CHRISTIAN IMMIGRANTS

These days it seems that Americans are becoming more and more polarized over the issue of illegal aliens and their impact on our economy. What I find most sad is how many followers of Jesus are siding with their political party on this issue rather than taking God’s Word into consideration.

In Exodus 22:21 God says, "Do not mistreat the alien or oppress him, for you were once aliens in Egypt". Doesn't that mean that God expects His people to show compassion and love to those who live as strangers among us? Even those who are – in the same way that the Jews were in Egypt – oppressed, mistreated, abused, and treated as slaves should receive special treatment from the people of God.

In any debate, we should find ourselves always on the side of the weak, and the oppressed, not on the side of the rich and the strong and the powerful. Jesus set us an example. He was a friend of sinners. He was found hanging with drunks and prostitutes and lepers. We should be found where Jesus was found most often – among the oppressed and the forgotten.

"Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position." – Romans 12:16

Someone once suggested to me that it would be appropriate for Churches to issue Green Cards to new converts immediately after baptism in order to remind them that they are resident aliens in this World.

Jesus agreed with this idea of Christians as immigrants when he said, "My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it." (John 17: 15-16)

Followers of Jesus need to align themselves more closely to the outcast, the poor, the sick, the illegal alien, and the elderly. We should befriend those who are dying of cancer. We should comfort those who are suffering from aids. We should have more in common with the weak in our society than with the strong.

We are not of the world, any more than Jesus was of it. So, why do we continue to support the power structures of this world?

Obviously, these words from Jesus suggest that we need to examine our own materialism, our pursuit of fame, our desire for money and our love of self. But I also believe that this verse says something about our basic sense of identity.

As we argue over the dinner tables – or the blogsphere – about these issues of immigration reform and the laws being passed in Arizona against illegal aliens, I am disturbed to hear no Christian voices speaking out about our need to see ourselves in the faces of those who are oppressed.

The truth is that we are more like these resident aliens than we realize. These people are – like us – strangers and aliens in this place. So, why are we not out there marching alongside them, asking for them to be treated fairly and seen as worthy human beings who deserve the same chances we've been given?

I will admit, this is an especially difficult issue for people of faith. On the one hand we have laws of the land that should be enforced, but at the same time we have people who are working harder than we are, doing things most of us would not do, for less money than we would ever consider working for, and paying taxes and social security that others will enjoy and they will never collect. Where is the greater injustice being done? Does anyone defend this injustice with the same passion as they defend the rights of the middle class or corporations?

As followers of Jesus, this is not a political issue for us. I know for many others that this is purely a political issue. But, for us it cannot simply be a Republican or a Democrat debate. We have to look to our Lord and our Master. We must consider the code of the Kingdom of God which is our true home, not the party line or the American way. We are the descendants of a Body that has always been counter cultural and Kingdom-minded. Our vision must be focused clearly upon Jesus our King and our feet must walk where He walks.

Again, this isn't about your political opinions or attitudes as much as it is about how you - as a follower of Jesus - actually put your faith into practice.

The Church today is more American than Christian. We are largely unable to divorce our faith from our nationalism. This, to me, is very troubling because it means that we are unable to understand Jesus and His teachings apart from our own cultural context.

To help American Christians understand how this Americanized Christianity can blind us I have often tried to ask followers of Jesus to realize that the vast majority of our brothers and sisters on the Earth are not living in America. This means that many of them are following Jesus in nations like Korea, Africa, Russia, China, and other countries with radically different political ideas. So, if someone comes to Christ in China, for example, does that mean that they also – upon receiving Jesus – suddenly become a Capitalist? Of course not. The decision to surrender your life to Jesus and follow His teachings and example does not make you an American. We have to try to conceptualize - and practice - our faith apart from our patriotism.

We have to begin to admit the possibility that one can be a Christian without pledging allegiance to the flag, or the nation for which it stands. In fact, I believe that we must strive to see Jesus as clearly as possible - apart from our cultural, political and nationalistic filters. I also believe that our posture towards the poor and the outcast should be modeled after our Lord Jesus, not out of some political worldview.

Our hope – as followers of Jesus – is in the power of the Gospel to change hearts. It is not in the power of politics to legislate morality and create a Theocracy.

Jesus told us, "If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you" (John 15:19).

This verse is especially troubling to me. It makes me ask myself, "Does the World hate me?" or even worse, "Do I hate the World?" Now, I don't mean "hate" in the sense that I should hate other people, but do I hate the system, the consumerism, the focus on the flesh rather than the spiritual? Do I hate it when I see the stranger and the alien in our land being oppressed and mistreated? Does it cause me to remember that I am also not of this world?

"You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God." (James 4:4)

The Governments of this planet are of this world, they are not of God. Our allegiance is to Jesus alone. His Kingdom is our only true homeland.

We, as followers of Jesus, should be comfortable among the ranks of the misunderstood, the hated, the outcasts and the despised. We should go out of our way to embrace those who are, like us, on the margins of this world. That means the poor, the prostitutes, the unpopular, the prisoners, and yes, even the undocumented immigrant.

Even if we cannot bring ourselves to skip work and carry a sign of protest in the streets to show our support, perhaps we could at the very least offer up a word of prayer to ask God to bless these aliens in our midst? Perhaps, eventually, we might even come to see these people as fellow outcasts and unwanted immigrants who are more like us than we might think.

Are you a follower of Jesus? Can I see your Green Card?

-kg

Team Angelica

Graduation ceremonies are fascinating to me. They evoke the end of one chapter in life and celebrate past accomplishments, but also look forward to the great unknown - that empty page of life still overflowing with possibility yet unwritten.

It’s a gathering of hundreds of strangers all acknowledging the power of potential and mourning the end of childhood innocence. Together we’re bound by our common emotions of pride, hope, and lingering sadness. Children enter adulthood. Adults fondly remember their own youthful hope and optimism. Friends say goodbye yet still maintain that they will keep in touch and be friends “forever”.

Last night someone summarized the process of graduation as bittersweet and I think that’s certainly an appropriate word.

My wife and I took our boys to attend the high school graduation for Angelica, our “Easter Angel” who showed up on our doorstep on Resurrection Sunday evening and touched our lives deeply. In that brief hour, we discovered a sister in Christ, and a daughter in spirit who was so remarkably loved by God that we couldn’t help but love her as well.

