Distracted in Taiwan

One thing that has weighed on me about moving to Taiwan is how easily I can get distracted, how I could focus on the good and neglect the best. There are at least three things that can distract me there: 1) the graciousness of the Taiwanese people, 2) The love and warmth of the church, and 3) the beauty of the island itself (it was not called “The Beautiful Island” for nothing!).

I have thought on these three distractions and now look at them through a different lens.

1. The graciousness of the Taiwanese people – The Taiwanese people are among the most gracious and kind I have ever met. Violent crime is rare and it is one of the safest places to live. It would be easy to let that become the reason for living there. However, all people bear the image of their Creator God (Genesis 1:26-27). We were made to reflect the glory and character of God and have dominion over the earth. Our greatest need is to know the grace of God in Jesus Christ as seen in His death on the cross and resurrection. It is not one’s graciousness that gives them favor in God’s eyes but His grace to them so they may find His favor and life in Christ alone.

“Image-bearing alone should cause our hearts to leap for joy, but, as we know, even as God has revealed Himself, many have chosen to suppress the truth that they know about Him (Rom. 1:18-19). And it is with this knowledge that the Christian delights to share the gospel. As image-bearers, we are all made to glorify and magnify the Lord. And by all, I mean all mankind. The Lord did not distinguish between the Christian and non-Christian in creating them in His image.” (Trillia Newbell)

ALL have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). It doesn’t matter how nice or gracious someone is for ALL must hear that Jesus is the only Savior of the world (John 14:6; Acts 4:12). It is about showing them a greater grace. All people need to be seen through this biblical lens no matter how nice and kind they are.

2. The love and warmth of the church – The Bible reveals that God’s love is best understood and experienced in the context of the church (Ephesians 3:14-19). When reading through the church letters of the New Testament, the reader will discover that God intends true believers in Christ to grow primarily within the context of the church. That places a burden on the local church to be the church God always intended and which is revealed in the New Testament. I will not grow spiritually as God intends unless actively connected to a vibrant and robust local church.

So why would this be a distraction? It would be easy to spend so much time with the church that I would not make friends outside the church. I would not get to know my unbelieving neighbors. I could easily neglect time with Barb for the sake of serving in the church.

We are not going to Taiwan to simply lead an English congregation; we are going to become involved in a local church that is actively seeking to make Christ known to the nations and to make disciples of Jesus Christ. The warmth and love of these believers flows from their commitment to Christ and they will pray and work for our commitment to Him to strengthen and increase as we learn to worship Him along with them. AND they have a commitment and passion to love and reach their city and beyond for Jesus Christ.

3. The beauty of the island – It would be so easy to get lost in the natural beauty of the country without seeing the greatness and glory of God in it. It could become an escape rather than a refuge to enjoy the Lord in what He created. There is remarkable beauty everywhere on the island of Taiwan (at least I think so). When God finished creating everything in six days He “saw that it was very good” (Genesis 1:31). The fingerprints of God are all over the natural beauty of Taiwan. There are evidences of His glory in Taiwan everywhere one looks. From the stunning wonders of Taroko Gorge in the east, the breathtaking coastal areas of Juifen and Yehliu in the north, the kaleidoscope of vibrant colors along the East Rift Valley, watching the sunrise on Ali Mountain, or even the beautiful coastal area of Tainan. I really could keep going on this one.

One can see and enjoy God’s creation without seeing Him in it and enjoying it with Him. It is in the natural beauty one can truly reflect on the awesome might of the Creator God of the Bible, and find rest, strength, and peace in Jesus Christ alone (Psalm 8:1-9). There are countless places to escape to in order to reflect on the wonders of creation but especially the greatest wonder of all—being a new creation in Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:14-15, 17).

It is easy to get distracted by the wonders of Taiwan but when seen through the eyes of God, those distractions become attractions to the greater eternal glory of what God is doing in there.

Content With Where I Am

Living between two livelihoods is a challenge. I finished as pastor of one church in August, and am now preparing/waiting to be pastor at another. Living between two residences is difficult. We sold our house in June and now are living in a temporary place.

Being content is more than just a challenge; it is a command from God: “Keep your life free from the love of money, and be content with what you have…” (Hebrews 13:5)

Living in a culture that measures success, well-being, and significance by the accumulation of things and the achievement of personal goals is practically inescapable. We find we are never quite where we want to be. It is always just a little more.

The writer of Hebrews 13:5 explains how contentment is possible: “for He has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’” He could be content wherever and with whatever because he had the Lord.

