So That

Do you ever find yourself wondering why something is happening or has happened to you? Have you ever thought about what God’s purpose is in either causing or allowing something to happen in your life? I often find myself questioning God’s sovereignty and plan for my life. Surely some of the tragic events or heartbreaking moments in my life were mess-ups or accidents that weren’t supposed to happen. Surely God is too good and too loving to let something bad happen in my life on purpose.

In the 1997 suspense thriller, The Game, Michael Douglas plays the immensely wealthy Nicholas Van Orton. After a conversation with his unusual brother, strange things start happening to him and he is forced to run from people who are trying to kill him. After days of running and hiding, there is a climatic moment on top of a building. After a series of events, Van Orton leaps off the top of a building. Instead of splattering all over the ground, he falls through breakaway glass and lands safely in a giant airbag marked by an "X", surrounded by hundreds of his friends and family. The twist ending is that his brother had paid millions of dollars to have this “game” set up for him to play. All of it was a game. It was all carefully planned and carefully carried out. His every move was monitored by the game’s planner and they had numerous plans in the works to make absolutely sure that Van Orton would end up in the exact right place at the exact right time.

In Galatians 1:11-24, the Apostle Paul briefly describes his story to the churches in Galatia. He discusses the story of his previous life apart from Christ, his dramatic conversion, and his post-salvation life in Christ. In verses 15 and 16, Paul writes:

But when God, who from my birth set me apart and called me by His grace, was pleased to reveal His Son in me, so that I could preach Him among the Gentiles.

Paul recognized that God planned everything that ever happened to him. Every detail of his life was carefully planned and carefully carried out based on his choices and responses. Before he was even born, God was preparing Paul’s “game”. He was preparing every detail so that Paul would end up exactly where he was supposed to at exactly the right time. Since before either of us was born, God had a plan for your life and for my life and through the good and the bad, the joyful and the tragic, he has carried it out to perfection in order to make sure we end up exactly where we are supposed to be right this very minute. Can you imagine how much planning and detail it would take to plan every detail of a few days for one man in the movie? To plan every detail of every minute so that everything runs according to plan?

God is so sovereign and so loving. He cares enough about you and me to plan every tiny detail of our lives to make sure that we end up exactly where we are supposed to so that we might proclaim the Gospel in that place. So that we are able to represent Christ to the people in that place. So that we might fulfill God’s calling in our lives through obedience. So that his name might be glorified. So that the lost might be saved. Since before you were born, God planned every detail to make sure you would get to wherever you are right this very second so that you might share his love with the people around you. Are you going to let that go to waste? Or are you going to step out in obedience so that God might be glorified? 

Church Denominations

Having spent the last 4 years of my life surrounded by hundreds of college students who have grown up in a significantly different Christian America than any other generation, I have heard a lot of different thoughts and opinions about denominations in general. Most have no idea what denomination their church really is unless it has it mentioned in the church's name. Even if they do know what denomination their church is, they have no idea what that really means. And the worst part that I have noticed in my experience is that they don't even care. 

I have spent the last 4 days in Houston, Texas at the Southern Baptist Convention and Pastor's Conference. I have been a Southern Baptist since April 13, 1990, probably before actually. Growing up in the family that I did, I knew more about what it means to be Southern Baptist than most kids my age did. Over the years, thanks to my parents, grandparents, and mentors/pastors in my life, I have learned even more about the denomination, how it works, what we believe, etc. This week, my knowledge about the denomination tripled (approximately) and I developed an incredible appreciation and sense of gratitude for denominations in general, but specifically Southern Baptists. 

Allow me to share/brag just a few of the many reasons that I'm proud to call myself a Southern Baptist:

- Southern Baptists are the largest protestant denomination in North America at 16 million members. 

- There are over 45,000 churches that actively collaborate and work together. 

- Southern Baptists planted over 24,000 churches last year alone. 

- 337,385 people came to faith in Christ through the work of Southern Baptist missionaries in 2013 alone. 

- Southern Baptists support almost 5,000 missionaries outside of North America. 

