,

5) The Word studied apart from prayer only breeds academicians, not disciples,

6) The Word promotes a deeper intimacy, which I might argue is ultimately modeled when one is engaged in incessant prayer.

And so there is no visible divide between these two the more time we meditate and reflect upon this. My ability then to proclaim the glorious Word of God should never, can never really be done any bit adequately apart from prayer.  Neither should ever my desire, even if I could efficiently proclaim the Word apart from prayer, be to do so without prayer as through prayer I connect with God on a level deeper than just His Word affords me.  And so I am challenged this day to be devoted for the Word's sake, to prayer.  And I am challenged, for prayer's sake, to the Word.  One without the other is a miserable failure of both. 

I Cannot Deny Myself

A few years ago a great friend of mine told me that he was convinced the way to live life was to live in a manner that he approached situations saying one thing: "have no regrets."  He was ultimately saying that if he ever wondered whether he should do something bold, something outrageous because his heart seemed to compel him to do so, he would do it.  That became my mantra in aspects of my life (though believe me I have by no means perfected such).  It was the cry of my heart that caused me to pursue my wife years ago.  I had to face the reality that it would be uncomfortable to call her, but I couldn't deny myself.  I had to face the reality that she may not reciprocate my affinity for her, but I couldn't deny myself.  I had to face the reality that it would be exposing my hearts, my pains, my doubts, my fears, but I couldn't deny myself.  Why?  Because if I was unwilling to take even a first step, there would be no unity, no shared joy with her, no marriage, no kids.  And my life remains a testimony that the joys I experience with my wife and family were the very pursuit after which I ultimately would not deny myself. 

And so too with Christ.  My aim to plant a church is not birthed out of a desire to make a name for myself.  It is not birthed out of a professional pursuit.  It is not birthed out of anything other than my deep burning desire to KNOW CHRIST.  In my pursuit of Christ He has stirred my heart (called me) to plant a church.  If I were to bypass this opportunity, I'd miss out on the greater, deeper knowledge and experience of HIM.  And HE is all I want.  HE is all I want anyone I am ever given the opportunity to minister to know.  I don't for a moment know just what Redemption Church will look like in 7 days, 7 weeks, 7 months, or 7 years (if indeed it lasts so long), but I will not deny myself the opportunity to experience and know Christ so deeply through this unto which He has called me.  I'd be foolish to pass on this opportunity. 

"Here am I"

Three times in Genesis 22 we read these three simple English words, "Here am I."  Each time it is Abraham's response to the beckon of someone asking or calling upon him.  The emphasis of this text is clear that it is God's call that outweighed anything logic might conjecture, anything his own desires may have presented, anything his circumstances may have shouted...his own son, servants, and so much else.  God's call would win out and indeed it should always win out, to where when we hear it all we say again and again is "Here am I."  

So I sit again in a place I knew well years ago (as I write this from my dad's porch).  I sit and look at who I am.  In doing so I realize the greatness of my inabilities to do any bit of what God calls me to do (on my own).  I pause to consider the gravity of what He's called me to and I am overwhelmed.  I look at how much of life has changed.  And again my heart says one simple thing - "Here am I."  I only want to be available to God in all times...for His glory.

And in aiming to plant a church I am not saying I am God's gift to the community, to lost people, to saved people.  Instead, I am only saying, "Here am I."  I am simply embracing this apparent calling that God initiated.  And as today comes to an end and rolls into tomorrow, I will say it again.  Because of His worth, because of His authority, because of His love I say with joy, confidence, faith, and expectation - "Here am I."

ALL THINGS under HIS feet

Psalm 8:6b - "You have put all things under His feet."

What is there that has not been created by God other than God Himself?  Indeed, all that is, has been, ever could be, will be, all finds its origin in Him (Jn. 1:3).  There is nothing spiritual or physical that can stand over, or alongside of Christ.  He rules and reigns over all.  Even death is impotent when put up against Christ.  And since all finds its place under the feet of Christ (I'd even argue the serpent too - see Genesis 3:15ff), we are called to be heralds of this great message. 

His rule and reign over all is a call to worship.  Again, there is none equal, similar, relatively close to Christ in the least bit.  I am under His feet.  He rules and reigns over me.  The stranger I pass by at the store is under Christ's feet (even if he doesn't know it).  Our privilege is to make Christ's rule known. 

In overcoming death, God has made known the superiority of Christ over all things.  Go tell it!  This is our aim, as God plants, and as God establishes us as a church. 

What a Great Bike Ride

I love riding my bike.  I probably enjoy it too much.  It is rarely at the expense of my family as most of my rides begin and end before my family wakes up.  Over the past few years I have been able to amass some mileage that previously seemed unattainable to me.  But discipline and desire can really go a long way.  Of course there are certain days where I find it easier to ride than others.  And then there are routes that I find easier to ride than others.  You could say at times my desire to ride into the wind is not met with the least bit of excitement, neither the steep climb in front of me is always tops on my list of things to do. 

I love when I can go screaming down the hill at a pace that terrifies my wife to think about.  I love when on a flat stretch of road and test the heart and lungs and get my speed up really high.  There is something incredibly exciting about hitting speeds whereby when you catch up to another rider he can hardly hear you say hi (though I say hi every time) because you are moving so quickly. 

Of course I'd be foolish to ignore how necessary the cross-wind or head-wind, or monstrous (well, in Midwest terminology) climb in front of me are.  There is a great degree of strengthening that goes in in both the physical realm as well as in my psyche when I face these "undesirables."  When I realize my legs and lungs and heart are all working together and getting stronger as I face these it encourages me to enjoy the difficulty of it.  Further, my psyche changes entirely when I consider that I couldn't know what fast actually is of a downhill descent or of a flat section of road, if not for the polar opposites.  

And so church planting takes us through stages, pockets, hills, flats, descents...that are marked by a certain attitude and gravitation toward what is desirable and what we could go without.  But we are deceived if we cannot see that there is a great measure of purpose to all we endure, and our perspective is broadened and narrowed in other regards through it all.  But as I mature in my experience to labor in all of this I learn to enjoy it all, knowing that it is all for my good, God's glory, and the joy of others.  And so in that I hold on tightly, with anticipation for what is around the bend of this winding, uphill, downhill, flat, dark, bright, wet, dry, cold, and hot ride I am on. 

The Cause of our Wanderings

"...God caused me to wander from my father's house..." - Genesis 20:13

This is both a comforting and troubling word.  We are comforted in the sense of God as the cause of something.  But how troubling to consider that even as God leads him away from the house of his father, Abraham is merely wandering.  Shouldn't there be some point to all of this?  Isn't there a more direct route, a quicker plan rather than to just wander?  Surely if ever one had a map, God is that one, but in this story we look and say, "He forgot to get him the map I guess."  It all seems so counter-intuitive  to what the great "cause" of God would be.  But our hope is this: since God caused Abraham to go out of his father's house, even in his wandering, there is purpose.  We may not see it, believe it, but God does not cause something merely to happen without considering, knowing, and planning its outcome.  And so too in this story.  He delighted even in all that He was doing as the cause not only of what we determine made sense, but even in things like wandering, which seems to make no sense.  

This is not only the story of Abraham, but too of a church planter, and indeed of all Christians.  Press on, even in your God-caused wanderings.