David says the same thing in Psalm 16:5-6: “Lord, You are my portion and my cup [of blessing]; You hold my future. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.” He is using Old Testament Promised Land language. But he has elevated it to eternal benefits experienced in the present.

To truly be content in and with Jesus Christ is not something I hear discussed very often. That tells me most of us have no idea what this means and therefore we are missing something great and glorious.

How did David get to this? Verse 8 of the psalm gives us a good place to start: “I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.” He put the Lord ahead of everything in life: everything he wanted, everything he had, and every decision he would make. As a result, he experienced stability, security, significance, and satisfaction found nowhere else.

You know you are getting close to this when you can agree with a verse from the song Be Thou My Vision; “Thou my best thought by day or by night; waking or sleeping Thy presence my light.”

 

 

 

“You do not need to hate Jesus to waste your life. You only need to be okay with how you are.” – Ray Ortlund

I think one of the easiest things to do as a follower of Christ is to not do much about pursuing life in Christ. Some people seem that if they are convinced they belong to Christ, then that is enough. Growing in Christ seems so foreign to many who profess to know Jesus.

The demand of Jesus in Luke 9:23-25 is practically unheard of these days: “And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. 25 For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?”

We live in a fairly comfortable world in the west. We value our comfort to the point of resisting difficulty, struggle, irritation, inconvenience, and interruptions. We even may go so far as to pray “against” these things or ask God to remove them. We may even cross the line and claim promises from the Bible that actually do not exist. We are not following Jesus, but following what we want because that is not what Jesus promised (See John 16:33).

Taking up the cross of Jesus daily? That involves sacrifice, humility, difficulty, and even pain. Who would ever want that? Only those who want to know what it really means to find their lives will choose that.

Barb and I do not want to slow down or coast the last years of our lives. We are somehow convinced the best is yet to come in serving Christ in any capacity we can. We want to see what Jesus meant when He said: “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and a bear fruit and that your fruit should remain.” (John 15:16).

Today I have a choice: die to me and live in Christ, or live for me and die an empty, bitter person who knows nothing of true living. But at least I will be comfortable until then.

 

 

 

A Most Difficult Challenge

For me this present time has been the most difficult for learning to trust the Lord than it has been for several years. It has to do with all the challenges associated with our present plans to move to Taiwan in a few months.

Being accepted as pastor of the international congregation of a church God is blessing is truly the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. I am just sorry it has taken God so long to get me ready for this; not because God is so slow, but because I am.

In our marriage Barb and I have never had to seek financial support for a ministry. We have never been dependent upon someone else to find us a place to live, and we have never been in a situation where we know we will no longer have a home in two months. That part is pretty cool. A young couple wanted our house when they found out we are moving to Taiwan. We didn’t even list it. They agreed to the asking price and let us pick the closing date.

But asking people to partner with you, to invest in this ministry with their prayer and money, is pretty scary for me. Of course people will say they will pray. Encouraging people to invest financially is different. It is true when the Bible says: “where your treasure is, that is where your heart is.” So we want to teach people to give their hearts to missions, to be concerned for the spiritual darkness in Taiwan, and in the opportunity for us to disciple people there who will disciple their own people.

Proverbs 3:5-8 has become very important to me.

Trust in the Lord – That includes my thoughts, attitudes, motives, desires, and will.

Lean not on your own understanding – Don’t have a back up plan in case God doesn’t come through when and how I want Him to.

In all your ways put Him first – It is so easy to forget it is not about me.

Be not wise in your own eyes – Don’t try to manipulate this for your own advantage.

Fear the Lord – Right now I am afraid of the “what ifs.” What if we don’t raise enough support? What if no one sends us out with their hearts and prayers? etc.

Turn from evil – Don’t react in ways that dishonor Jesus.

Then God promises He will smooth out the path to make sure we get where we need to be and He will satisfy and grow us in the deepest parts of our being.

Learning this passage from the Bible is more important than getting to Taiwan.

The Most Difficult Spiritual Discipline

Pastors confess praying is the most difficult discipline to maintain. That sounds surprising but pastor can find themselves so occupied with the other things of study, administration, planning, etc., that prayer can be one of those things that gets done last or not at all.

However I find many Christians confessing the same thing. For some reason prayer is difficult. I am not sure why except it seems that when we pray we are not getting anything measurably productive accomplished.

