Well, it seems that after three months here in the Philippines, my time here is coming to an end. The time has absolutely flown by, and I am going to miss my family and friends here so, so much. While I am very excited to see my family again after being away for three months, I am also very sad to be leaving. We leave for Manila tomorrow at approximately 7:00am, and will catch our first flight at 5:00pm to Taipei.
I have been blessed in so many ways during my time here. The way we have been welcomed into the Arcano family, the incredible church that showed me what community really is, and the love and support of my team is something I will remember and treasure for the rest of my life. We have been very engaged in the short term style ministry - focused on different events, but have also had a very good taste of what long term ministry can look like, and the day to day life that goes with that. We were welcomed here with opened arms, and we are leaving with many sad good-byes.
I am looking forward to debrief, and reconnecting with my family and the other Trekkers, but I will miss it here in the Philippines a lot. This morning I spent some time journaling and debriefing on my own; attempting to sort through some of my thought before leaving. I am very much at peace with the last three months. It was an absolutely incredible experience, and I have learned many valuable things.
Over the course of the last three months, I have been forced to depend on God in a way that I never have before. There have been moments when I've questioned if missions is really something I could do for the rest of my life. At the end of this three months I've realized that it's not something I can do. But it is something that God can do. And I've learned that through depending on Him, He can do great and mighty works through anyone who will allow themselves to be used by them. So in answer to my own question, yes, I do think missions is something I will be doing for the rest of my life. I think I have also come to a greater realization in the past three months of how much dependency on God that will require. But then again, when you have no control and it's purely God, that's when things get fun.
I've made mistakes along the way, but I've realized that God takes us as we are and uses us - all our fears, failures, and short-comings. I am looking forward to seeing what God has in store for me next, and what opportunities He will lead me to. And so, I would like to end my time here in the Philippines the same place as where I started.
"The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him." - Nahum 1:7
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Counting the Cost
I realize that it has been over a month since I last posted. I'm sorry! Life here has been great - over the last month we have: had VBS, held three evangelistic concerts, and had our team retreat in Palawan - as well as visting Pastor Sam's hometown in Brook's Point, and sharing with the youth there.
The past two months have flown by, and the end of our time here is quickly approaching. God has been working in each of us and teaching us so many new things. Over the past two months God has really been moving in my heart and challenging me to truly understand what it means to be a disciple of Christ. I recently read a book called "The Heavenly Man" by Chinese House Church Pastor, Brother Yun, and am currently reading "The Cost of Discipleship," by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. These together with my personal devotions and a sermon Moses recommended to me by Mark Driscoll have challenged me in what it means to be a disciple of Christ.
To be a Christian is to be a follower of Christ; to live life as He lived it and to live for what He lived for. In many cultures today it is all too easy to walk the fence. And yet Christ does not call us to mediocrity or to complacency - He calls us to a life radically devoted to Him. Luke 14:27 says "And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple." In his sermon, Mark Driscoll addresses this verse, describing how to carry a cross in the days of Jesus was to literally be a dead man walking. If you were carrying a cross, you were tried, convicted, and sentenced to death. When Christ calls us to carry our cross, He is not calling us to be patient under inconveniences, or be nice to people who can be hard to work with. He is calling us to come and die.
Later, in the same passage, Jesus says "In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple." - Luke 14:33. Christ calls us to give up everything, to take up our cross, and to follow Him. Not everyone who becomes a Christian will die because of their faith. But if we claim to be followers of Christ, we need to be willing to follow Him anywhere, even to death. This is where Christ leads us - to pick up our cross and follow Him, He bids us come and die.
And so the question that must be asked is, if we are not willing to follow Christ, can we truly call ourselves Christ followers?