At the graduation last night, we got to meet Angelica’s foster family. It blessed us to know that she is being cared for by such a loving and supportive Christian family. Patrick and Nora are committed to opening their home to girls like Angelica and they have two other girls in their home, as well as an adult son, Duke – all of whom care for Angelica as if she were their own.

We also met Angelica’s mentor, and even her birth mom, and her brother, Salvador. All of whom were there to cheer Angelica on as she did something that no other person in her family had ever done before – Graduate from High School.

After the tearful ceremony, we made our way through the crowd together and we found Angelica in her black cap and gown. She was already being embraced by her friends and her family, but when I saw her and held out my arms to her, she ran into me – nearly knocking me down –and buried her head in my shoulder. Her reaction took me by surprise to say the least. I held her and she cried, and cried, and then she cried some more. Finally I said, “Wendy is here, too. You should let her have some of this” and she turned, saw Wendy, and grabbed her and cried even more – loudly and with complete oblivion to anyone else around her.

But then the tears turned to laughter and we helped her wipe her eyes. Next, we all posed for picture after picture after picture together. Her birth mom kept saying, “Uno mas” and handed her camera to anyone nearby so they could snap just one more picture of Angelica in every possible combination of family members and friends and moms and siblings.

Eventually we looked around and realized that the stadium was empty. We were being asked to move so that the trucks could back up to the gate and workers began to move the folding chairs off the field. So, we hugged each other over and over again, and we made sure to exchange phone numbers with Angelica’s foster parents, vowing to share dinner together as one big family soon.

As our family walked to the car – all alone in the massive, empty parking lot – I reflected on what God had done to us. How He had knit our family into Angelica’s and allowed us to be part of a large network of people who love this girl and support her and care about her so much. We were not the lone saviors of this young woman’s life. We were part of a pattern of various angels sent by God to love and bless and encourage this amazing young woman in her destiny to become someone even more amazing. Someone who will touch and encourage many others in her lifetime.

God’s favor and grace upon Angelica is profound. We are honored to be among the growing number of servants who are helping to shape her life and surround her with an unbroken chain of support.

We’re just happy to be part of Team Angelica.

-kg

The House of Eleven Windows

The wife’s name was Ethel. She and her husband were once missionaries to Mexico, many years ago. Ethel was one of the few people I’ve ever met who had a genuine prophetic gifting. This means she would often have words of encouragement for people that included details only God would know. One evening, as we were having dinner in her home, Ethel told us why she had invited us over to her house.

“I have a Word for you,” she said.

After dinner she began to tell us about a vision God had shown her several months earlier on a Sunday morning. It happened when we were still on staff at the Vineyard church in Tustin – before we left to start our house church. In fact, at the time of her vision, no one knew were leaving, and no one knew we were thinking of planting a house church where 100% of the offering would go to help the poor in our community.

Ethel started by telling us how her vision began. Wendy and I had come and sat down in front of her and her husband during worship. She told us how, during the worship, she kept seeing a large, three-story house with eleven windows all over it. She kept seeing it in her mind every time she closed her eyes and so she started to pray and ask God what this picture meant. God spoke to her heart and said that it was because Wendy and I were going to be leaving and that we were going to start a house church.

Sitting there at her dinner table, Wendy and I slowly turned to look at each other in amazement. No one was aware that we were leaving to start a house church at this point in time. This was quite an on-target word of encouragement to us.

She wasn’t finished. She said that she then asked God why there were eleven windows on the house. God spoke to her heart again, as we were standing in front of her worshipping, that the eleven windows stood for eleven windows of opportunity that He was about to open up for us in this new ministry.

At the time of this dinner with Ethel, Wendy and I didn’t know where we would end up living. We had just been told by our then-current landlord that we needed to move because they wanted to sell their house. Ethel’s word of encouragement meant a lot to us because it meant that God had confirmed our calling and that He intended to bless us in this new adventure.

Soon enough we moved out of our old house, stored our belongings in a storage unit, and began searching for a new house. In a few weeks we moved into our new house in Orange, a few miles away from our old house. After a few more months we began our first house church meetings and called it “The Mission”.

After being in that new house only a few months, my family and I were leading a “Kids Club” in our home to reach out to the children in our neighborhood. We were having Thursday evening house church meetings with a handful of others and things were going pretty well.

One night, I couldn’t sleep and I got up to pray. It was about three o’clock in the morning. I went into the den where we normally host our house church gatherings and I began to pray about that word He gave us through Ethel months before. I prayed and asked God to show me more about what those “eleven windows of opportunity” really meant.

Suddenly, I realized something amazing. I started to mentally count how many windows there were in this new house we were now living in. I counted eleven windows. I mentally did the count in my head again, adding up the windows in each room one more time to be sure. Again, the number was the same. Eleven windows.

The simplicity of this realization washed over me like a flood of emotion. I sat on my couch, in the dark and began to shake my head in wonder and disbelief. All those months ago, long before anyone knew we were even thinking of starting a house church, long before we ourselves even knew where we’d end up living next, long before we’d ever started to walk out our calling to be missionaries in our city, God had this house in mind. God held this place for us. He intended for us specifically to be in this neighborhood, to minister to these children, to lead the house church in this very place. He even counted the windows and told us about it months in advance so that we’d know we were in the right place at the right time.

As I sit here writing this, in the house with eleven windows, I do not know what God is about to do next. But I do know that God has us in the right place. I do know that God has seen the end from the beginning and I know that He will carry us in His arms, as He always has before.

Just this morning, I got up to pray again. I went into the den and knelt in front of the same sofa to pray. I again remembered the word about the eleven windows. Then I started to count the doors in our house, just out of curiosity.

Can you guess how many doors there are in this house?

-KG

The "Secret" Teaching of Jesus

Hiding in plain site is a teaching from the lips of Jesus that I would venture to guess most Christians have never heard before. Or, if they have heard it before they've simply dismissed it as being one of those "hard sayings" and laid it on the pile of other verses which seemingly defy understanding.

No matter what denomination or tradition you come from, I'm certain you've memorized the passage where Jesus teaches his disciples how to pray:

"Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed by thy name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done, on Earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespassees as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."

Frankly, I'd be willing to bet that it would be easy to find unbelievers who could repeat this passage without much trouble. Aside from John 3:16, it's probably the most oft quoted verse in the New Testament from the mouth of Jesus.