I always need help and encouragement in this area. Recently I read Robert Mounce’s translation of Matthew 6:5-6 and something happened; I started looking forward to spending time in prayer. Not hours but just more time than usual. It reads:

“But when you pray, go into a room by yourself. When you have shut the door, pray to your Father who is with you there in the secret place, and your Father who sees what you are doing in secret will reward you.”

Now, Robert Mounce is known for his faithfulness to accurate translation and study of Scripture so I knew I wasn’t reading someone’s preferred understanding of the passage.

But what gets my attention is the phrase: “your Father who is with you there in the secret place.” Imagine that! God Himself looks forward to time alone with me. With ME!

Unbelievable. And not only that, He says that He will reward me openly for it. That sounds like something unmeasurable is getting accomplished.

Now What?

1. Does this change your perception of prayer?
2. Does it encourage you to make prayer more of a priority?
3. But above all, can you see that it isn’t so much you praying but God wanting to meet with you there?

Encouragement Along the Way

I have been working through the book of Hebrews for the past 2 months. Initially what impressed me was the belief by scholars that this little church may not have consisted of more than 15-20 believers. Whether or not that is factual, what God wanted this little church to know is nothing short of astonishing.

A little background is in order here. The believers had recently gone through some terrible suffering from the powers that were because of their faith in Christ. And we now know from history that it was about to really go sideways for them. Worse than before.

So in His generous mercy and grace God is giving them an even more solid foundation to build and stand on before it does get worse. Imagine that! God cared so much for this little flock He wrote 13 chapters of foundational truth and encouragement to help them to remain faithful and finish well. But we also know from 1 Corinthians 10:11 that, even though this book was not written TO us, it was written FOR us.

Just a couple of things from chapter 11 stood out to me. First, even though there were believers in Jesus who were able to see God do remarkable things because of their faith in Him, there were also those who suffered and even died because of their faith. So we know from the text the reason they struggled and suffered and did not see some of the miracles others did, was not because they lacked faith but because of their faith. I wonder what the prosperity teachers do with this chapter.

Second, and this one is most encouraging to me, what we see with these people is that they finished well. They didn’t always start out well as believers and they didn’t always living consistently faithful lives for Jesus. Their faith faltered, they were sometimes unfaithful to Jesus, and they didn’t always believe His promises. They were often slow to learn. But they held on by His grace. It’s a good thing He holds onto us even when we are not holding onto Him very well.

I have often thought I am the slowest person to respond to God’s grace and learn anything. Even so I find I am in good company in Hebrews 11 for the Christian life here is truly one of “three steps forward and two steps backward.”

Psalm 13 – From Despair to Delight

I found myself reviewing some sermon notes from last year and the study in Psalm 13. It seems to be a good passage to look at when discouraged. At least I need this encouragement.

Despair – vs. 1-2  1 How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? 2 How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?

David is very emotional here. There is a seeming absence of God’s presence in his life. It seems to him God has left him alone. It seems as if his troubles are bigger than God. And it is not minor irritation that is bothering him.

Sometimes it seems as if we try to be faithful to God much longer than His mercy and grace are given to us. His enemy, whatever or whoever it is seems to be winning at this point.

So do we continue to lean on the Lord when it seems He is not listening?

Duty – vs. 3-4 3 Consider and answer me, O LORD my God; light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death, 4 lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,” lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken.

What do you do when it seems God is not listening? Where do you go?The despair of vs. 1-2 just will not let go of God. See John 6:68.

He is asking God for the strength and energy to continue to face his troubles. His three reasons (lest) reveal that prayer is a thinking exercise. So emotions and reason are to be combined in a true knowledge of God.

This is Romans 8:26-27 in action: Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

Delight – vs. 5-6 5 But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. 6 I will sing to the LORD, because he has dealt bountifully with me. 

His confidence and hope rest on God’s “steadfast love.” This is the very rich OT word “chesed.” It is a miracle—Exodus 34:6 context. It is God’s loyal love, dependable kindness, committed affection. God’s love refuses to let go – Psalm 94:18; 23:6.

Jesus understands Psalm 13 – Hebrews 5:7.

David remembers that God always treats him better than he deserves. Always!

SO…

• Where does God seem to be silent? Have you quit praying about it?

• Consider the hymn “O Love That Will Not Let Me Go.”

• Are you convinced God will never let you go? Consider Romans 8:31-39.