(I highly reccomened this sermon, Counting the Cost, by Mark Driscoll.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-axDXZmlRU
The past two months have flown by, and the end of our time here is quickly approaching. God has been working in each of us and teaching us so many new things. Over the past two months God has really been moving in my heart and challenging me to truly understand what it means to be a disciple of Christ. I recently read a book called "The Heavenly Man" by Chinese House Church Pastor, Brother Yun, and am currently reading "The Cost of Discipleship," by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. These together with my personal devotions and a sermon Moses recommended to me by Mark Driscoll have challenged me in what it means to be a disciple of Christ.
To be a Christian is to be a follower of Christ; to live life as He lived it and to live for what He lived for. In many cultures today it is all too easy to walk the fence. And yet Christ does not call us to mediocrity or to complacency - He calls us to a life radically devoted to Him. Luke 14:27 says "And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple." In his sermon, Mark Driscoll addresses this verse, describing how to carry a cross in the days of Jesus was to literally be a dead man walking. If you were carrying a cross, you were tried, convicted, and sentenced to death. When Christ calls us to carry our cross, He is not calling us to be patient under inconveniences, or be nice to people who can be hard to work with. He is calling us to come and die.
Later, in the same passage, Jesus says "In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple." - Luke 14:33. Christ calls us to give up everything, to take up our cross, and to follow Him. Not everyone who becomes a Christian will die because of their faith. But if we claim to be followers of Christ, we need to be willing to follow Him anywhere, even to death. This is where Christ leads us - to pick up our cross and follow Him, He bids us come and die.
And so the question that must be asked is, if we are not willing to follow Christ, can we truly call ourselves Christ followers?
(I highly reccomened this sermon, Counting the Cost, by Mark Driscoll.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-axDXZmlRU
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Jehovah-Jireh
Jehovah-jireh: The Lord provides.
The past two weeks have been very full, and very busy! One the main things that has occupied my prayer life has been my finances for Trek. I have spent a lot of time asking God to provide. I did everything I could possibly do, and the only thing left to do was wait on God and pray. And He provided. Praise God, my finances have been completely and totally taken care of.
Judges 7:1-7 (a portion of the story of Gideon) says:
"Early in the morning, Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) and all his men camped at the spring of Harod. The camp of Midian was north of them in the valley near the hill of Moreh. The LORD said to Gideon, “You have too many men for me to deliver Midian into their hands. In order that Israel may not boast against me that her own strength has saved her, announce now to the people, ‘Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.’” So twenty-two thousand men left, while ten thousand remained.
But the LORD said to Gideon, “There are still too many men. Take them down to the water, and I will sift them for you there. If I say, ‘This one shall go with you,’ he shall go; but if I say, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ he shall not go.”
So Gideon took the men down to the water. There the LORD told him, “Separate those who lap the water with their tongues like a dog from those who kneel down to drink.” Three hundred men lapped with their hands to their mouths. All the rest got down on their knees to drink.
The LORD said to Gideon, “With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands. Let all the other men go, each to his own place.” 8 So Gideon sent the rest of the Israelites to their tents but kept the three hundred, who took over the provisions and trumpets of the others."
The Lord reminded me a few weeks before we left for the Philippines that He would provide for me. He also said that He would do it in such a way that the glory could go to none but Him. Similarly to when Gideon went to fight the Midianites, God won the battle in such a way that no man could be credited for it.
I did everything I could do to raise money, and I was still short. There's nothing I could have done that I didn't do. Yet the LORD provided in His own perfect timing. My prayer is that His name would be glorified.
The past two weeks have been very full, and very busy! One the main things that has occupied my prayer life has been my finances for Trek. I have spent a lot of time asking God to provide. I did everything I could possibly do, and the only thing left to do was wait on God and pray. And He provided. Praise God, my finances have been completely and totally taken care of.
Judges 7:1-7 (a portion of the story of Gideon) says:
"Early in the morning, Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) and all his men camped at the spring of Harod. The camp of Midian was north of them in the valley near the hill of Moreh. The LORD said to Gideon, “You have too many men for me to deliver Midian into their hands. In order that Israel may not boast against me that her own strength has saved her, announce now to the people, ‘Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.’” So twenty-two thousand men left, while ten thousand remained.
