Eat the Beetle

Christianity — admin on May 27, 2009 at 9:29 pm
Years ago a pastor friend was recounting a story of a missions trip he took to China. He found himself hiking over mountains to reach out-of-the way villages and dodging local authorities. But the most harrowing incident occurred over lunch one day when some Chinese hosts served him a regional gourmet delicacy: a beetle.
Now, my friend is not an adventurous eater. He’s a native of Pittsburgh, and in Pittsburgh, there are only four food groups: pizza, sausage, ketchup (Heinz is there), and beer. He typically abstained from the latter, leaving him a pretty limited diet. Let’s just say large insects weren’t a part of it.
“So what did you do?” I asked him.
“I ate the beetle,” he said.
Every so often we come across those situations where we know what the right thing to do is. But there’s nothing in us that actually wants to do it. (If there is, we can’t find it. Come to think of it, moments like that seem to come up more often on cross-cultural trips. I’ve eaten my share of unappetizing cuisine in other countries – heart, tongue, kidney. And that’s just in Europe! They eat a lot of strange stuff in France.)
But eat-the-beetle moments happen all the time. For me these days, the biggest one is making one of those really difficult phone calls.
What is it for you?
Forgiving so-and-so?
Following through on that special offering God asked you to give?
So what should we do when we find one of those creepy crawly things on the plate in front of us?
Eat the beetle.

Blessed are the poor…

Christianity, Outreach — admin on May 25, 2009 at 7:08 pm

Blessed are you who are poor,
for yours is the kingdom of God.
–Jesus  (Luke 6:20)

What do you make of this statement?  Is Jesus talking about people who don’t have much money?  The parallel passage in Matthew’s Gospel says “blessed are the poor in spirit…”.   That makes more sense.  But why did Luke just write “poor”?  I can only assume that Jesus preached it that way at least once.

In many cases, it does seem that people without much money tend to have more of the positive quality called “poverty of spirit”.  I’m generalizing here, but let’s face it - people without much money have fewer options and tend to be more aware of their need for God, more willing to to be inconvenienced…

Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? James 2:5

Yes, I think that’s it.  It’s easier for the poor to have faith.
I think of the multitudes in Mozambique who are coming to radical faith under the ministry of Rolland and Heidi Baker.  Or the tens of millions of on-fire believers in the underground Chinese churches.
They had almost nothing material to begin with – and then often lose everything through the persecution that comes from following Christ.  But they gain everything – faith in our Savior that yields lives of complete devotion, a faith that witnesses miracles on a regular basis, a faith that allows them to live joyfully in the midst of difficult circumstances.
I recently heard church planting expert Ed Stetzer comment something like this: “I find it very interesting that so many of the people who are planting churches today, feel “called” to plant their church in nice upper-middle class suburban areas.” (my paraphrase from memory)
I’ve been wrestling with this issue lately, reflecting on my ministry in various settings in the U.S.  and all over the world.
Here’s what I’ve decided.  Forget about rich vs. poor.
Give me the hungry for God.
Give me the poor in spirit.
They’re the ones that respond to God.  They’re the ones that will lay down everything to follow Jesus.
It just so happens that you tend to find more people like that among the “poor”.
Jesus was right.  They are blessed.
Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. 1 Corinthians 1:26-29

Everyone deserves a chance to hear

Christianity, Multi-ethnic, Outreach — admin on May 22, 2009 at 6:14 pm

I’ve been thinking about the people in our society that haven’t had the opportunity to hear the amazing Good News of Jesus Christ.