That's why the verse immediately after this section is called the "secret" teaching of Jesus on the subject of forgiveness. Because even though it's just one verse beneath this famous quote, it's largely unknown by those who call themselves followers of the One who said it.

Here's the "secret" teaching:

"For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." - JESUS (Matthew 6:14-15)

What's that?! Is Jesus suggesting that our forgiveness is conditional? Wait a minute. I never once heard a single sermon on such a thing in my entire life. How can it be?

Is Jesus forgetting that "if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness"?(1 John 1:9)

And what about the fact that the Psalms tell us that "as far as the east is from the west, this is how far he has removed our sins from us"?(Ps 103:12)

Obviously, there's something going on here that we're missing. What could it be?

The reason this teaching from Jesus seems so strange to our ears - other than the fact that we've probably never heard a sermon on this in our lives - is that we often forget that unforgivness is a sin.

If we hold a grudge against someone, that is a sin. If we refuse to repent of our sin, and if we do not stop practicing this sin of unforgiveness, we cannot be forgiven of it.

Simply confessing that we have sinned in some general sense and then expecting to be forgiven of even those sins which we have not repented of is presumptuous to say the least. In order to receive forgiveness, we have to honestly confess our sins to God and we need to repent of these actions which hurt our relationship with God - and which also hurts us as well.

Jesus and the rest of the Apostles make it very clear that our love for God is reflected in the way we love - and forgive - one another. These two things are forver linked together. As Jesus said, when asked what the greatest commandment in the Law was:

" 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." – Matt 22: 34-40

I love that Jesus throws in a bonus answer. Even though they did not ask him what the second greatest commandment was, he tells them anyway. Probably because he wanted to make this very important point: Loving God and loving others are "like" one another.

“We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother. - 1 John 4:19-21

See? We cannot love God if we do not love - and forgive - our brothers and sisters.
Love, for a follower of Jesus, is what marks us. We are to be known for our love. We are commanded to love. We are expected to practice loving until we become experts at loving others and then we are to teach others how to love like Jesus loved us.

"My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come. "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." – John 13:33-35

If we cannot love that person who has wronged us, then how can we love God? If we cannot forgive the person who has hurt us, then how can we honestly say that we ourselves have known forgiveness?

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you." Colossians 3:12-13

How much have you been forgiven? How good did it feel to have that weight lifted off of your shoulders?

Let go of your unforgiveness and repent of this sin which holds your own soul captive.

As a wise man once said, "Holding a grudge is like drinking poison and expecting it to hurt someone else."

The person you set free when you forgive is in the mirror. Have mercy.

-kg

THE EARLY CHRISTIANS

Two great quotes from early Christian brothers and sisters as found in the book, "The Early Christians" by Eberhardt Arnold. Available as a FREE PDF download right
HERE

"Among us you can find uneducated people, artisans, and dear old
mothers who would not be able to put into words the usefulness of their
teaching, but by their deeds they demonstrate the usefulness of their
principles. They do not repeat words learned by heart, but they show
good deeds: when hit they do not hit back, when robbed they do not go
to court, they give to those who ask, and they love their fellowmen as
themselves." - Athenagoras, A Plea Regarding Christians.

"That we for the most part must be considered poor is no disgrace
to us but an honor. A life of luxury weakens the spirit. Frugality
makes it strong. And yet, how can anyone be considered poor who does
not feel any want, who does not covet what belongs to others, who is
rich in God’s eyes? Much more should he be considered poor who always
craves for more while he already has much.

"Let me tell you what I think. No one can be as poor as he was at birth.
The birds live without any inheritance, and cattle find their fodder each
day. Yet these creatures are on the earth for our sake. We possess all of
them if we do not covet them. Just as a man traveling on the road is the
better off the lighter his bundle, so too, he who makes himself light by
poverty, who does not need to pant under the burden of wealth, is
happiest on his journey through life. If we regarded wealth as useful we
would ask God for it. He surely could give us a share of it, for everything
belongs to him, but we would rather despise wealth than have it in our
hands." - Minucius Felix, Octavius 36

SOLIDARITY WITH THE POOR

As I sat with my friend Tom Crisp this week over lunch, we talked about the radical way in which the early church engaged with the poor. Their perspective was so Kingdom-minded that they fully embraced the idea of being in community with the poor at any cost. Their compassion for the needs of their brothers and sisters that they gladly surrendered their earthly possessions to ensure that everyone in the Body had enough to eat and a place to sleep.

In contrast, I began to see how the Church today – and this includes myself – has focused largely on engaging the poor by attempting to improve their economic status. Rather than give up what we have, our energies have been applied to helping the poor in our society to acquire the skills necessary to become like us and join the middle class of society.

Essentially, the early church sold off their possessions to become one with the poor, and today the modern church holds on to its wealth and looks for ways to eliminate poverty.

I say this less as a critique and more as an observation. I find this intriguing. In fact, I’m surprised that I’ve never heard this idea expressed before. And of course a wide array of questions begin to form and splinter outward from this realization.

Should the church be moving into poverty rather than moving the poor into the middle class?
Can we ever truly eliminate the “us versus them” mentality without becoming poor ourselves?
What does this idea of surrendering my wealth and my status in society have to do with following Jesus?

Certainly, if I wanted to, I could make a pretty strong case from scripture that following Jesus means laying down our lives, the poor are rich in faith towards God, and a whole lot more.

At the same time, I understand that there is a balance to this conversation. Scripturally, Jesus didn’t tell everyone who wanted to be his disciple to sell all that they had and give it to the poor first. However, in that same context, Jesus affirmed that all of the disciples had done just that and would be blessed a hundred fold in this life and in the life to come.

I also understand that, as a father and a husband, the idea of becoming one with the poor in this radical fashion brings more than a little discomfort. How can I reconcile this idea of giving up my possessions and my wealth if it means my children don’t have the food they need, or the education, or a place to sleep at night?

As I consider this new testament perspective on engaging the poor in this way, I am reminded that these same early Christians also developed a policy that said, “he who won’t work won’t eat.” So, I understand that there’s a balance somewhere between absolute poverty and begging for food versus working to provide for your own needs – and the needs of others.