But the LORD said to Gideon, “There are still too many men. Take them down to the water, and I will sift them for you there. If I say, ‘This one shall go with you,’ he shall go; but if I say, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ he shall not go.”
So Gideon took the men down to the water. There the LORD told him, “Separate those who lap the water with their tongues like a dog from those who kneel down to drink.” Three hundred men lapped with their hands to their mouths. All the rest got down on their knees to drink.
The LORD said to Gideon, “With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands. Let all the other men go, each to his own place.” 8 So Gideon sent the rest of the Israelites to their tents but kept the three hundred, who took over the provisions and trumpets of the others."
The Lord reminded me a few weeks before we left for the Philippines that He would provide for me. He also said that He would do it in such a way that the glory could go to none but Him. Similarly to when Gideon went to fight the Midianites, God won the battle in such a way that no man could be credited for it.
I did everything I could do to raise money, and I was still short. There's nothing I could have done that I didn't do. Yet the LORD provided in His own perfect timing. My prayer is that His name would be glorified.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
The First Two Weeks . . .
Today marks the two week point of our time here in the Philippines, and God is already doing some incredible things here! We've been spending time conducting Community Bible Surveys, participating in Bible studies, practicing worship set's, learning Tagalog (the Filipino language), and preparing for the upcoming months.
The Community Bible Surveys have been a great way of connecting with people, and has presented many opportunities to share the gospel. People are coming to Christ and being discipled, thank you Jesus! Yesterday, Chris and I led a seminar on evangelism for the youth here, which was a wonderful experience for us, and it seems as though the youth really got a lot out of it. Moses and Andrea will continue teaching on evangelism next Saturday, and the following week, the youth group will get the chance to go out into the city to evangelize. Please pray that God would give them confidence and boldness, and that He would continue to be at work in the hearts of the people here in Baguio.
We're looking forward to the next two and a half months here, as we prepare for VBS camps, Youth camp, Evangelistic Concerts, and our one week trip to Palawan.
Please also pray for my finances,I still need approximately $1,500.00. Please pray and ask God if He would have you support me in this way. If you wish to contribute to me financially, you can donate online, at
https://www.mbmsi.org/donate/information/giving-options
My program is 1TJAN2011, my participant ID is 998122, and my project code is C7740.
Again, thank you so much to all of you who God has already prompted to so generously contributed to me.
The Community Bible Surveys have been a great way of connecting with people, and has presented many opportunities to share the gospel. People are coming to Christ and being discipled, thank you Jesus! Yesterday, Chris and I led a seminar on evangelism for the youth here, which was a wonderful experience for us, and it seems as though the youth really got a lot out of it. Moses and Andrea will continue teaching on evangelism next Saturday, and the following week, the youth group will get the chance to go out into the city to evangelize. Please pray that God would give them confidence and boldness, and that He would continue to be at work in the hearts of the people here in Baguio.
We're looking forward to the next two and a half months here, as we prepare for VBS camps, Youth camp, Evangelistic Concerts, and our one week trip to Palawan.
Please also pray for my finances,I still need approximately $1,500.00. Please pray and ask God if He would have you support me in this way. If you wish to contribute to me financially, you can donate online, at
https://www.mbmsi.org/donate/information/giving-options
My program is 1TJAN2011, my participant ID is 998122, and my project code is C7740.
Again, thank you so much to all of you who God has already prompted to so generously contributed to me.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Today is the Day. . .
I was going to begin by saying that tomorrow I leave for the Philippines, but then I looked at the clock and realize that's not actually true.
TODAY I leave for the Philippines.
The long awaited day has finally arrived, and it is time for our team to head to the airport. After packing and cleaning, we will be having our commissioning service, after which team Philippines will be heading straight to the airport.
I will admit, there is still a lot to do in these next few hours, and it's going to be a long day. However I am VERY excited as I spend these last hours preparing for this trip. My team and I are looking forward to landing in Manila, and seeing what opportunities God will present us with as we head to Baguio.