- Southern Baptists operate 6 of the best seminaries in the world. 

As I have learned more about denominations, I have come to realize how important it is, not necessarily to be Southern Baptist, but to know about your church's affiliations. Whether or not you agree theologically, you cannot deny the impressive stats above and the power that lies within the core Baptist value of cooperation. God has blessed my denomination throughout its history and has allowed SB members to be a part of building his Kingdom all over the world. 

All that being said, no matter how old you are or what church you go to, I would encourage you to learn more about your denomination. Learn about the doctrines your church stand upon - you might be surprised both positively or negatively by what you find. Think deeply about what your church believes and whether or not you believe it is biblical. Learn about how your denomination is organized and works together - this will tell you a lot about their values and effectiveness. There are many reasons to think about and examine your church denomination's beliefs and values, strengths and weaknesses. Do a little googling and researching and watch your life be enriched with knowledge and a deeper appreciation for church!

A New Best Friend

When you think about what it means to “know God”, where does your mind go? What does it mean to you to “know God?” Does it mean knowing his names? Does it mean conversing with him? Does it mean know about him? Does it mean knowing all kinds of biblical and modern stories about what he has done? My first thoughts are something like this: To know God means to know who he is, to talk to him, to listen to him, to know about him, to know the great stories about his greatness and his power, etc. None of these are wrong by any means. In fact, talking to him, listening, knowing stories and all that are great things! But are they really at the core of what it means to truly know God on a deep and wonderful level?

Completely unrelated but hilarious picture.

Think about your closest friend. Think about that one person that you know better than anyone else and that knows you better than anyone else. What makes that friendship so special? What makes that relationship so deep? What about your relationship proves that you really, deeply, and truly know the other person? Is it that you know their full name? No, hundreds if not thousands of people know your friend’s name. Is it that you talk to them, listen to them, and vice versa? No, tons of people talk and listen to them. Is it the number of stories that you know about them and what they have done, or even the number of stories that you share together? We’re getting closer…Maybe it's the amount of time you spend with them? Yep…definitely getting closer. Is it knowing their desires? Their fears? Their guilt? Their pain? Their struggles? Their secrets? Maybe…

All of these show that you know someone and know them well; personally and intimately. But what is really the special factor that proves whether or not you know someone? Knowing their secret joys.

It is not in the grand stories, the elaborate names, or even the conversations with God that define the level of intimacy in our relationship with him - it is the small, intricate, and seemingly trivial that display a deep, authentic, loving relationship. Think about your best friend again – what do you know about them on a deep and personal level? You know their secrets and struggles yes, but do you know their secret joys? God has designed us to share one another’s burdens, but even more so, he has designed us to live life joyfully together with him and with each other. If you really want to truly know God, yes converse with him, spend time with him, listen to him, but even more importantly, know what gives him joy. Know the intricate details of God that only those closest to him can even begin to understand, and you will find unparalleled love, overwhelming joy, and a new best friend.

From the Sequoia Grove

Can you see me with my arms up? These trees are HUGE!

Last week, I was blessed enough to have the opportunity to travel to Yosemite National Park in California with my dad. All week we stood in awe of massive cliffs, the tallest waterfall in North America (and dozens of others), flowing streams, abundant wildlife, incredible rock formations, and enormous trees. Though all of it was breathtaking, there was something special about spending the day in the sequoia tree grove in the southern part of the park. Being in the presence of the sequoia trees triggered a deep and almost supernatural feeling of smallness and humility. For most of the day that we spent there, I couldn’t come up with words to adequately describe the way that being there made me feel. They inspired awe, wonder, and mystery.

As my dad and I spent more time in the forest and more time contemplating and discussing the trees, we began to see incredible spiritual truth pouring from these mysterious woodland giants. We discovered some facts and had observations of our own that all speak truth into the lives of believers. Here are a few of them that I hope you can benefit from:

Sequoia Trees…

-      Struggle the most for the first 2 years of life. The conditions must be right for them to grow. After a commitment to Christ, the first 2 years are often the hardest. New Christians should surround themselves with the right conditions in order to grow healthy. Sequoia roots grow rapidly and deeply into the earth in these first 2 years, so that they are not swept away by external forces.