Obviously, I have not fully thought this all out yet. I’ve only just recognized a difference between the posture of the early church towards the poor versus our posture – and my posture – to the poor today.

Like most of what Jesus taught us, putting his words into practice is not easy.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic.

Peace,
kg

THE MIRACLE OF TODAY

Of all of the teachings of Jesus, there's one in particular I find myself turning to again and again. It's in Matthew chapter 6 where Jesus teaches his disciples not to worry about tomorrow, but to seek first the Kingdom of God and trust Him for everything.

On Saturday I received a mysterious package in the mail. It was an unexpected gift from my friend Tim Price. The envelope contained a book by Ray Mayhew called "And Joy Begins to Flower".

In this book I found a section which unpacked some of what Jesus was talking about in Matthew 6 regarding living one day at a time and trusting God with our whole life.

"Even creation itself unfolded one day at a time. Man was created on day six, only to find that his first full day, the seventh, was a day off. He was to begin life by learning that it is to be enjoyed, one day at a time."

I find it interesting to examine the order of creation and man's place in this order. We show up near the end and immediately learn to rest because God has already done everything in advance. Of course, we do know that God did eventually get around to assigning a few tasks to mankind, but that came later. Our first thought should be to rest in Him and only do what He asks us to do - and allow God to do His part.

"One of the keys to maintaining an inner life free from anxiety and stress is to live life in the same units as God gives it to us - one day at a time."

Again, I agree with this bit of practical wisdom from Mayhew's book. At my work I find myself getting stressed out by all of the various projects that are thrown at me on a constant basis. Even though that giant 25 page website needs to be done by Friday, I start to hyperventilate on Monday. Usually I get it done by Wednesday, but the damage is done. I've wasted time worrying and I've endured unnecessary stress.

The words of Jesus are especially comforting:

"Do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself." - Matt 6:34

Of course, hearing these things and actually putting them into practice are two entirely different things.

Living every day one at a time is how we were created to live. I've often wondered why this is so hard. Why do I wallow in nostalgia? Why do I spend hours dreaming of the future? Why is it so hard for me to confine my imagination to the present? Maybe because the present isn't as exciting as the past or the future? We tend to glorify the past and idealize the future, forgetting that at one time our past was the present and our future will be experienced in the now.

Mayhew points this out when he observes:

"Today is a big enough chunk of time to do something with, but not so big as to overwhelm us with responsibilities. Yesterday has gone. It's irretrievable. Tomorrow is only conceptual - when it arrives it will be today."

And

"The temptation of the old is to live in the past - the "good old days". The temptation of the young is to live in the future - "things will be better after graduation, after marriage, after promotion. The danger of both is that we fail to grasp and redeem what lies in our hand - today.

I once had a job working as the Director of Sales and Distribution for Vineyard Music Group. At the time, it was the best job I had ever had in my life. I had a large, private office with a couch, a refrigerator, and a door that locked. I was being paid more money than I had ever earned in my life. I had a title, and I had the power to hire and fire and train a combined team of 20 people. It was the best job I ever had. In fact, I had myself convinced that this job was the reason I had been born and that my career would continue in this trajectory towards infinity.

I was wrong.

After about 3 years I lost that job due to a series of company-wide layoffs after the death of our GM, Chris Wimber. Instead of returning to that lofty place of power and prestige I ended up doing temporary work for a year and a half.

During that time I did everything in my power to get back to that office, and that job, and to return to that career path. God wouldn't open the door.

I can remember attending a church service during that time where the message was about living in the now and not attempting to return to the "good old days" or to always dream of tomorrow. Up until that sermon, I hadn't even admitted to myself that I was living in the past and I had to repent.

I've also listened to people talk about how one day they want to go to China or to Africa to be a missionary and give their lives for the Gospel and serve the poor in India. But often these people end up doing nothing in the here and now to serve the poor or to reach the lost because they are still waiting for the door to open one day when they can do those things "over there". This is an example of how we can live in the hope of tomorrow and totally miss what God wants to do in our lives today.

As Mayhew points out, "Today is the container into which He ladles the grace we need. Today is the platform on which He wants us to demonstrate His adequacy. When tomorrow becomes today the miracle will be repeated."

Don't get so entangled with yesterday, or so enamored with tomorrow, that you miss what God wants to do in our life right now.

Where do you live? Who are your neighbors? Who are your co-workers? This is your mission field. This is where God has sovreignly placed you today. Be a servant where you are now. Touch the people in front of you. Bloom where you are planted.

Peace,
kg

Make Me A Servant

Followers of Jesus remember only the needs of others and the example of Jesus humble service. No task is is beneath those who emulate the Messiah. No person is disqualified from receiving mercy and grace. There is no level too low for us to bend our knees in service.

Our amazing God has overwhelmed us with His humility. The creator of the universe became our servant, took on human form and suffered in our place. He submitted to us, and therefore we can do no less than submit ourselves to Him, and to make ourselves available to serve anyone in our path.

God's plan was to change the world with love. The love He showed us was extravagant. It wasn't based on merit. Those who deserve love the least are the very one's who need it the most. Therefore, our calling is to make ourselves low, humble ourselves, and repeat the question that Jesus Himself asked more than any other - "What would you have me to do for you?"

Freely we have received immeasurable grace from His hand. Freely we are compelled to give love and grace without measure.

God, please help us to be conduits of your love to others in this world who have never seen or experienced the quality of love you have shown to us.

Make us like you - a servant of all.
-kg

"Make Me a Servant"

by Kelly Williard

Make me a servant

Humble and meek

LORD let me lift up those who are weak

And may the prayer of my heart

Always be

Make me a servant

Make me a servant

Make me a servant, today.
*See Philipians 2

TOP 10 ARTICLES ON MY BLOG LAST MONTH

Just an FYI. These were the top read articles on my blog during the month of May:

CONTENTMENT VS COMPLACENCY -223
GOD DOES NOT USE PEOPLE - 142
THIS IS NOT A CHURCH - 139
ANSWERING QUESTIONS ABOUT OUR HOUSE CHURCH - 86
WHAT WOULD JESUS DO? (WALTER KIRN) - 85
FIND THE CHURCH IN THIS PICTURE - 77
HOUSE OF PRAYER - 66
WOUNDS OF WISDOM - 43
MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION- 31
CONSUMPTION, EXPRESSION & IDENTITY – 30

GO FIRST

I know that when we look at the Kingdom of God we usually talk about how it’s upside down from the reality we were born into. We emphasize that the greatest in the Kingdom of God is the servant of all, and how the first are last and that we should put the needs of others above our own. However, I believe there’s an exception to this rule in the Kingdom of always allowing others to go first out of love for them.

