Monday, January 14, 2008

Truth that Dares!

The Single Life winter retreat this past weekend was really a wonderful time as we had time to learn, fellowship, pray, and just have some fun together. It was very providential in God's timing that it came this weekend as things had been so difficult for the past several months that I really was in need of some encouragement and the weekend was indeed full of encouragement as there were many, both old and new, who came and made the weekend one that was truly enjoyable.

The message times focused on a number of themes:

1. Dare to Be Truly Spiritual
2. Dare to Hate Respectable Sins
3. Dare to Enjoy Fearing God (Pastor Patrick)
4. Dare to Love God's Way

My hope through the messages was that everyone would really be honest and genuine about where they stood in their relationships with God and the challenge was to really not be complacent or apathetic about it. It was promising to hear that many had taken the messages to heart and I look forward to see the fruit of the application.

Angela and I were quite surprised by the ending of the retreat as Kent Hong came up to share some words of encouragement and present us with a gift so that we could do some things with our family. It was quite overwhelming to have everyone surround us and pray for us. God was truly merciful in encouraging us this way as the past week was one that was pretty difficult in light of recent events. Friday morning of the retreat was probably the most difficult point as I was pretty distraught and discouraged and I think I was at the point where I really was starting to just really wonder why things had happened the way they did. (I know I'm being a bit vague but I hope you understand). My heart was sore (both physically and spiritually) and so preparations for the retreat were a bit difficult to manage all week. But Patrick and JR provided much help and support and the Single Life staff really did their part to make the retreat work out and overall I was just so thankful as I was really a wreck leading into the retreat.

God is indeed merciful as I look back and see how He orchestrates things that ultimately display His grace. I can't help but just really be thankful that God really knows what He is doing and that in time, He brings all things together for good.

Many have been asking about my time off - it's not really a sabbatical but time off from preaching on Sundays and Fridays. I still have much to do with planning things in light of recent changes so it's not as free as I would have hoped for but at the same time it is exciting as God has laid on my heart to really invest in the Children and Youth ministries in laying a vision and direction that will be consistent with an emphasis on Family ministries at our church. So please be in prayer as the next month will really be devoted to developing a vision for those specific ministries.

Thank you for those who pray - it really is the most meaningful thing to me to know that there are faithful prayer warriors who are uplifting this poor undershepherd before the throne of grace.

Friday, January 04, 2008

Take It to the Lord in Prayer

How is your prayer life? It is a question that is often asked in accountability groups. Like with Bible reading, it is sad that so many Christians struggle as much as they do. J. C. Ryle aptly remarks that prayer is a sign of a true believer -- that if someone is truly saved, he will be praying. The fact that so many struggle in their daily prayers shows the spiritual weakness of the church today. Some may be well-versed in theology knowing all the current issues and debates. Others may be experts of the Bible having memorized great portions of it. Still others may be fervent in ministry giving of themselves for the sake of others in sacrificial service. But do they pray? Do you pray?

Certainly, I do not write these things because my prayer life is perfect. (Isn't it funny that sometimes we ask others how they are doing in their spiritual walks just so we can mention how well we are doing?) I struggle very often to pray. It's sad because I know I have access to the God of the universe and that I have a constant help in times of trouble, yet I do not approach the throne room of grace with nearly enough consistency.

I mentioned this in a sermon once but perhaps we do not pray as much as we should because we do not think it will accomplish anything. I know it sounds horrible to admit! I'm sure no good Christian would openly say such a thing. But do the attitudes in our hearts prove this? Isn't this what we preach with our lives when we argue that we are too busy for prayer? Don't we show that we believe prayer is time wasted where we could accomplish more important things? Why pray when you can plan?

"Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have relieved me in my distress; Be gracious to me and hear my prayer."

I took some time to read from Psalm 4 last week and it was a great reminder to me of why we pray. David comes to God in a time of distress and cries out to God to hear his prayer. He is quick to confess, though, that he should not be heard because of who he is (though he was a king!). He appeals to the God of his righteousness -- the God who has saved him. He understands that he has no righteousness in and of himself and freely admits that his righteousness must come from another. The basis of his prayer and reason why it should be answered is because of who God is. He is a God who saves. How appropriate to be reminded of how God saves when we are in times of distress.

