I have been trying to get my head around what it means to "touch" someones life with the gosepl. This has been a lingering thought for the past few weeks. It seems like Jesus often would get his hands a little dirty and touch those who were need of healing.
A couple of weeks ago the pastor at the Wheaton Evangelical Free Church preached on the "Healing Son of God." This was a fantastic sermon and I encourage you to give it a listen. Below is the link that will take you to a MP3 of the sermon.
http://www.wefc.org/pages.asp?pageid=1582
So when I think about how Jesus touched, it causes me to wonder what it means for me to reach out and touch? An even tougher question is why is it so difficult for me to do this?
A part of it is fear. When we seek to be ministers we are getting into messy territory. We live in a sin tainted world and people's lives are very broken. This messiness may be the result of their own personal sin or it may also be the result of the falleness around them. We live in a corporate world, in which, the falleness/sinfulness of one can affect many. Romans 5:12 says, "just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men (women, too) because all sinned."
A result of the fall is the spread of sin and death. We are all guilty and victim at the same time. Guilty as a result of our own sin and often the victim of the sin of others.
So when we think of reaching into people's lives and touching them with the gospel we enter into their world. We enter into their brokeness. Jesus truly offers forgiveness of sin but we still live in the results. As Jesus entered our world to offer salvation, he came to a broken and messy world to inaugurate His Kingdom.
It is my desire to bring hope into people's lives but I must learn to be like my master. He entered into a sinful world and touched. Through reliance on the Holy Spirit Jesus brought His healing hand to our world. I need to learn to trust God's protection as I seek to get into people's lives. At times it can be scary to hear stories, to give counsel to the questioning, or to gently confront another with God's truth but we have a powerful God who is more than able to sustain and change lives!
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Friday, November 28, 2008
Shepherding
As many know, I am Director of Jr High Ministries at a local church in Wheaton, Illinois. Like many ministry leads (I know not all), I believe that I have the greatest group of volunteers.
Unlike many youth leaders, I love having adult volunteers on my team, who for the most part are all 10 years older than I am. Don't get me wrong, I am thrilled to work with a few college age volunteers, as well, because they help bring balance and often students are drawn to them very quickly.
This brings me to say that I have the best volunteer staff that I could ask for. They consist of those who can (and enjoy) teach, play guitar, sing, come up with creative games, artists, generious with time and resources, and are just consistent at showing up. Many of them have also served as elders and teachers in many different ministries. This is a great group who want to love upon jr high students and see them grow in Christ.
For me this has led to some tension in how I approach the ministry. With a team like this I would think to find a ministry of 50 plus students; however, we hoover between 12-20.
I often find myself strategizing about creating structures for the ministry that will sustain a much larger group than we have. It is my desire to see more students. I want to see more students loved upon by this great team and more students being exposed to God's Word. I believe that God's Word is powerful and accomplishes what it desires. Therefore, bring on the students. The group remains.
So what is God trying to teach me? I believe that He is trying to teach me to simply love the students that He has given me. To be faithful to that body of students. 1 Corinthians 4:2 states, "that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.
Yes, I can plan for the possibilities of more ministry and I am convinced that I should. But this should not be what I focus on. My trust is those students that have been given and I must prove faithful to them first. I know that my team would love to see more students, as well, but I must first prove faithfull to love those who we see on Sundays and Wednesdays.
It is my prayer and longing to prove faithful in the ministry that I have been given.
Unlike many youth leaders, I love having adult volunteers on my team, who for the most part are all 10 years older than I am. Don't get me wrong, I am thrilled to work with a few college age volunteers, as well, because they help bring balance and often students are drawn to them very quickly.
This brings me to say that I have the best volunteer staff that I could ask for. They consist of those who can (and enjoy) teach, play guitar, sing, come up with creative games, artists, generious with time and resources, and are just consistent at showing up. Many of them have also served as elders and teachers in many different ministries. This is a great group who want to love upon jr high students and see them grow in Christ.
For me this has led to some tension in how I approach the ministry. With a team like this I would think to find a ministry of 50 plus students; however, we hoover between 12-20.
I often find myself strategizing about creating structures for the ministry that will sustain a much larger group than we have. It is my desire to see more students. I want to see more students loved upon by this great team and more students being exposed to God's Word. I believe that God's Word is powerful and accomplishes what it desires. Therefore, bring on the students. The group remains.
So what is God trying to teach me? I believe that He is trying to teach me to simply love the students that He has given me. To be faithful to that body of students. 1 Corinthians 4:2 states, "that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.