Sometimes we must be the first in order to express the love of God to others. For example, we should always be the first to ask forgiveness, or admit our mistakes, or to take off our masks when we’re gathering with others. We should be the first to confess our sins to one another. We should be the first to admit our weaknesses. We should be the first ones to humble ourselves and reconcile ourselves to those who have hurt us.

Yes, in God’s Kingdom the first are last and those who lose their life find it, even though they die daily. But sometimes we need to be willing to go first, even if it means falling flat on our face. The risk is great, but the potential for learning humility and sharing in the sufferings of Christ are worth it. After all, Jesus asked us to take up our cross, but He went first.

Be the first so that others can be set free from their guilt, their sin, their pride and their failures. Don’t wait for someone else to go first. Jesus is with those who take the first step in faith.

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Jesus: Messiah

Lately I've found myself re-reading the Gospels and replacing the word "Christ" with the word "Messiah". Why? Because I've realized that, for most of my life I've read the term "Christ" as if it were just a synonym for Jesus, or worse yet, as if it were his last name.

Of course, I do realize that "Christ" is not Jesus' last name. That's why I've begun to consciously substitute the word "Messiah" for the word "Christ" as I read the New Testament now. Because I've started to realize that the word "Christ" has very little actual meaning for me. However, the word "Messiah" is much more meaningful.

Here's the Webster's definition of "Messiah":
literally: "anointed"
1 the expected king and deliverer of the Jews
2 a professed or accepted leader of some hope or cause

As I read the New Testament with the more robust term "Messiah" in place of "Christ", I am reminded that Jesus is the anointed one. He is the expected king. He is my leader. He is the promised one who has the power to save me, and everyone else.

Certainly these two words are synonymous with one another. Using one over the other doesn't change the meaning of the text in any way. However, in a more practical sense, I am missing the fullness of this word when I read "Christ". Yet, when I read "Messiah" it sort of takes my breath away.

Maybe you're different. Maybe, for you, these two terms are virtually interchangable. But for me, they are not. The term "Christ" has become a title, an empty word containing no tangible truth. But "Messiah" to me is a word that comes alive in my heart. It reminds me that Jesus is the One. He has come. And He is still fulfilling the promises made to His people thousands of years ago.

"But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." - John 20:31

"Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah." - Acts 2:36

I think that the original authors of these passages intended that the readers and the hearers experience a genuine sense of excitement at the sound of these words. When I read the word "Messiah" I get that sense of wonder again. I catch myself breathing faster.

Maybe it's because I am more aware than ever these days just how much I am in need of a Messiah that this simple exercise matters to me? I don't know. All I can say is that the New Testament is coming alive to me again, after many years of being stale, and I'm very thankful to know the power of the name of Jesus, and to call on Him as my Messiah, and Lord.

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THIS IS NOT A CHURCH

CONTENTMENT VS COMPLACENCY

"...For I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength." - (Philippians 4:11-13)

I think for most of my life I have confused contentment with complacency. The differences are obvious, of course, but somehow I've missed the point of what Paul speaks of in Phillipians 4 when he says that he has "learned the secret of being content in any and every situation."

A quick summary of complacency is - "Stop caring and you'll feel a whole lot better."

Most of my life I've found myself falling back on this mantra whenever things don't go my way or life offers up one of those unwanted surprises. My reaction has often been to pull back from whatever is causing me pain and to retreat emotionally, if not physically. Someone hurts me, I ignore them. Someone insults me, I make up my mind never to talk to them again. Someone injures my pride, I begin to cut them off from the part of myself that once cared about them.

Of course, this reaction is in direct conflict with the instructions that we've received from Jesus. He tells those of us who intend to follow Him that whenever someone insults us we should bless them. When someone hurts us, we're to pray for them. When someone injures our pride, we're meant to humble ourselves and forgive them anyway.

This is where following Jesus becomes more than difficult, it begins to be seem flat out impossible. I just don't have that in me. At least not right away. I may be able to forgive someone who insults me after a few weeks, or months, but not instantly. My ability to forgive is hindered by my need to justify myself. Sometimes, as strange as it sounds, I feel the need to hang on to the pain longer than necessary. I suppose to justify my own sense of injustice or to make sure that the other person can see just how deeply they've hurt me - and perhaps increase their sense of guilt over what they've done to someone as innocent and kind as me - I allow my wounds to fester and I withold forgiveness.

What would it look like for me to really respond in love to someone when they insult me or injure me? I wonder if I can actually learn to follow Jesus in this way and turn the other cheek instead of harboring anger and resentment as long as possible before I allow myself to forgive.

When Paul talks about contentment, he's speaking of trusting God so completely that nothing can shake him. His peace is not dependent upon his circumstance. His confidence in God is not changed by the environment he's in. He is fully resting on God and his joy is not influenced by what people say about him or how much money is in his pocket.

Many of us are fond of quoting the very end of this passage in Phillipians. I know that when I was a teenager this was my life verse: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Phillipians 4:13)

I used to believe that verse meant that, whatever I wanted to happen for my life, God would make it happen if I just had enough faith. Instead, the verse is saying the exact polar opposite. It's saying that God will give me the faith and the strength I need to be happy and content with whatever circumstance I find myself in.

A better paraphrase might me: "I can endure anything life throws at me, even if I never get my way or live out my dreams, because the power of Jesus lives in me and all of my hope is in Him alone."

Lately I've been wrestling against my own complacent attitudes. I've wanted to pull away from everyone and everything that causes me pain. I've witheld forgiveness from people who've hurt my feelings instead of letting go and asking Jesus to give me the grace to love and forgive.

Paul's words here are compelling because they suggest to me that there is a secret I need to learn; How to be content in every situation. But, to learn that secret I first have to abandon my own philosophy of complacency and emotional retreat.

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Gospel Seeds

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus tells the parable of the sower to illustrate one of the principles of His Kingdom to His disciples.

Jesus begins by sharing a metaphor that everyone in his hearing would have easily identified with; a man planting seeds in the ground.