Please continue to pray for my team and I as we begin our season of ministry, as well as for the other two teams, Germany and the Ukraine. Pray for the team leaders, that God would continue to bless them and pour His Spirit out on them.
Please also pray for my finances,I still need approximetly $2,700.00. Again, thank you so much to all of you who God has already prompted to so generously contributed to me. Please pray and ask God if He would have you support me in this way. If you wish to contribute to me financially, you can donate online, at
https://www.mbmsi.org/donate/information/giving-options
My program is 1TJAN2011, my participant ID is 998122, and my project code is C7740
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Preparing
The last few weeks have been really busy - really good, but really busy! Last week we had sessions with Keith Marthens, and later Randy Friesen on spiritual authority - specifically warfare, healing, and praying with authority. This week was are focusing on evangelism. We started the week with David Manuel, and will have an all day session with Phil Harris on Saturday. Next week we will be focusing on cultural relevance with Bryan Born.
This training season has been an amazing time of learning and spiritual growth for me. The sessions have really increased my knowledge of God, and I am growing in relationship and intimacy with Christ in my personal study and quiet time.
As my team prepares for the Philippines, I am growing more and more excited! There are four of us, my team leader Moses Li, as well as Chris Klassen, Andrea Haley, and myself. We are busy preparing team covenants and visions statements, as well as working out some of the logistics of our trip. We will be working in Baguio, a university town in the mountains, alongside pastor Sam Arcano. A lot of the details of what we will be doing are still unclear, but we will be involved in evangelistic concerts, as well as the ministry of the local church. We continue to depend on God to work out the details.
Please pray for out team as we prepare to leave in two weeks, as well as for the other two teams, Germany and the Ukraine. Please also pray for me personally, that the remainder of my finances will come in. The total cost of Trek is $6500 plus the cost of flights. God has provided me with $2,920.00, and the remaining $3,580 plus flights needs to be in before I leave. Thank you so much to all of you who God has already prompted to so generously contributed to me. If you wish to contribute to me financially, you can donate online, at
https://www.mbmsi.org/donate/information/giving-options
My program is 1TJAN2011, my participant ID is 998122, and my project code is C7740.
Please pray and ask God how He would chose to provide for me in these remaining weeks.
This training season has been an amazing time of learning and spiritual growth for me. The sessions have really increased my knowledge of God, and I am growing in relationship and intimacy with Christ in my personal study and quiet time.
As my team prepares for the Philippines, I am growing more and more excited! There are four of us, my team leader Moses Li, as well as Chris Klassen, Andrea Haley, and myself. We are busy preparing team covenants and visions statements, as well as working out some of the logistics of our trip. We will be working in Baguio, a university town in the mountains, alongside pastor Sam Arcano. A lot of the details of what we will be doing are still unclear, but we will be involved in evangelistic concerts, as well as the ministry of the local church. We continue to depend on God to work out the details.
Please pray for out team as we prepare to leave in two weeks, as well as for the other two teams, Germany and the Ukraine. Please also pray for me personally, that the remainder of my finances will come in. The total cost of Trek is $6500 plus the cost of flights. God has provided me with $2,920.00, and the remaining $3,580 plus flights needs to be in before I leave. Thank you so much to all of you who God has already prompted to so generously contributed to me. If you wish to contribute to me financially, you can donate online, at
https://www.mbmsi.org/donate/information/giving-options
My program is 1TJAN2011, my participant ID is 998122, and my project code is C7740.
Please pray and ask God how He would chose to provide for me in these remaining weeks.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Philippines!
I am going to the Philippines!
This last week has been absolutely crazy, and the busiest by far. Teams were announced on Tuesday, and we had our first team time on Wednesday. As a team, we chose a verse for this upcoming season. The verse we have chosen is Habakuk 1:5:
"Look at the nations and watch—
and be utterly amazed.
For I am going to do something in your days
that you would not believe,
even if you were told."