-       Grow upward faster than any other tree until they are about 300 (human equivalent would be about 15 years old) and then they grow out, while still growing vertically. Christians must be perpetually growing upward, increasing in love for and knowledge of the Lord. Once they reach a stage of life where they have a firm enough foundation and enough strength, they begin to grow outward. Christians, when they are ready and have a firm foundation, must grow outward as well, toward other people.

-       Have roots that, though they are not overwhelmingly deep, spread overwhelmingly far underground. Their roots often spread up to 1 acre underground. This wide base is critical to their foundation. Christians must have a wide, firm base – one spreading out across a series of key foundational principles like prayer, scripture reading, being discipled, and discipling others.

-       Plant thousands of seeds every year. Most mature trees have about 11,000 cones on them at any given time, all containing thousands of seeds. Christians must also be planting seeds regularly. Speaking gospel truth into people’s lives daily.

-       Rely on fire and other methods of conflict for growth. Without fire, the trees would all die. Fire refines Christians. Struggles and trials refine our faith and character and are necessary for growth.

-   Grow faster as they get older. Once all of this has happened and they reach the later years of life, they do not stop growing. In fact, they begin to grow faster and wider than they ever have before. Mature believers should be growing faster and wider than ever as they get older.

Constantly be looking for God’s truth in nature and his creation. Hopefully these truths from the sequoia grove have helped you understand a little more about the Christian life. They have certainly helped me! 

Yet I Will Rejoice

One of the hardest things to do in life is to pour everything you have into something without it benefitting you in any way. Throughout our lives, we are faced with choices to do many difficult things. If you are like me, when this happens your first thought is, “How is this going to benefit me and is it worth it?” We are always weighing and measuring the cost-to-benefit ratio of the choices that we make. If we plug it into the equation and realize it will give us more than we put in, we do it. If we realize it will be difficult, strenuous, stressful, and there will be little or no benefit for us, we don’t usually do it. What does this say about our character? What does it say about who we really are and what we really care about?

In the OT, it was often communicated to the people of God and the prophets that if they followed and obeyed God, things would go well for them. If they disobeyed God and turned to idols judgment would come. In a situation like this, most of us today would probably have begrudgingly obeyed God, if such a thing is even possible, in order to remain free of judgment and full of blessings. We have measured the cost-to-benefit ratio and found it in our best interest to follow God so we don’t die. In one of the most powerful verses in the Old Testament, the prophet Habakkuk makes quite a statement:

Though the fig tree does not bud
 and there is no fruit on the vines,
 though the olive crop fails 
and the fields produce no food,
 though there are no sheep in the pen
 and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will triumph in Yahweh; 
I will rejoice in the God of my salvation! Yahweh my Lord is my strength;
 He makes my feet like those of a deer
 and enables me to walk on mountain heights!

-       Habakkuk 3:17-19

What kind of obedience is one that obeys begrudgingly? What kind of worshipper of God are we if we only do so when things are good? What kind of follower are we if we only do so when the path is easy and filled with fruit, food, sheep, cattle, wealth, and pleasure? The power in Habakkuk’s statement is obvious if we look at it from this perspective. He was struggling deeply with God’s action in his world and the world around him. He was often confused, struggling, and sickened by what God said and did in spite of his obedience. He didn't turn away because he was suffering. He didn’t give up on following God when things got hard. Instead he made this powerful statement that even if there seems to be no visible evidence that he had trusted well, he would continue to trust. Even if there is no benefit for him personally and he must endure pain and hardship, he would continue to have faith and obey God.

We must learn from Habakkuk. We must learn that a true worshipper of God does not only worship when things are good. He does not only follow God when there is a clear benefit. We must be willing to obey, suffer in spite of it, and continue to obey anyway. Even when we run out of food, the fruit is non-existent, and we have nothing to take pleasure in, we respond by declaring, “Yet I will triumph in Yahweh; I will rejoice in the God of my salvation!”