In this agrarian society, the people would have had no trouble picturing this person who went out to plant seeds in his garden. Obviously, someone does this in order to grow something for themselves. The sower is hoping to plant seeds into good soil and reap a harvest of blessings out of their labor in return. Depending upon the seed planted, and the type of soil that the seed is planted in, the sower can reasonably expect to enjoy his wheat, fruit, vegatables, or flowers in a matter of months, as long as he nurtures and cares for this plant as it grows.

In the parable of the sower, Jesus offers several possible outcomes for the seed, depending on the type of soil it falls upon. In fact, when Jesus is alone with his disciples, he fully explains this parable to them, although he seems surprised that they don't immediately understand everything he is telling them. Out of all the parables told by Jesus in the New Testament, this one stands alone because it is the only one he took the time to spell out to his disciples.

My friend, Brent, has an interesting take on this parable. He pointed out we are the soil, and that the seed is Jesus. It's simple, but I believe it fully captures the essence of what Jesus wanted his followers to understand about life in the Kingdom.

Jesus is the seed. Without Jesus, we have no life. We're just soil. There is no life in us, unless the seed is planted and begins to grow. If we are "good soil", then the life of Jesus grows inside of us. It begins to grow stronger. It becomes nourished by the water of the Spirit. It becomes fed by the bread of life. It takes root, deep down in our hearts and it begins to push out the topsoil of our lives.

We already understand all the metaphors embedded in this picture:

Jesus is the vine. We are the branches. Without him we can do absolutely nothing. (John 15:5)

If we have Jesus, we have life in us. If we do not have Jesus, we do not have life. (1 John 5:12)

In fact, we have died to our sins and our life is hidden with Christ. (Colossians 3:1-3)

If the life of Jesus is growing inside of us, then it will eventually bear good fruit for everyone to see, and give Glory to God. (Matthew 7:17)

As I reflect on this today, I am fascinated by the simplicity of the illustration, and the power of what it implies.

Over the last few months I have become more and more aware of my own weakness. I've been focused on myself and not on the life of Jesus which was planted inside of me long ago. Suddenly, I can see areas of my life where I need to water this plant, and nourish this growth. My eyes are opened to the places where I need to prune, and to provide more light, and water more often, so that this life of Jesus in me can take deeper root and flourish.

In my mind's eye I get a picture of myself walking around with a large stalk of corn jutting out of my chest. It's plainly obvious to everyone that something has been growing within me and it's now reaching upward to the sky with leaves starving for light and thirsty for rain from above.

No one can deny this strange new thing sticking out of me. It's alive. It's almost embarrasing. People whisper, "How did it get there?", "What happened to him?" and they scratch their heads in wonder.

This seed was planted in me a long time ago. Longer ago than I care to mention. There have been seasons of growth, seasons of drought, and seasons where the Gardner has come in to cut back the excess. But the fact is, there is something growing inside of me. It's alive, but it's not my life. It's the life of Jesus grafted into mine by the miracle of God.

I can't wait until harvest time.

"I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me." - John 12:24-36

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FIND THE CHURCH IN THIS PICTURE

RECEIVERS WANTED

A few months ago I had a few friends over to my house to talk about poverty in Orange County, and to learn more about how God has called us to love the poor and serve others. One of my friends, Tommy Nixon, was with us that day. He and his family have become incarnational missionaries to a community in Fullerton. As Tommy began to share how he and his family were walking out their faith in their community he said something that helped me grasp more of life in the Kingom.

Tommy talked about how his home-based church had identified four key values which they practiced daily. The first two were familiar, but the second two were what intrigued me. These values, which drive their daily practice of faith together, involve examining every situation, and their own lives, to ask, "How can I use this experience to love God, and to love others?"

What Tommy said next has lingered in my mind every since. He said that he and his church family have also started to look at every situation to find ways that they can receive love from God and to receive love from others.

I think, maybe, this second statement captured my imagine because I'm not always sure how to receive love from others.

Learning to Be Loved
One Sunday morning our house church family had a similar conversation. We had been on a very long journey to explore "concentric circles of love" in our Body. Our hope was to identify our need start obeying the command of Jesus to love by beginning close to home. We start with our own family, then outward to our friends, then to our neighbors, then to our co-workers, and then finally outward to the community and the stranger in need.

So, on this particular morning we found ourselves going around the room and asking each other, "How can I show you that I love you?"

Most of us had a hard time answering that question. Others flat out refused to discuss the subject at all. It was a sensitive topic for some of us, and it touched on a nerve that made it clear that we're not very comfortable allowing people to love us deeply.

Over time I've become convinced that Trust is one of the most essential elements in our relationship with God. To "believe in" Jesus is to trust in Him. Faith is about taking your entire life and pushing all of your chips into the middle - to go all in so to speak - and to trust God with everything.

But what can we do if, at a basic level, many of us - myself included - have a hard time trusting our hearts to others? How can we love others as we love ourselves if, deep inside, we really don't love ourselves very much at all?

Maybe this fear we have of being loved is connected to our struggle with trusting God too? At the core, we had to admit that our "truster" was broken - or at least in need of an overhaul.

I think sometimes this concept of completing the circle is what holds me back. I tend to focus so much on loving God and loving others that I forget I need to soak up some of His love in order to splash it around on the people we're serving. If my sponge is dry, how can I refresh someone else?

So, we're still on this journey to discover how to love in these concentric circles. I know that I am only just beginning to learn how to allow God to love me, and to allow others to love me, as I follow Jesus daily.

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REVIEW: A Church Building Every Half Mile by Jon Zens

Jon Zens is a gift to the modern Church. Much like A.W.Tozer a generation ago, Zens writes thought-provoking and intelligent books to stir the Body of Christ and awaken Her from slumber.

In "A Church Building Every Half Mile", Zens employs practical, down-to-earth New Testament scholarship to examine the modern day Church in light of Biblical ecclesiology. He lingers especially on the plight of the modern pastor in this book, bringing a sympathetic voice to the discussion rather than an accusatory tone. If anything, the reader comes away with a genuine sense of Zens's sincere concern for the mental, emotional and spiritual health of the clergy. One does not in any way read condemnation into his observations, rather, Zens makes it clear that those hurt most by the Pastor-centric model of Church are the pastors themselves.