 

How to Know with Certainty the Plans God Has for You by John UpChurch

All around the prophet Jeremiah, the whole world seemed to be falling apart. His home, his nation, his people—everything continued to slip away. But right in the midst of this dark time, God gave a promise that still fills us with hope today:

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

Perhaps you have come face to face with the sorrow that Jeremiah felt. Perhaps you, too, know what it’s like to see everything fall apart all around you. You know the pain, the uncertainty.

But do you know the promise?

God gave this pledge to the people of Israel who lived in exile, but it’s no less true to any of us who follow Jesus. He does have a plan and purpose for us that—while not always easy—is assuredly for our good and His glory (Romans 8).

So, how can we know this plan He has for us? And how can we walk confidently in it? 

Listen Up

Before God gave this famous promise, He warned the people of Israel not to listen to false voices (Jeremiah 29:8–9). The same is true for you. All around, you’ll hear advice from a number of sources about what your purpose is, why you’re here on earth, and how to overcome challenges. In fact, all these voices can be deafening.

But knowing the plans God has for you means listening to the One who has them. You need to make time in your daily life to stop and read God’s Word and speak to Him. That’s the only way you can navigate the cacophony of opinions that come barreling at you. When you know your Creator and His voice, you can hear Him above the noise.

The more you grow accustomed to His Word, the more confident you’ll feel in His guidance through the Holy Spirit.

Action step: Make margin in your life for prayer and Bible study. You need to hear God’s voice above the roar of the world. 

Keep Your Head Up

God spoke this passage to the people of Israel who had been dragged away in exile far from their homes. They faced some very tough times, but He didn’t want the former loss to be their focus. Instead, He wanted them to focus on the future hope.

The same is true for you. When you face challenges, you’ll want to quit or change directions. But if you’ve been spending time listening to God, challenges don’t necessarily mean that you need to throw in the towel. In fact, it could very well be the challenges themselves that prepare you for God’s purpose in your life.

When officials tossed the apostle Paul in prison, he didn’t take that as a sign that he should pack it up and return home. He used the opportunity to sing praises and witness to the jailer and his family (Acts 16).

If your children seem like they’re running farther and farther from Christ, if your marriage isn’t getting any better, if no job has opened up, don’t let those circumstances drag you down. Look for opportunities to shine the light of Christ even more. Ask God to keep molding you through the trials.

Keep believing that God is up to something, even if you can’t see it yet. After all, God’s purpose for our lives often leads us through the valley to refine us. 

Action step: If you’re in the heart of a bad situation, take a moment to pray about and look for opportunities that God may have for you. Take stock of how God is using this tough time to change you.

Look up—to the Cross

God gave an amazing promise to the Israelites of Jeremiah’s day:

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13)

Not long afterward, God would fulfill all the promises He’d made to them. You see, from Genesis 3:15 to the exile into Babylon (and their later return), God had been telling them of a Savior, a promised One, a Messiah. And God wanted His people to remember that He would fulfill His Word to them.

In our case, all of God’s plans and promises for our lives begin with the cross. Our purpose on this earth starts at Calvary with the death of Jesus and proceeds to the tomb with His resurrection. As a Christian, we’re here to share that good news in all that we do. That’s at the heart of what God intends for us, and His purpose will never take you away from being ambassadors of His grace (2 Corinthians 5:20).

So, any plan God has for you will start and end with Jesus. You’ll have the opportunity to share the good news about Him in whatever situation God intends for you.

Action step: Take inventory of your goals and aspirations. Is Jesus at the center of them? If not or you’re not sure, ask God to help you keep the cross in sight.

http://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-study/topical-studies/how-to-know-with-certainty-the-plans-god-has-for-you.html: accessed May 6, 2015.

What is the Measure of a Great Book? by Tim Challies

[We all have our favorite books but what is it that puts them in the favored category? This is an original post by Tim Challies on March 18 and is posted here in its entirety with his permission.]

I read a lot of books. I read a lot of books because I just plain love to read, and a read a lot of books because, as a reviewer, I receive a lot of them and am always trying to keep ahead of the growing piles. But the more I read, the harder I can find it to answer this question: What is a good book? What are the marks of an especially good book?

I was recently reading Iain Murray’s short biography of Amy Carmichael and in there he quotes A.W. Tozer who once said, “The work of a good book is to incite the reader to moral action, to turn his eyes toward God and to urge him forward.” And yes, this is a good criteria; a good book will urge its reader to do something, to become something, to make some significant and lasting change to life. Murray goes on to say, “Amy Carmichael’s writings belong to that category. Numbers who took her books up only out of interest, put them down to pray.” Prayer: That may be the best moral action of all because it ought to come before anything else we do, any other changes we make, any other plans we form.