Last Thanksgiving, we were presented with an amazing opportunity.  Seven visitors from a very closed country were visiting Charlotte on official business, and expressed a desire to experience a traditional American Thanksgiving.   When Marla and I heard that, our first thought was how difficult and stressful the holiday would become if we hosted them.  But then we thought about how, in their home country, they had zero chance of ever hearing the Gospel.  It simply is not allowed.  If they were ever going to hear, it would have to be now.  That thought was so compelling, we accepted.   Seven guests from a very different culture, plus their two chaperones.
We are very comfortable with people from other cultures, having travelled a lot.  But we were apprehensive.  We didn’t know these people and had no idea what to expect.
It turned out to be an awesome experience.  Our guests were charming, and very appreciative for the invitation.  Before we ate, I explained the Christian origins of our nation and the first Thanksgivings.  Our guests were very interested.  They even directed the discussion towards spiritual subjects during dinner.  Before dessert, I shared a clear Gospel message.
No one made a public declaration of faith.  Even if they had wanted to, it would not have been possible among their peers.  But for one evening, we had the opportunity to show sacrificial love, and share good food, gracious conversation, and the Best News in the Whole World.
They heard.  They experienced Jesus’ unconditional love from one family who loves Him.  We’ll keep praying for our new friends, and the Holy Spirit will take it from here.
Such people are all around us, even in America.  You don’t have to go overseas.
We need to care about them enough to strike up a conversation with them.  To listen.  To become their friend.  To share life with them.  To earn the right to be heard.
Because everyone deserves a chance to hear.

Inheritance from our forefathers

Christianity, Pastor Kurt — admin on May 20, 2009 at 7:32 pm

I love reading the books of great Christian men and women from many years ago.   There’s good stuff being written today, of course, too.  But I benefit from the wisdom and experience of the giants of the faith from 50, 100, even 200 years ago.   CS Lewis, Charles Finney, Andrew Murray, John G. Lake, Charles Spurgeon, Smith Wigglesworth, A.W. Tozer, just to name a few.  I’d encourage you read a broad spectrum of Christian perspectives – such as the list above.  You might be surprised how God can speak to you from someone outside your usual circle of focus.

Lately, I’ve been listening to some old cassette tapes (gasp!) by Lester Sumrall.  Wow, that man was anointed.  Such a sweet, gentlemanly spirit, but such powerful faith.  He’s got a lifetime of amazing stories.  You can enjoy some of them in this book.
What have you been reading lately?  I’d love to hear what’s been inspiring you.

What is God really like?

Christianity — admin on May 19, 2009 at 6:03 pm
What is God really like?
How do you know?
From my experience, it seems like we’re not always aware of how we form our image of God.
Have you ever noticed that a lot of people tend to see God as being very similar in character to their earthly parents, especially their father?  For instance, if their natural father was a stern taskmaster, they tend to see God the same way.  Often they are unaware of this.  Been there, done that.
Here’s a scary one:  The Bible warns us that we might have a tendency to think God is like…. the person the mirror.
These things you have done and I kept silent;
you thought I was altogether like you.
Psalm 50:21a
You do something stupid….  lightening doesn’t come down from the sky to consume you.   ”Oh!  God must be OK with this!”
There’s something in our unredeemed human nature that is just so… full of itself.  Have you ever caught yourself thinking along these lines:
“I am a very moral and reasonable and intelligent and kind person.  God must be on board with me on this one.”   I’ll cop to that one once or twice.  Fortunately, I have the Word of God (and my wife) to bring me back to reality.
A while back a friend and I were talking about God and spiritual matters.  She asked, “What do you think about (a particular sin)?”
I said, “Well, I believe the Bible is God’s Word to us.  And God says this is a sin.  He loves the person and wants them to repent and receive freedom and forgiveness in Christ.”
She said, “Well, I believe what I know of the Bible, but I don’t agree with that.  That just doesn’t seem right.”
Careful.  Left to my own devices, my unredeemed human nature will try to create a god that looks, thinks, and acts just like me.
Trust me, no one wants that!
One of the nasty side-effects of fashioning a god in our own image is that our god ends up being the same size we are.  The great and majestic God who measures the universe with the span of His hand… is reduced to a powerless imitation, a charlatan who makes big promises and big speeches.  We don’t really expect this “god” to intervene in our lives.  Our “altogether like us”  god has the same limits we do.  Faith for the miraculous is irrational.  Prayer is simply a religious exercise.  We don’t really expect it to change anything.
What a contrast to the eternal living God!  He reveals His true nature in His Word, and in a million different ways every day.
Let’s all thank God that He is God, and I’m not!
He is wonderful, perfect, beautiful, faithful, all-powerful, compassionate and gracious.
He is love.
His name is holy.
May He be forever praised.