This spare, yet potent book also takes a good, honest look at how our traditions, (which are not found in the New Testament), are so hotly defended while the elements of God's ecclesia (which are found in the New Testament) are summarily dismissed by the modern Church as being "descriptive not prescriptive".

What Zens does here is provide an elegant, common sense apologetic for the New Testament model of ecclesia, in a clear and informed study of scripture. This book holds up a mirror to the Bride of Christ, and even though she may not like what she sees, it's very important for Her to take a good, hard look and answer questions of form, function, fruit and open fellowship in light of the commands of Jesus and the example of the New Testament church founded by Christ and promoted by His Apostles.

I cannot recommend this book enough for those who are seeking to learn more about the simple, organic form of New Testament ecclesia.

More than simply asking, "What's wrong with the Church?", Jon Zens asks us to consider what it might look like to put things right again.

"A Church Every Half Mile" by Jon Zens is available online at www.jonzens.com or at Amazon.com.

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FULL DISCLOSURE: Jon Zens sent me the review copy of this book at no charge and without any stated or implied expectation of receiving a positive review in exchange. I receive no monetary return on the sale of Jon's books or materials and I have received no compensation of any kind in exchange for this review. These are my own opinions and convictions, independent of my interaction with the author.
-Keith Giles

Answering Questions about Our House Church Family

Someone asked me some questions today about our house church and since I've already taken the time to write up these answers I thought I'd share them here on my blog, too.

If you have any questions that aren't answered here, feel free to add your own.

Do you have a leadership team? Elder/Deacon board, or what?

No, nothing formal. However, we DO have people who function as elders and overseers/facilitators, we just don't call them that or recognize these officially.

Why? Partly because we don't want to create any artificial offices and create the impression that only a select few of us are authorized to serve in the Body. Everyone can serve without reservation or hesitation as God leads them.

What authority do you have over your church?

None, really. I mean, I suppose I do have influence, but not authority. In other words, I wouldn't tell everyone "this is what we're doing now" but I might make some suggestions and ask people to weigh in on the subject so we can decide what to do.

This has changed since our first years together, however. At first, I really did mostly tell people what we were going to do. Now I try to ask the Body to make decisions.

Who makes the decisions?

We, the people, make most decisions together. On some issues people have requested that Wendy and I handle some things because they trust our judgement when it comes to working with the poor, etc. However, we try to involve them whenever possible.

For example: We recently went to the Body on a Sunday morning to ask whether we should use collected funds to help someone that we knew personally but not everyone in our Body knew them.

As we discussed the situation, we made sure that everyone knew that we were open to helping this person out of our own personal money and allow Mission funds to be designated for other things.

We all talked openly, people asked questions about the situation and the consensus among the Body was that we should go ahead and use our Mission funds to help this person out.

I WOULD ADD: We are striving to allow the Body to make decisions collectively rather than assign a few among us to decide for everyone else. So far this is has been wonderful and people appreciate being part of the process.

How do you handle church discipline?

Ah...here's the real test of "leadership" in the Body, right? In the last 4 years we've had to employ church discipline about five times. In some cases Wendy and I handled this ourselves privately, but in most cases we involved others in our Body whom we felt could speak wisdom and truth to the person/persons who required the discipline. In other words, who would they most likely accept/receive loving advice and correction from? This is always based on relationship.

I would also add that there have been a few other times when Wendy and I were not involved at all but one brother would ask another brother out to coffee to inquire about the spiritual health and well-being of someone and to offer loving counsel and correction.

Those times are sweet and I love hearing about them after the fact.

How are your roles defined?

My role? I've intentionally worked very hard over the last 4 years to graduate myself from founding pastor of the Mission to one of the many active and contributing members of the Body. I am now officially one of the brothers in the Mission Family.

How does your church handle finances, offering, tithes, etc.?

We're a cash only operation. We do not have a 501(c)3 and we do not have a church bank account. If people need to receive a tax break at the end of the year we encourage them to give their money somewhere else.

However, if people do give to our house church, we guarantee that 100% of every single penny given will go directly to help the poor in our community - and sometimes even others in our own church family who are in need.

We have complete transparency with all funds received and we give regular updates for how much is received, where it was spent and how it impacted people.

As people begin to see their offerings being used to help actual people in need, their desire to give increases and they become 'hilarious givers' to the work of compassion.

Why don't you have a non-profit status?

Several reasons. First, we don't need the state of california to tell us that we're an official church. God has lavished us with His love and we have been called the children of God. That's enough for us.

Second, since we do not use our funds to cover salaries, utilities, rent, etc. there is no benefit to us in receiving tax breaks. We do not operate as a business so there's no need to register ourselves, or run ourselves, like a business.

Who is your pastor?

Jesus is our pastor. It used to be me, but I finally realized that the only leader among us was Jesus and since it was His church anyway, it was time to surrender things back over to Him. He's done a much better job than I have, anyway.

Who is your spiritual covering?

Jesus is our spiritual covering. We do not require the authority of any person or denomination to make us an official Body of Christ. Jesus is what makes us a Church, and we are covered by His blood and filled with His Spirit.

The concept of Spiritual Covering is not a NT concept. Covering is not required, but accountability is. I am accountable to everyone in our Body, and they are accountable to one another and to me. We are also accountable to our brothers and sisters in Christ for our behavior and our witness of Christ in the community.

Who does the preaching?

No one does. We do not have sermons, or a pulpit. We do spend a lot of time in the Scriptures together. Anyone who is present in the meeting has the authority to open God's Word, share an insight, give a testimony, or encourage the Body as God's Spirit leads. Our fellowship is blessed to have a great number of gifted teachers and once in a while one of them may bring us a study on a passage or a topic as God leads, but not every time, and not the same person every time.

Children, women, and men are all free to share from God's Word with the rest of the Body and all are free to comment, agree, disagree, or continue the conversation as God leads.

**
If you have any further questions, please feel free to ask below. I'd love to share what God is doing in our midst.

Peace,
Keith

FINDERS WEEPERS, LOSERS KEEPERS

In the Kingdom of God, things are upside down from the world we were born into. Those who lay down their lives discover new life. The first are last. Those who humble themselves are exalted. The greatest is the servant of all. Those who die to themselves daily discover life eternal.