- Habakuk 1:5
On Saturday, we competed in our teams in the "Amazing Trek Race." This consisted of approximately fourteen hours of running all over Abbotsford competing in various challenges. It was a lot of fun, with some moments of healthy frustration and extreme exhaustion mixed in! An event like this placed us in a stressful team environment, forcing us to learn how we each respond to stress, in order to better be able to work together as a team and serve each other on the field. It was a really good experience, and despite how exhausted we were, a lot of fun!
This week we will be doing a lot of sessions on team building, as well as an all night prayer on Friday. I am really looking forward to that time of worship, hearing from other missionaries, and interceding for the nations.
A few prayer requests would be:
1. Endurance, as we are all starting to wear down. That we would have the stamina and mental endurance to process everything we are being taught.
2. That God would continue to move in us individually, in our teams, and as a group, and that we would be constantly learning, growing, and moving closer to Him.
3. For our team leaders - that God would bless them with wisdom and discernment, and that He would grant them special favour.
This last week has been absolutely crazy, and the busiest by far. Teams were announced on Tuesday, and we had our first team time on Wednesday. As a team, we chose a verse for this upcoming season. The verse we have chosen is Habakuk 1:5:
"Look at the nations and watch—
and be utterly amazed.
For I am going to do something in your days
that you would not believe,
even if you were told."
- Habakuk 1:5
On Saturday, we competed in our teams in the "Amazing Trek Race." This consisted of approximately fourteen hours of running all over Abbotsford competing in various challenges. It was a lot of fun, with some moments of healthy frustration and extreme exhaustion mixed in! An event like this placed us in a stressful team environment, forcing us to learn how we each respond to stress, in order to better be able to work together as a team and serve each other on the field. It was a really good experience, and despite how exhausted we were, a lot of fun!
This week we will be doing a lot of sessions on team building, as well as an all night prayer on Friday. I am really looking forward to that time of worship, hearing from other missionaries, and interceding for the nations.
A few prayer requests would be:
1. Endurance, as we are all starting to wear down. That we would have the stamina and mental endurance to process everything we are being taught.
2. That God would continue to move in us individually, in our teams, and as a group, and that we would be constantly learning, growing, and moving closer to Him.
3. For our team leaders - that God would bless them with wisdom and discernment, and that He would grant them special favour.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Week 2
This last week has been an incredible experience. The theme was hearing God's voice, and we has sessions on hearing God's voice, how hearing God's voice builds trust, listening to God through your heart, listening to God at work around you, and listening to God through the word. This was followed by a forty-eight hour silent retreat from 2:00pm Thursday, to 2:00pm Friday.
The silent retreat was an amazing experience. It was wonderful to have that time set aside and purely devoted to listening to God and enjoying His presence. God really spoke to me in that time, and I can out of it feeling refreshed and reconnected.
The theme for this next week is personal holiness. Tomorrow (Monday) Trek leadership will be discerning God's will for the outreach teams. The three possible locations are (1.) Southern Germany (Bavaria), (2.) Ukraine, and (3.) Philippines. This will be taking place tomorrow morning from 8:30am to 10:30am. Please pray, as we will be, for the Trek leadership during this time, that God would grant them wisdom and discernment, and that the teams would be established by God - that He would make His will know. We will find out the teams on Tuesday morning, at 9:00. Please pray for us as students, that we would see God's will at work, and that we would be able to look back on that moment as a testament to His grace.
The silent retreat was an amazing experience. It was wonderful to have that time set aside and purely devoted to listening to God and enjoying His presence. God really spoke to me in that time, and I can out of it feeling refreshed and reconnected.