Yes, I can plan for the possibilities of more ministry and I am convinced that I should. But this should not be what I focus on. My trust is those students that have been given and I must prove faithful to them first. I know that my team would love to see more students, as well, but I must first prove faithfull to love those who we see on Sundays and Wednesdays.
It is my prayer and longing to prove faithful in the ministry that I have been given.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Invitation of a lifetime
It has been a LONG, VERY LONG, time since I have written anything. In fact it would be accurate to say that I have not truly become a blogger at this point. Not that I feel the need to be categorized as a blogger but I do believe in the importance/benefit of jotting down thoughts. Since I am not a big fan of doing so in a paper journal, this seems to be a medium that should work for me.
Maybe I should think of it as taking "baby steps." I can be like Bob, in one of my favorite teenage movies What about Bob, and baby step out of the room, then down the hallway, next into the elevator, and finally baby step out of the building. So, I will try to write shorter more regular posts.
Last night at youth group I touched briefly on 1 John 1:1-4 and ended up meditating on it this morning. This is an incredible passage of Scripture. As you read the passage you can almost hear John's enthusiasm. Listen to it:
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life-the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us- that whcih we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so the our joy may be complete.
Now read it again, this time a little more slowly. Can you hear the excitment in his words? His thoughts may seem a little circular to us, may it be excitment and passion.
It is hard for us to think about, in person, hearing, and seeing with our eyes, and touching with our hands the person of Jesus Christ. Touching the eternal God, the creator of all things, to whom all things hold together.
Then we hear John say that he writes so that we may have fellowship with him, and that his fellowship is with the Father and our Lord Jesus. This is an invitation of a lifetime. Is this not an invitation worth accepting? Is this not an invitation worth sharing with other? It is my prayer that I may live my life, every day, in away that brings glory to my Lord Jesus.
Maybe I should think of it as taking "baby steps." I can be like Bob, in one of my favorite teenage movies What about Bob, and baby step out of the room, then down the hallway, next into the elevator, and finally baby step out of the building. So, I will try to write shorter more regular posts.
Last night at youth group I touched briefly on 1 John 1:1-4 and ended up meditating on it this morning. This is an incredible passage of Scripture. As you read the passage you can almost hear John's enthusiasm. Listen to it:
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life-the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us- that whcih we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so the our joy may be complete.
Now read it again, this time a little more slowly. Can you hear the excitment in his words? His thoughts may seem a little circular to us, may it be excitment and passion.
It is hard for us to think about, in person, hearing, and seeing with our eyes, and touching with our hands the person of Jesus Christ. Touching the eternal God, the creator of all things, to whom all things hold together.
Then we hear John say that he writes so that we may have fellowship with him, and that his fellowship is with the Father and our Lord Jesus. This is an invitation of a lifetime. Is this not an invitation worth accepting? Is this not an invitation worth sharing with other? It is my prayer that I may live my life, every day, in away that brings glory to my Lord Jesus.
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Gruesome Beauty
Below are the lyrics of the first verse of an old hymn that I have grown to love over the past few weeks. It is a hymn I sang many times growing up but the truths in it have taken on more significant meaning. It is not that the truth in the words have changed but that God has expanded my heart and mind to understand the depths of beauty in these gruesome words. As you read the strain below, please do not allow your eyes to quickly gloss by. Instead, allow your imagination to be free. The imagery is truly a gruesome beauty.
"There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel’s veins;And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.Lose all their guilty stains, lose all their guilty stains;And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains."
In Paul's letter to the Romans we read, "My heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For, being ignorant of the righteousness that comes from God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes." Romans 10:1-4
A number of things strike me about this passage. First, it begins and ends with Christ. Jesus is the answer for our sin problem. There is no other solution! In and of ourselves we could never earn favor with God by our own merit. No matter how upright of a life one may live it is not good enough. We may be filled with all zeal but it still falls short; yet, we are all guilty. "For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." "We all like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all."
Jesus is our substitute. By his spilt blood Jesus bore our sin on the cross paying the price that we could never pay. No good work that I do can pay that price. Jesus saves! Jesus is my righteousness before God and because Jesus blood covers me God looks at me as completely sinless! What an amazing truth. May I "plunge" deep into the flood of Jesus blood.
Second, this realization brings us to a place of prayer and longing for others to know this gruesome beauty. Notice Paul states that his "heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved." This statement of Paul causes me to ask to questions. What is my heart's desire? What is my prayer for people, especially my loved ones?