But what is actually "upside down" is this world, not the Kingdom of God. God's reality is the rightside up one. Ours is the one that needs to be corrected, not God's.

Having been born into this upside down reality on Planet Earth, I am constantly struggling to see things from the perspective of God's Kingdom. It's not an easy thing to do.

For years I have wrestled with my own prideful heart. Perhaps I never had a fair chance at this since I was an only child and my entire life I've been the center of my own universe. At any rate, the fact remains that, no matter how many times I die to myself, this heart of pride just will not stay dead.

I lay back on the cross. I drive the nails. I roll the stone over the door. But my sinful, selfish heart continually rises from the dead.

I die daily. But my heart of flesh daily lives and breathes.

After all these years I turn around to see how far I've come on this journey of faith and instead I see that I have barely left the gate. In fact, I wonder if I have moved forward at all because I seem to be in the exact same place I have always been.

My heart is deceitfully wicked. I cannot trust my own inner man. Even when I believe I am serving others and living for Jesus my flesh has the power to reach out and subtly turn the spotlight back on my own ego.

Like the Pharisee, I confess that I have done my works of righteousness before men to be seen by them and celebrated. Of course, most of this is done subconsciously, but when I take the time to examine my motives closely I have to admit, there is still a part of me that does things so that people will see it and take note.

Last week, the Lord Jesus, in His mercy, held up the mirror to my soul again. He allowed me the briefest glimpse at my own selfish heart and it crushed me.

To my own eyes it appears as a dark, cancerous ooze in my soul. I cannot look directly at it very long without feeling sick. Yet, as much as I hate to admit it, this is me. This is who I am without Jesus.

For a long time now, I have mistakenly considered this prideful, selfish behavior as being like a Pharisee. Yet, now I realize that this is actually just part of being a human being.

It's my humanity that makes me selfish, and sinful, and hopelessly pathetic, not my "Pharisee-ness" (whatever that might be).

So, today I am trying my best to take everything one step at a time. I realize, once again, what it really means to have a "constant conversion" and to put to death my own status quo (Conversatio Morem!).

One great thing about all of this is that it reminds me to depend upon Jesus for everything. To the degree that I am in touch with my humanity, my weakness, my failure, I can appreciate the wonder and the majesty of God's amazing love and grace.

He is the vine. I am one of the tiny branches. Without Him, I can do nothing. Nothing at all.

"And now I know the secret that only losers keep, and I wallow in the hopeful tears that every finder weeps."
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Wounds of Wisdom

"It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees."
- Psalm 119:71

When we find ourselves in times of distress, or trial, or uncertainty, we discover the importance of prayer. Our souls are overcome with desperation. We fall to our knees and we loose all sense of pride and self-reliance and we lay ourselves at the feet of the Master. We cry out to Him for mercy. We bargain with Him for relief. We re-evaluate our spiritual life and we vow to make corrections for the better - if only God would release us from our suffering and our affliction.

This is exactly where God wants us to be - humble, submissive, obedient, and listening intently, moment-by-moment, for His unmistakeable voice.

In my life I have known those seasons of pain. I have spent hours on my knees, my tear-stained face to the carpet, pleading with God to lift His heavy hand of affliction from off of my life.

In those moments of suffering, the only thing we want God to do is to take away the pain. Yet, I suspect that God's intention in those moments is to teach us to trust in Him and to seek His face. Because God knows that our greatest need isn't to have a more comfortable, pain-free life. Our greatest need is to learn to trust completely in Him alone.

At the end of the book of Job, he makes a marvelous declaration:

"My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you." - Job 42:5

After all of the intense suffering that Job endures, he has grown nearer to God. In spite of the fact that God never once appears to Job, he confesses that these experiences have allowed him to see God more clearly.

In the first chapter of James, we read:

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." - James 1:2-4

James is not suggesting that we fake a smile as we endure hardships. Instead, he is asking us to take another look at our suffering and to gain perspective.

Why should we "consider it pure joy" whenever we "face trials of many kinds"? Because we understand that this "testing of (our) faith" is part of God's plan to help us grow. James says that this testing "develops perserverance" in us. What is perserverance? It's a quality of faith that will not let go of God, no matter what.

If we truly love God, and if we truly desire to grow in our faith, then we should rejoice when God allows us to develop a quality of faith that will prevent us from falling away or losing sight of Him.

Furthermore, this same perserverance works in us to make us "mature and complete, not lacking anything."

For those who can grasp this principle, it really is possible to "consider it pure joy whenever we face trials of many kinds".

In Psalm 119, the Psalmist David says:

"Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word." (v 67)

"It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees." (v 71)

God works through our pain and our trials to teach us obedience and dependence upon Him and Him alone.

I can remember a time when God taught me to rely on Him for daily bread. I had been out of work for nearly a year. Our finances were very tight. One morning, my wife, Wendy poured the last of the milk into bowls of cereal for our young boys. She cracked the last egg and scrambled it for herself. She used the last paper towel to dry up a spill on the table. We had nothing in the bank. We were down to buying groceries with our credit card. In her heart she whispered a prayer for God's provision.

A few minutes later, there was a knock at the door. Our dear friend Karen was standing there with a care basket she had put together for us. In it were milk, eggs, paper towels and a box of Wheat Thins. Wendy began to laugh and cry at the same time. Just the night before I had been sitting on the couch watching television and I had casually mentioned that I hadn't eaten Wheat Thins in a long time. The message was clear: God was listening to us. He had not forgotten us. We were dear to Him and He was eager to supply our daily bread if we would only look to Him and wait.

If you're going through a season of pain right now, I want to encourage you. God loves you dearly. You are more precious to Him than life itself. He would rather die than be without you.

This suffering you're going through will not last forever. These seasons are temporary. They will last only as long as God intends for them to last, and then they will pass. It only seems as if the pain will last forever. But soon, when your heart has become fully surrendered to Him in whatever area requires the surrender, He will lift this burden. He will lift you up and bring you seasons of refreshing.

"Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." - Hebrews 12:7-11

God may not remove the suffering from us, but He does promise to walk with us through the suffering and to use even these painful experiences to draw us even nearer to Himself.

Trust God in your hardships. Cling tightly to Him. Seek His face and lean into Him for comfort. He is in control of everything. That's the good news. The bad news is that this means you are not in control, and eventually that too will become good news to you.

Peace,
Keith