So I paused and began to think of the books that have caused me to stop and to pray, to put down the book and to go straight to the Lord. And here are just a few of them:

• The Cross He Bore by Frederick Leahy. Few books have impacted me as deeply as this one, with its slow, beautiful meditations on the suffering and death of Jesus Christ. When I reviewed it ten years ago I wrote, “I was often compelled to stop and worship, to stop and meditate, or to stop and dry my eyes, thanking Christ for His immeasurable sacrifice.”
• The Holiness of God by R.C. Sproul. The Holiness of God is remarkably effective in two ways: In exposing the sinfulness of the reader, and in exposing the holiness of the Creator. As I came to a deeper understanding of my own depravity, I couldn’t help but to come to a deeper appreciation of God’s holiness. I had to stop and pray often, calling upon God for his forgiveness and thanking God for his mercy.
• A Praying Life by Paul Miller. I have learned not to take it for granted that a book on prayer will actually help me pray. Certainly, though, the best ones do, and Paul Miller’s A Praying Life is one of them. It gave me a hunger for prayer; I looked forward to getting to the end of a chapter so I could immediately start applying it.
• John and Betty Stam by Vance Christie. It is not only theological works, or Christian living works, that can drive us to pray, but also biographies. One biography that caused me to put it down to pray was Vance Christie’s work on John and Betty Stam. The Stams were such normal, relatable people who had such great love for the lost, that when they faced the ultimate cost of their faith, I just had to ask God to give me that confidence and that fervor.
• Look and Live by Matt Papa. There is something beautifully poetic about this book. Papa teaches no new truths, but finds new and fresh ways of explaining those same old truths we love so much. Several times I was captivated by the beauty of the good news, and could only pause to pray.
• Overcoming Sin and Temptation by John Owen. Of all the books I have ever read, besides the Bible, I don’t think any has done such a work in my soul as Owen’s Overcoming Sin and Temptation. I have read it repeatedly, and every time it has forced me to pray, to confess sin, and to seek God’s grace as I attempt to grow in holiness.

I’m sure there are others besides these 6, but they give just a sampling of books that meet that precious criteria: “Numbers who took her books up only out of interest, put them down to pray.”

What are some of the books that fall into this category for you? What are books that have forced you to stop and to pray?

Image credit: Shutterstock

http://www.challies.com/articles/what-is-the-measure-of-a-great-book

My Top 10 Websites and Blogs

“Why didn’t you pick my favorite?”

There are certain blogs and websites I read and use on a regular basis. They are either for insight into current events and cultural changes from a biblical perspective, or they are tools that help me be a better student of the Bible. The following are what I most visit. There are several others I use but these are the most regular.

1. www.counselingoneanother.com – This is the site of Paul Tautges, pastor, counselor, and professor. He deals with the struggles and temptations we all face from a biblical perspective.

2. www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/trevinwax – Trevin Wax is a managing editor for Lifeway Christian Resources. His interviews and books reviews give insight to current events.

3. www.challies.com – I depend on Tim Challies for honest and accurate reviews of current cultural challenges, book reviews, and biblical guidance. His book reviews of The Shack and Heaven is For Real have been some of his most visited posts.

4. www.thegospelcoalition.org – “The Gospel Coalition exists to see the contemporary church invigorated by its historic center: the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ as the only hope of the world. With joy and zeal, we purpose to promote and proclaim this gospel and equip Christians to integrate it into ministry, work, relationships, and all of life.”

5. www.biblicalcounselingcoalition.org – This counseling organization is dedicated to providing counseling resources and connecting people to counselors who give guidance in even the most difficult and painful circumstances.

6. www.albertmohler.com – He is the president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and provides reliable, biblical insight to current events. He deals with issues most of us would rather not.

7. www.mnnonline.org – The site provides up to date news of what is happening with and to Christians around the world. This is stuff you do not hear on mainstream media.

8. www.biblestudytools.com – This is my main online study resource.

9. www.9marks.org – This organization exists for the church. Any question regarding church structure, government, policies, practices, etc. I can find here answered from well-interpreted Scripture.

10. www.monergism.com – I need to hear good preaching and this is where I usually go to hear it. There is a plethora of speakers to choose from. Along with this one there is also www.sermonaudio.com.

So what are your favorite web sites and blogs that inform and encourage you?