When God seems silent

Christianity — admin on May 15, 2009 at 5:07 pm
Whom have you so dreaded and feared
       that you have been false to me,
       and have neither remembered me
       nor pondered this in your hearts?
       Is it not because I have long been silent
       that you do not fear me?
Isaiah 57:11
The fear of the Lord is so important.  It is the beginning of wisdom. (Psa. 111:10)
We obey whom we fear.
Is it not because I have long been silent
       that you do not fear me? 
It seem like God (through the prophet) is speaking of a period of time when He actually was silent.  But it strikes me that a lot of times when God seems silent, the real problem is that we’re just not listening.
We get caught up in life; in our daily worries.  We neglect time in the Word.  We create a self-imposed famine of hearing from God.  That’s dangerous for a lot of reasons, but this Scripture tells us one:
When God seems silent, our fear of God tends to slip.
We can’t afford to let that happen.  Wisdom implores us to stay connected to God through worship, prayer, and the Word.

Seeing the Scripture through new eyes

Christianity, Prayer — admin on May 14, 2009 at 2:31 pm
Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me;  or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves.  I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing.  He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.  And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father.  You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

John 14:11-14

When we approach the Bible, we usually see it through a particular lens.  Our lens is a certain way of seeing the world (and Scripture).  Our lens is influenced by our past experiences, and things we have been taught by others.  Sometimes that lens can get in the way of the truth.
What if we read the above Scripture without our lens?

What if we let Scripture inform our experience rather than letting our experience interpret Scripture?

What do you think Jesus meant when He said those words?
What are you going to do about it?

Taking up the gauntlet

Christianity — admin on May 13, 2009 at 7:15 pm
Therefore, since Christ suffered in His body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin.  As a result, he does not live for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God.
1 Peter 4:1-2
There’s nothing like some serious pain to straighten out your priorities.
Not a popular sermon topic, at least not in America.
In China, however, where persecution is a common reality, I bet this verse makes it into a lot of songs and messages.  (You gotta read Heavenly Man by Brother Yun if you haven’t yet.)
Let me make one thing abundantly clear:  God is good all the time.  He loves us.  He doesn’t make you sick, or give your aunt cancer, or any such nonsense.  Jesus was all about healing us, not making us sick.  This is NOT “God made you suffer to draw you closer to Him.”  That stuff drives me crazy, because it’s an assault on God’s character.  But that’s a topic for another day.  That is not what this verse is talking about.
Peter is talking about persecution.   Suffering for being a Christian, for bearing the name of Jesus, for doing the very thing that Jesus would do.  That is persecution.   Jesus said that if we take a stand for Him, and if we walk like Him, we will get persecuted.  (John 15:20)  (That promise doesn’t make it into those little books at the Christian bookstore with titles like “All God’s Promises for You in the Bible”).
Peter is saying that we should take the same attitude that Christ did towards persecution.  Jesus didn’t back down.  But He didn’t go looking for it, either.  When it comes, He says, rejoice.
When we are persecuted, we have come to a fork in the road.  We must choose a path.  We can pull away from God (How can you let this happen to me! ) or we can draw closer to God.
It’s when we choose that second path that something amazing happens.  The Scripture says “he who has suffered in his body is done with sin.”  Not that we can’t sin.  Rather, there’s something galvanizing about the process of taking such a stand for Christ that draws heavy persecution, and through all the pain, choosing God.  ”As a result, he does not live for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God.”
I’ve never suffered “in the body” from persecution.  But I’ve seen the devil attack my kids viciously because of what I was doing for Jesus.  Let me tell you, I would have preferred “in my body” any day over watching my kids suffer.  I can’t imagine deeper pain.
My wife and I had the choice, at that point, to walk away.  Not from God, because that was never an option, but from His calling on our lives.  It would save us so much pain.
By God’s grace, we have followed the second path.  Tears in our eyes, aching in our hearts so deep we didn’t know if it would ever go away, we chose to follow Jesus wherever He led us.
Peter was right.  The right kind of pain can purify your priorities.  Not that I never sin, or that my motives are always right.  But at the very deepest part of my soul, I’m different.  I can’t really explain how.  Here’s my best shot.
These convictions have moved to the very center of my being, where they can no longer be assaulted:
I love God.
I hate the devil.
And every day of the rest of my life is dedicated to glorifying Jesus and reversing the work of the devil in people’s lives.

