"I'm Not Called"

One more quote from Radical, based on the piercing truths of God's Word:

I wonder if we have erected lines of defense against the global purpose God has for our lives.

Where in the Bible is missions ever identified as an optional program in the church? 

Jesus himself has not merely called us to go to all nations; he has commanded us to go to all nations. We have taken this command, though, and reduced it to a calling - 

something that only a few people receive.

I find it interesting that we don't do this with other words from Jesus. We take Jesus' command in Matthew 28 to make disciples of all nations, and we say, "That means other people." But we look at Jesus' command in Matthew 11:28 - "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest" - and we say, "Now, that means me." We take Jesus' promise in Acts 1:8 that the Spirit will lead us to the ends of the earth, and we say, "That means some people." But we take Jesus' promise in John 10:10 that we will have abundant life, and we say, "That means me."

We have unbiblically drawn a line of distinction, assigning the obligations of Christianity to a few 
while keeping the privileges of Christianity for us all.

In Romans 1:14-15, Paul talks about being a debtor to the nations. 

He literally says, "I am in debt to Jews and Gentiles." 

Paul is saying that he owes a debt to every lost person on the face of the planet. 

Because he is owned by Christ, he owes Christ to the world.

We are in debt to the nations. In our contemporary approach to missions, though, we have subtly taken ourselves out from under the weight of a lost and dying world, wrung our hands in pious concern, and said, "I'm sorry, I'm just not called to that."

Jesus Didn't Die Just For You

Continued from yesterday....
A bit about every Christian's global mission - from Radical, by David Platt:

If you were to ask the average Christian sitting in a worship service on Sunday morning to summarize the message of Christianity, you would most likely hear something along the lines of "The message of Christianity is that God loves me....enough to send his Son Jesus to die for me." 

As wonderful as this sentiment sounds, is it biblical? 

If "God loves me" is the message of Christianity, then who is the object of Christianity?

God loves me.

Me.

Christianity's object is me.

This is not biblical Christianity. The message of biblical Christianity is:

"God loves me so that I might make him known among all nations."

To disconnect God's blessings from God's global purpose is to spiral downward into an 

unbiblical, self-saturated Christianity that misses the point of God's grace. 

This is a foundational truth: God creates, blesses, and saves each of us for a radically global purpose. 

If we are not careful we will be tempted to make exceptions. We will be tempted to adopt spiritual smoke screens and national comforts that excuse us from the global plan of Christ. In the process we will find ourselves settling for lesser plans that the culture around us - even the church culture - deems more admirable, more manageable, and more comfortable.

To Go or Not To Go? That Is The Question.

Tomorrow I will post another quoted passage from my latest favorite book: Radical. If you follow my blog at all, you know I've quoted from this book a number of times in the past month or so. May I just say - READ IT, READ IT, READ IT.

The reason I have Radical on my mind again this evening is that Nick and I have just been on the couch reading it. He, for the first time on his fancy I-phone; I, reviewing a chapter on global missions. I'll share some incredibly convicting parts from that chapter tomorrow. For now, though, I'll tell you that the reason I have missions on my mind is because our church is currently planning a 10-day mission trip to Jaipur, India. Nick and I attended a meeting last night to learn more about the upcoming trip.

Jaipur is a city of 3,500,000 people. Only 2% of that 3.5 million know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. The rest are at present doomed for a Christless eternity because of their allegiance to the Hindu faith. We have the opportunity to undertake this mission and give our time and resources to the spreading of the gospel in India. We have the opportunity to go and spend many hours with two missionaries in Jaipur, assisting them in their discipling and training of local, native Christians. By our assisting and ministering with these missionaries, more natives will be trained in the sharing of the gospel and more Indians will therefore come to know Jesus as Lord.

It will not be a cheap trip. 14 hour plane ride one way. We would have to leave the day after Christmas and it will "mess up" our Christmas vacation time. The conditions in India will be dirty, so we've been told. We will eat for 10 days with our hands, no utensils. We may be asked to camp under the stars with the natives. We will have to dress in traditional Indian garb. It will be uncomfortable.

Will Nick and I go? I do not know. We have not yet decided.
Our eyes are open, though, to God's command that we GO into all the world and make disciples.
I don't know what excuse we can provide to continue ignoring that command.
If you, like me, are one of those people who has always quoted that "go into all the world" bit yet never honestly chewed on it to ponder the literal implications that Jesus intended it have upon your life........stay tuned.

Come back for tomorrow's post.

Elizabeth Taylor, Lady GaGa, Michael Jackson.......oh my!