The theme for this next week is personal holiness. Tomorrow (Monday) Trek leadership will be discerning God's will for the outreach teams. The three possible locations are (1.) Southern Germany (Bavaria), (2.) Ukraine, and (3.) Philippines. This will be taking place tomorrow morning from 8:30am to 10:30am. Please pray, as we will be, for the Trek leadership during this time, that God would grant them wisdom and discernment, and that the teams would be established by God - that He would make His will know. We will find out the teams on Tuesday morning, at 9:00. Please pray for us as students, that we would see God's will at work, and that we would be able to look back on that moment as a testament to His grace.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Be Still and Know
This week we have been learning about hearing the voice of God. We've heard from different speakers on the topic, in preparation for our upcoming forty-eight hour of silent retreat. It's been a really great week, and I'm really looking forward to this concentrated time of just listening to God. Please pray for me, that I would really hear God's voice, and experience Him in a way I never have before.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Week 1
Week one is officially coming to a close. Tomorrow I will have been here for exactly one week, and what a first week it's been! From overviews of the Trek program and of MBMSI, to sessions on finances and journaling, it has been an incredible week. Work duties gave a welcome chance to get moving with snow shovelling and an all day renovation project. We've spent the week getting settled, getting to know each other, living, learning, loving and having fun.
On Monday night, we read through the gospel of Mark together, which we have since been discussing. I am realizing more and more how valuable to look at each book of the Bible as a whole, rather than just separate chapters and verses. I find that I gain a much better perspective of the individual truths when looking at it within the whole truth.
I look forward to beginning our series on hearing God's voice next week, which is to be followed by a forty-eight hour silent retreat. A few prayer requests I have are:
1.) Discernment for Trek leadership as they decide on teams and team leaders in the upcoming weeks.
2.) That over this next week in learning about hearing God, and during our silent retreat, that I, and all the other Trek participants, would be opened and able to hear God's voice and what He wants to say to us. Please pray that I would hear His voice and experience Him in a way that I never have before.
I look forward to this next week of learning and adventure!
On Monday night, we read through the gospel of Mark together, which we have since been discussing. I am realizing more and more how valuable to look at each book of the Bible as a whole, rather than just separate chapters and verses. I find that I gain a much better perspective of the individual truths when looking at it within the whole truth.
I look forward to beginning our series on hearing God's voice next week, which is to be followed by a forty-eight hour silent retreat. A few prayer requests I have are:
1.) Discernment for Trek leadership as they decide on teams and team leaders in the upcoming weeks.
2.) That over this next week in learning about hearing God, and during our silent retreat, that I, and all the other Trek participants, would be opened and able to hear God's voice and what He wants to say to us. Please pray that I would hear His voice and experience Him in a way that I never have before.
I look forward to this next week of learning and adventure!
Monday, January 10, 2011
Arrival
Yesterday signifyed the beginning of a new journey. 12 students from Canada, the United States, and Germany, met together to begin what would quickly become the most intense, most death defying...okay maybe that's exagerated.
Trek began yesterday! We started off with a pizza dinner at five, and spent the evening hanging out, playing board games, and just getting to know one another. There are twelve students in total, and we seem to have a really wide span of skills and ablities. Today will be our first sessions - or lessons, and I am really looking forward to just delving right into the things we will be learning.
Finishing John's Pipers Don't Waste Your Life I was brought to a renewed awareness of the importance of "seeking first His Kingdom..." I look forward to that over the next two months, and to taking this time to simply spend with God. I'm realizing more and more that even if I spent my whole life doing "good" things, if I am not using the time He gives me to seek His kingdom, then it is all nothing. I want to spend these next months seeking His kingdom, and moving closer towards Him.
"Today is the day the LORD has made,I will rejoice and be glad in it." This is my goal for the next two months. I'm already getting excited about outreach, wondering who my team will be and where I will go. So my goal is to not simply look to or live for tomorrow, but to rejoice each day in the Lord's presence, and thank Him for what he is doing each day. I want to live each day to the fullest, and take in as much as I possibly can while I'm here!
Trek began yesterday! We started off with a pizza dinner at five, and spent the evening hanging out, playing board games, and just getting to know one another. There are twelve students in total, and we seem to have a really wide span of skills and ablities. Today will be our first sessions - or lessons, and I am really looking forward to just delving right into the things we will be learning.