How ya been? Busy?

Christianity, Pastor Kurt, Uncategorized — admin on May 12, 2009 at 6:45 pm

Try out this little experiment.  The next time you chat with your friends, neighbors, or co-workers, ask them if they’ve been busy lately.  I’ll bet you almost everyone you meet, from any station of life, will confess to being “busy”.  ”Things have been crazy lately.”  ”Really busy.”  You might even notice yourself saying it.  {I’d love to hear the results of your experiment – leave a comment to this post.}

It seems like we are all busy.  I know I am.  Observing the lives of others around me, I will concur that they are busy too.  Many who are a generation or two older than me often comment that life is just so much busier than it used to be “back in the day”.
Why?  I’m not a sociologist.  But it seems we almost take pride in our busy-ness.  Imagine confessing to your neighbor, “No, I really haven’t been very busy lately.”  Do you feel a twinge of guilt?  Like you don’t quite measure up to the rest of us very busy people?
But we pay a price for living this way.  I’ve noticed that we’re not just busy, we’re too busy.
Too busy to spend enough time with our loved ones.
Too busy to really get to know our neighbors.
Too busy to stop and visit with that person at the grocery store who really looks like they need a kind word.
Too busy to pray.
Too busy for real fellowship.
Too busy for the things that really matter.
Too busy.
Many have commented that our society is causing all of this.  The speed of the river of life has increased, and we’re all being swept away by its current.  But I don’t think that’s a complete explanation.  Such a view makes us victims.  But the truth is, we have a choice.  The current is strong, but we can always choose to fight it.
Jesus always had time for the person that needed a personal touch.  Despite the crushing demands on His time, He somehow managed it all – time with His Father, time with His disciples, time with the crowds, time to rest.  I think if Jesus walked among us today, He would head straight for the river bank.  There, He could live life at His pace, directed by the “rhythms of grace” of His own heart and the Holy Spirit. 
I’d love to hear your thoughts.

No Middle Ground

Christianity — admin on May 11, 2009 at 4:54 pm
One must keep on pointing out that Christianity is a statement which, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The one thing it cannot be is moderately important.
C.S. Lewis
It’s a brilliant quote, isn’t it?
There is no middle ground. If Christianity is true, it absolutely matters. It matters so much, that by comparison, nothing else really matters.
Jesus compared the Kingdom of Heaven to a pearl of great price. It’s so valuable, that it’s logical, natural, and in our own self-interests to give up anything and everything else so that we can obtain it.
The implication of Lewis’ insight is that only a radically sold-out lifestyle is consistent and congruent with the belief that Jesus is Lord. Whoever wants to follow Jesus must take up his cross and lay down his life. To attempt anything else is to assert that Jesus and His Gospel are only “moderately important”. And that simply cannot be. It’s either true or it’s not.
It is true, and it means everything.
That drives me to my knees, crying out to God for the grace to live out what I believe, for more of the Holy Spirit.
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