Usually as I go about my morning routine, I grab for the remote to turn off the TV so that my bible study can be unhindered. This morning, however, I decided to leave it on after Good Morning America gave the tease that they were going to do a piece on the "Legendary Elizabeth Taylor." I assumed it would be one more occasion during which I was intrigued, saddened, and maddened by the topics, lies, and darkness that stream from to today's media.

I recall a recent morning when Lady GaGa appeared for a nearly 10 minute interview dressed head to toe in latex. Her costume, which the anchors applauded, was meant to be a talking piece for her safe-sex-for-same-sex couples campaign. I recall multitudes of times when abstinence education has been villanized as the reason why so many teens are having unplanned pregnancies. I recall multiple, careful considerations meant to determine when a parent should introduce contraceptive options to their children. I recall days when Steve Harvey, who has had multiple marriages, has been brought in to give advice on marriage. I recall the way the journalists crucified President George Bush one time when he was considering a former Methodist minister for the Position of Surgeon General of the United States. This particular gentleman (who was not ultimately chosen) had once written a paper on the dangers and wrongs of homosexuality, and the esteemed members of the press just could not conceive that such blasphemy might become a part of the White House team. There have been many mornings when popular music artists have been given prime time to perform concerts on air; concerts which involve gross, sexual, humping and dancing. It never fails - after these "wonderful" performances they are praised for their talent, influence, and for so generously sharing their time with the viewing audience. When Michael Jackson died a couple of years ago, he was hailed as a trail-blazer and pitied as a misunderstood genius. Though this man who rose to fame spent his lifetime filled with darkness and confusion, our culture tragically lauded him as a hero. Now, as I sit here this morning, there have been over 25 minutes of warm, lovingly reflective coverage on the "iconic" life of Elizabeth Taylor. She who in the public eye embraced infamously multiple marriages and scandalous, unapologetic affairs is being magnified as a woman to be appreciated, celebrated, and held dear. Barbara Walters called Taylor "great" and "wonderful."

How sad. How pitiful. How wrong.

My intent is not to demonize the mistakes of those mentioned above. Were it not for the mercy of God poured-out upon my life in my greatest times of need, I could very well be as deceived as those I've mentioned. Rather, my intent is to point out the darkness that consumes our culture. The sin that is exalted and called good. The good that is shamed and called wrong.

May we all be on-guard. May we be awake in realizing the dark and powerful influence that this world and its culture can have upon us. May we be guarded against the background noise that surrounds us and stains day-in and day-out. May we shield our eyes, ears, hearts, and minds as much as possible in order to avoid the subtle messages that would cause us to be conformed to the standards of this world.

Be careful little eyes what you see.
Be careful little ears what you hear.
And for goodness sake, turn off the TV to keep the cultural mess from streaming into your homes :).

I Can't Even Go to the Beach to Escape God's Discipline!

My wonderful husband took me to Ponte Vedra, FL last week. He had to attend a conference for work, and I had the pleasure of tagging-along. Gorgeous scenery.... glorious weather.... a treat of a week!

Nick and I had a wee-bit of an episode on the last day of this mini-vacation that caused me to do some serious soul-searching regarding the commands that God has given me as a wife. 1 Peter 3:1-6, Proverbs 31, Ephesians 5:22-24, and Titus 2:3-5 teach the demeanor and the attitude that I and every other married woman are supposed to have in relating to our husbands.

Toward my husband, I am to be:
Gentle
Respectful
Quiet
Reverent
Submissive
Pure
Fearing of the Lord

Like it or not, this is a list of character qualities that are commanded of wives toward their husbands; a list that I really need to work on. It may feel offensive to some, but it is nonetheless the timeless guidance of God's Word that requires a response. It has been my experience that the occasional absence of some of these godly attitudes in me can cause heartbreaking, exasperating, and frustrating ripples in marriage. I have much work to do. Though it is so often uncomfortable, I am thankful for the conviction of the Holy Spirit. I couldn't even go to the beach to escape it :).

A quick word about the Word...

In the past couple of years I have spent more time reading and studying my bible than ever before in my life. To give a frame of reference: i'd say an average of about 30 minutes a day, Monday through Friday. And... my world has come alive! I now realize that this is the least amount of time that I can possibly devote to God's Word if I expect to have the faith, the wisdom, the courage, the know how, the conviction, the endurance, and the intimate relationship with the Father necessary to live the life that He has planned for me.

I meet with God in His Word routinely each morning, and I feel real sadness if circumstances prevent me from that time in His presence. The scriptures have come alive to me in ways I don't have space to explain! They have guided my choices and assisted my relationships in very specific and personal ways. I experience real joy from the scriptures - joy as high as that which I feel in the arms of my husband. God is proving Himself to me through His Word, and that is a pleasure to experience! I read about who He says He is and what He says He plans to accomplish, and then I go about my days and see how He is exactly who He said He would be, working just as He said He would. Because of how I learn about Him through all of the scriptures, I have a keen awareness of His presence and His wishes as I go about my day. His closeness is wonderful!