Finishing John's Pipers Don't Waste Your Life I was brought to a renewed awareness of the importance of "seeking first His Kingdom..." I look forward to that over the next two months, and to taking this time to simply spend with God. I'm realizing more and more that even if I spent my whole life doing "good" things, if I am not using the time He gives me to seek His kingdom, then it is all nothing. I want to spend these next months seeking His kingdom, and moving closer towards Him.
"Today is the day the LORD has made,I will rejoice and be glad in it." This is my goal for the next two months. I'm already getting excited about outreach, wondering who my team will be and where I will go. So my goal is to not simply look to or live for tomorrow, but to rejoice each day in the Lord's presence, and thank Him for what he is doing each day. I want to live each day to the fullest, and take in as much as I possibly can while I'm here!
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Faith and the Bride
It is officially less than one week until I leave for Trek! Besides the many shopping lists, packing lists, loads of laundry, and stacks of things to place into suitcases, I have been doing a lot of spiritual preparation for this upcoming season. I have been reading John Piper's Don't Waste Your Life, and was really struck by one passage on faith. Piper states:
"...We need a definition of faith. Ordinarily faith would mean trust or confidence you put in someone who has given good evidence of his reliability and willingness and ability to provide what you need. But when Jesus Christ is the object of faith there is a twist. He Himself is what we need. If we only trust Christ to give us gifts and not Himself as the all-satisfying gift, then we do not trust Him in a way that honours Him as our treasure. We simply honour the gifts. They are what we really want, not Him. So biblical faith in Jesus must mean that we trust Him to give us what we need most - namely, Himself. That means that faith itself must include at its essence a treasuring of Christ above all things."
Faith in Jesus Christ is not based on the physical; rather, it is based on Him - trusting that He will give Himself to us, what we truly need. As I grapple to understand what it truly means for the church to be the bride of Christ, I realize that my view of this has been rather one sided, and that my definition of faith will influence by ablity to see this. My faith needs to be a faith that trusts in Him to provide not the physical, but the spiritual. A faith that trusts Him to provide Himself. I desire Christ to desire me - I want Him to know me and to love me. I'm realizing more and more that although I seek to know Him, rarely do I try to understand and know His heart. If we are the bride of Christ, and we desire Him to know our innermost thoughts, should we not also be seeking His? If we want Him to seek our hearts, should we not also seek His?
This is what faith is; trusting that Christ will provide Himself for us, and seeking after Him with that expectation. That is my desire as I go to Trek. Not that the Lord will see my heart, but that I will see His.
"...We need a definition of faith. Ordinarily faith would mean trust or confidence you put in someone who has given good evidence of his reliability and willingness and ability to provide what you need. But when Jesus Christ is the object of faith there is a twist. He Himself is what we need. If we only trust Christ to give us gifts and not Himself as the all-satisfying gift, then we do not trust Him in a way that honours Him as our treasure. We simply honour the gifts. They are what we really want, not Him. So biblical faith in Jesus must mean that we trust Him to give us what we need most - namely, Himself. That means that faith itself must include at its essence a treasuring of Christ above all things."
Faith in Jesus Christ is not based on the physical; rather, it is based on Him - trusting that He will give Himself to us, what we truly need. As I grapple to understand what it truly means for the church to be the bride of Christ, I realize that my view of this has been rather one sided, and that my definition of faith will influence by ablity to see this. My faith needs to be a faith that trusts in Him to provide not the physical, but the spiritual. A faith that trusts Him to provide Himself. I desire Christ to desire me - I want Him to know me and to love me. I'm realizing more and more that although I seek to know Him, rarely do I try to understand and know His heart. If we are the bride of Christ, and we desire Him to know our innermost thoughts, should we not also be seeking His? If we want Him to seek our hearts, should we not also seek His?
This is what faith is; trusting that Christ will provide Himself for us, and seeking after Him with that expectation. That is my desire as I go to Trek. Not that the Lord will see my heart, but that I will see His.
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