If I am honest the first question should bring me to my knees because my heart's desire has often been contemptible. Unfortunately, I have been filled with malice, rivalry, envy, impurity, sensuality, fits of anger, dissension, and hatred. Truth be told; with out Christ I am completely guilty. Praise God that He is patient, faithful, and good! It is my hope that my heart's desire grows to be like Paul's.
Well...I don't do to well with the first question; how do I do with the second? I am beginning to do better. My prayers for others have begun to focus more on the understanding of the beauty of Christ. For those that already are cleansed by Him my prayers is that they would grow in their understanding and awe of Christ. For those that don't know that their eyes may be opened to the beauty of Jesus. Lastly, these prayers are for me as well.
In the past I have had the misunderstanding that I become a follower of Jesus and suddenly the cross becomes second fiddle to my walk. What a shame that I have made this misunderstanding. The cross is central. Everyday, I must fall on my knees in praise and adoration to Jesus for all that He has done and for the hope that He gives!
"There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel’s veins;And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.Lose all their guilty stains, lose all their guilty stains;And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains."
In Paul's letter to the Romans we read, "My heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For, being ignorant of the righteousness that comes from God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes." Romans 10:1-4
A number of things strike me about this passage. First, it begins and ends with Christ. Jesus is the answer for our sin problem. There is no other solution! In and of ourselves we could never earn favor with God by our own merit. No matter how upright of a life one may live it is not good enough. We may be filled with all zeal but it still falls short; yet, we are all guilty. "For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." "We all like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all."
Jesus is our substitute. By his spilt blood Jesus bore our sin on the cross paying the price that we could never pay. No good work that I do can pay that price. Jesus saves! Jesus is my righteousness before God and because Jesus blood covers me God looks at me as completely sinless! What an amazing truth. May I "plunge" deep into the flood of Jesus blood.
Second, this realization brings us to a place of prayer and longing for others to know this gruesome beauty. Notice Paul states that his "heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved." This statement of Paul causes me to ask to questions. What is my heart's desire? What is my prayer for people, especially my loved ones?
If I am honest the first question should bring me to my knees because my heart's desire has often been contemptible. Unfortunately, I have been filled with malice, rivalry, envy, impurity, sensuality, fits of anger, dissension, and hatred. Truth be told; with out Christ I am completely guilty. Praise God that He is patient, faithful, and good! It is my hope that my heart's desire grows to be like Paul's.
Well...I don't do to well with the first question; how do I do with the second? I am beginning to do better. My prayers for others have begun to focus more on the understanding of the beauty of Christ. For those that already are cleansed by Him my prayers is that they would grow in their understanding and awe of Christ. For those that don't know that their eyes may be opened to the beauty of Jesus. Lastly, these prayers are for me as well.
In the past I have had the misunderstanding that I become a follower of Jesus and suddenly the cross becomes second fiddle to my walk. What a shame that I have made this misunderstanding. The cross is central. Everyday, I must fall on my knees in praise and adoration to Jesus for all that He has done and for the hope that He gives!
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
One Giant Step For Brian
Well, I have decided to enter into the world of blogging. Yesterday I entered my Facebook site and decided to start writing. Unfortunately, I ran out of room and grew frustrated with the limited space to spill out my thoughts. Half heartedly I scanned through my mullings and just could not figure out how I could condence my thoughts to such a limited space. So....I have decided to enter into the world of blogging.
Some of you may find that my blogs do not have a coherent thought or lack grammatic precision. For that, please forgive me. It is not my desire or aim, especially in regards to grammar, to please everyone's taste. However, I do hope that many will be encouraged by the things that I may write.
My plan with this blog is to share life happenings, thoughts, Bible verses, quotes, and probably a little poetry that speaks into my life. It is my prayer that this blog serves as a testimony to the work of God in my life. May the words evoke praise and thanksgiving to the glory of God. For He is faithful and just! It is He who works through us for His good pleasure!
Some of you may find that my blogs do not have a coherent thought or lack grammatic precision. For that, please forgive me. It is not my desire or aim, especially in regards to grammar, to please everyone's taste. However, I do hope that many will be encouraged by the things that I may write.
My plan with this blog is to share life happenings, thoughts, Bible verses, quotes, and probably a little poetry that speaks into my life. It is my prayer that this blog serves as a testimony to the work of God in my life. May the words evoke praise and thanksgiving to the glory of God. For He is faithful and just! It is He who works through us for His good pleasure!
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