I am so thankful for how God has answered my prayers to draw me closer to Himself. For so long I felt only obligation to read my Bible. Now, it is a retreat that I crave. I am more hungry for Him than ever before - more hungry to know Him through the pages of His Word than anything else in my life. No person, no pastime, no hobby, no earthly pleasure or possession can satisfy or thrill me like He does through His Word. Scripture after scripture after passage after passage after story after story has lept off the pages of my bible onto a permanent place in heart!

I realize that I am in a season of life where I have more flexible time than many of you, but I don't attribute this as the main reason for my commitment to the Word. I accredit it mostly to the fact that I asked and God answered. I asked Him to help me to be more disciplined and more desirous for His Word - he answered! He has given me a desire for Himself. If you realize a need in your life to have this sort of relationship with God through His Word, I challenge you to simply ask for His help in that area. If life continues to carry you along, work day after work day, appointment after appointment, commitment after commitment, chore to chore, hobby to hobby, tv show after tv show.......and you never stop to seriously prioritize yor time in the Word.........your life will be far far less than what He created it to be. You'll be cutting yourself off from the number one source of guidance for your life. Don't do that. Join me in a touching, challenging, exciting experience with God through the pages of His awesome Word! You will not be disappointed.

Gainin' Weight and Choosin' to Chill

I am now, by the power and mercy of God, free from years of bondage to eating disorders and lots of weight loss and weight gain. I very much enjoying not being obsessed with my weight. For over five years now, I've enjoyed a steady weight through healthy eating and moderate exercise. I have a great metabolism. Life is good.

Well........what-da-ya know but out of the blue in a period of three weeks I gain 10 pounds!?!?
Now, I don't know about yall, but my fearfully and wonderfully made female body gains weight first all in one area: glutes and thighs! Ah........tight pants :(. I refuse to go shopping for more.

I do have a tiny amount of consolation in knowing that I've done absolutely nothing to earn this weight. It, and a few other physical abnormalities, are all the result of some medication I've taken. For once, this is truly out of my control. Yet, to not be in control of this area of my life is proving to be very much uncomfortable. I've been bellyaching for about three weeks now to anyone who will listen.

So, this recent weight gain and additional physical issues have obviously thrown me for a bit of a loop. I've researched and talked to doctors and dieticians, and they seem to agree that my best solution is to "wait it out and let my body re-regulate itself." Wonderful (insert sarcasm here). To add insult to injury, I've just begun a workout program with my husband and some men at church called "Insanity." It is named such because that is truly the only word fit to describe the level of physical pain this program inflicts. Six days a week. 6:00 a.m. each morning. We've been at it for over a week now, and we're all also really cutting back on our calories. I push myself just as hard - and often times harder - than the men do. All of them are dropping weight like gangbusters. Am I? Well no! Of course not - not a pound! That would make way too much sense.

Okay, enough of my bellyaching..........
God began to convict me yesterday. I have a choice to make here. I can choose to get all torn up about my weight and make weight-loss a top priority OR I can simply choose to accept the fact that this is something that is out of my control right now and keep pressing on with the plans and purposes of God for my life; not allowing myself to become distracted by the things that satan would love for me to be distracted by. If I allow these undesirable physical issues to occupy a large part of my mind and heart, I will no longer be loving the Lord my God with all my heart, soul, and mind as I have been commanded. If I spend all kinds of time worrying over how to get my weight back down, I will not be seeking first the Kingdom of God as I have been commanded. I will not be making His priorities my priorities  because instead I will be focused on earthly and eternally-insignificant things. I must choose not to do that. I will choose not to do that. I will not once more idolize my physical body and fail in my obedience to the Lord.

My dad sent me an email today to let me know that he was praying for me in these "struggles" that I am having. Honestly I am really thankful for his prayers because the stuff going on with my body is very definitely not normal, and I do need God's intervention. Mostly from his email, however, I was convicted. Convicted at how I get all selfishly caught up in my temporary "struggles" and make them a much bigger deal than they should be. I was reminded of a passage from my new favorite book, Radical. I'll leave you with it. Perhaps it will make you evaluate your attitude toward your own "struggles":

"Wake up. Wake up and realize that there are infinitely more important things in your life than football and a 401k [and weight loss]. Wake up and realize there are real battles to be fought - so different from the superficial meaningless "battles" you focus on. Wake up to the countless multitudes who are currently destined for a Christ-less eternity!"