David recalls also how God had saved him. He states, "You have relieved me in my distress." He rec0unts the past deliverances of God, and is reminded that if God has saved before, He will save again. His confidence is in the God who does not change. Perhaps we need to memorize that great hymn, "O God Our Help in Ages Past":

Our God, our help in ages past
Our hope for years to come
Our shelter from the stormy blast
And our eternal home

Under the shadow of Thy throne
Thy saints have dwelt secure
Sufficient is Thine arm alone
And our defense is sure

Is it any wonder that God reminded His followers that He is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? If He was faithful to help in ages past, He will be faithful to help today. This is why we should pray, because we have seen the help God has given in the past. He is the one who said to Joshua, "Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you." He says the same to us.

Finally, David appeals to God's grace to hear his prayer. God is a God who hears prayer and this is because of His grace. He is not obligated to hear us and David recognizes this. He appeals to God's grace. God was gracious to hear him in the past. God was gracious to deliver him from trouble in the past. He thus appeals to God to be gracious once again. Do we keep this attitude in prayer? So often we come to God casually as if God should listen to us! Shouldn't the fear of the Lord drive us to come humbly before Him? Surely we have been granted free access to the throne room of grace, but this does not mean we should enter in with pride. What greater sign of pride than to address God our Creator as if He was our equal?

We need to be praying. This past year has definitely reminded me of that. With all the trials we face and the hardships we endure, we need to appeal to God to help. This is not a time for self-sufficiency and self-reliance. This is a time to lean on the everlasting arms by coming again and again to the God who saves in prayer.

Wednesday, January 02, 2008

Happy New Year!

Welcome to 2008!!

To say "Happy New Year!" is not something that I really take too seriously as it seems a bit superficial and even contrived when you look at the harsh realities of life. But I think it is something I have had to address in my heart that I often would be more pessimistic in my outlook toward things rather than hopeful and it just might be because the joy and peace in knowing and trusting in Christ is more in the background rather than in the forefront of my heart condition and it inevitably shows.

When I have heart pains, I usually get concerned because I know that my physical heart condition is not so good. I have allowed the circumstances of life at times to overwhelmingly stress me out to the point where my physical body actually feels the consequences of the emotional and mental distress. My teeth have been grinding for so many years that I didn't realize it until half of my bottom teeth were worn away (don't ask to look - it's not a pretty sight). I actually tore a muscle in my mouth last week while I was sleeping, even with my nightguard in place - I didn't know that was possible. My neck and back are so tense at times it feels like I am sleeping on a rock. All this and more have been more than enough proof to show that my emotional and mental state can have some very severe effects on my physical body and I often am in so much pain that I can't stand it.

Left to myself, I am helpless. I can resort to drugs, physical therapy, and other things, but I realize that what really can bring relief (not necessarily physical) is the shoring up of my spiritual condition. When I am truly experiencing joy and peace in Christ, it really does affect my emotional and mental state to the point where I am reminded of the hope I have in Christ and the anxiety no longer paralyzes me. But when my gaze is not fixed on Christ, I find it so easy to be not only distracted, but to be redirected as to how I live my life.

This new year afforded me the opportunity to do some evaluating of my heart condition and I have come to see that I need to be more resolved in pursuing the hope of my life - Jesus Christ. It really is in Christ alone that I can find the joy and peace that anchors my hope and trust in Him. It is in Christ alone that I can have the right perspective in life amidst the challenges and trials that come and go. It is in Christ alone that I ultimately find my life's purpose and apart from Him, there would truly be no real reason to live.

So while circumstances are not necessarily so "happy", I have found joy in my salvation, I have found peace in the sovereignty of God, and I have found hope in the promises of a faithful God who I know will consistently and daily make manifest His mercy and grace to a sinner like me.

Happy New Year!!