So many thoughts run through my head, I don't even know where to begin. God, though so many ups and downs, continues to pour out His provisions upon us, His children, in ways we can't even think to look for.
So much happened in the months of November and December. My team and I, as well as about 800 other Navigator staff from around the country, gathered in Destin, Florida the week before Thanksgiving. There we had our National Collegiate Conference where we shared all that God has done in our lives (my fellow workers in collegiate ministry) last semester, as well as received training and other resources. Throughout the week, I caught a glimpse of what Heaven will be like - so many people I've never met yet we were all bound together by our love for Christ. Romans 8 :26 says that "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans." I now what this verse, particularly the second half, means.
Never has my soul longed so much for a people, a time, a place that I know I won't see for a while. I can't put words to this desire to "go home" (to Heaven) to a place I've never known. I don't understand it, but the Spirit does.
The semester ended rather suddenly after we had our Christmas party. The break had its share of difficulties and trials. At many times I wondered why God was allowing me to struggle and fight making little to no progress in my relationships, my funding, my work. Today in church we talked about Joshua. He never hesitated on God's orders, he never doubted God, he never disobeyed Him. He was looking at life through God's eyes instead of what I've been doing - looking at God through the world's eyes.
This semester, your prayers are going to be needed more than ever. Please pray for a few young men in the ministry and on the outskirts to be drawn more in love with Christ and to realize that He is the prize and the goal, nothing less (there are specific men I have in mind but I'll omit their names out of respect for their privacy). Continue to pray for Sonny and Shi. I haven't been able to get in touch with them yet, and nothing would bring me more joy than for them to come to a saving knowledge of Christ. Finally pray that I rely on God to be the one who makes things grow and to not try to shoulder burdens that I was never meant to bear.
Exodus 14:14 - "The LORD will fight for you; you need only be still."
Sunday, January 19, 2014
Thursday, November 14, 2013
Living Among the Lost
I apologize for not posting an entry last week. A spent most of my time preparing a lesson that I gave Tuesday at Nav Night, our weekly worship service on campus. I spoke about what it looks like for us to live among the lost; what does it mean to show Christ to those around us as we live our lives in whatever field God has called us to?
For this lesson, God lead me to John 4 where we see Jesus talk with the Samaritan woman at the well. Three main things that we as Christians must do as we live among the lost are shown here: 1) we see Jesus be intentional in his relationship/conversation with the woman in verse 7, 2) we see him adjust the focus from surface-level topics to eternal salvation in verse 10, and 3) we see the woman place Christ and the gospel above all else in verses 28 and 29. What do these principals look like when we put them into practice in our own lives? I won't go into detail about the lesson since I'd like to tell you a bit more about what's going on in the ministry.
Lately, the Lord has been teaching me some very difficult lessons - primarily that I have to be okay with not understanding his motivations at all times. Sure, we know that the thing that drives God's every action is his holy and righteous desire to see his name glorified (Psalm 46:10) and he goes about this by loving us (Romans 5:8). Even though I know these truths, I still contemplate why God doesn't reveal himself to the students here on campus in unmistakable ways. The conclusion I've arrived at is found in Isaish 55:8 "'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,' declares the LORD." There are an unlimited amount of things about God I will never understand, BUT that does not make him any less God. In other words, my understanding does not fuel his supremacy. He is God in the storm, he is God in the sunshine, he is God in the night, he is God in the day - he is the Great I AM, and his "name will be known among the nations."
I am learning to trust God when I can't see him, when I can't understand him, because if I can place my trust in our Abba Father, who then can I trust?
This next week, we have the Collegiate Navs Conference/EDGE Summit 2 in Florida. Pray that God would grant us safety in travel, wisdom in seeking him, and rejuvenation in the presence of our beloved brothers and sisters in Christ.
For this lesson, God lead me to John 4 where we see Jesus talk with the Samaritan woman at the well. Three main things that we as Christians must do as we live among the lost are shown here: 1) we see Jesus be intentional in his relationship/conversation with the woman in verse 7, 2) we see him adjust the focus from surface-level topics to eternal salvation in verse 10, and 3) we see the woman place Christ and the gospel above all else in verses 28 and 29. What do these principals look like when we put them into practice in our own lives? I won't go into detail about the lesson since I'd like to tell you a bit more about what's going on in the ministry.
Lately, the Lord has been teaching me some very difficult lessons - primarily that I have to be okay with not understanding his motivations at all times. Sure, we know that the thing that drives God's every action is his holy and righteous desire to see his name glorified (Psalm 46:10) and he goes about this by loving us (Romans 5:8). Even though I know these truths, I still contemplate why God doesn't reveal himself to the students here on campus in unmistakable ways. The conclusion I've arrived at is found in Isaish 55:8 "'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,' declares the LORD." There are an unlimited amount of things about God I will never understand, BUT that does not make him any less God. In other words, my understanding does not fuel his supremacy. He is God in the storm, he is God in the sunshine, he is God in the night, he is God in the day - he is the Great I AM, and his "name will be known among the nations."
I am learning to trust God when I can't see him, when I can't understand him, because if I can place my trust in our Abba Father, who then can I trust?
This next week, we have the Collegiate Navs Conference/EDGE Summit 2 in Florida. Pray that God would grant us safety in travel, wisdom in seeking him, and rejuvenation in the presence of our beloved brothers and sisters in Christ.
Monday, November 4, 2013
Faith, not "feelings"
Before you think I'm committing some sort of blasphemy, allow me to elaborate and explain.
Lately, the enemy has been hitting me pretty hard: illness, resistance from students I'm trying to reach, as well as a lot smaller distractions. Needless to say, I don't "feel" like God is active in my life right now nor do I really "feel" like giving 100% effort to anything, especially ministry which seems to be yielding little results.
But God did not call me to follow my feelings. He called me to follow Him.
Luke 10: 27 says to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind". Yes loving God with my emotions are important ("with all your heart") but there is another noteworthy way I must love my God - with all my mind. When God called Abram to go, He simply said "Go to the place I will tell you."
"Go to the place I will tell you."
God didn't even tell Abram where to go yet! But Abram gathered his possessions and his family and followed God on faith, not on feeling. This is now my motivation - God deserves my obedience because He's God. Period. On days that the enemy has me down, serve Him. On days that I feel bad, serve Him. On days that all goes wrong, serve Him.
I can't do much but there is one thing I know I can do, rain or shine, day or night - serve Him.
Lately, the enemy has been hitting me pretty hard: illness, resistance from students I'm trying to reach, as well as a lot smaller distractions. Needless to say, I don't "feel" like God is active in my life right now nor do I really "feel" like giving 100% effort to anything, especially ministry which seems to be yielding little results.
But God did not call me to follow my feelings. He called me to follow Him.
Luke 10: 27 says to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind". Yes loving God with my emotions are important ("with all your heart") but there is another noteworthy way I must love my God - with all my mind. When God called Abram to go, He simply said "Go to the place I will tell you."
"Go to the place I will tell you."
God didn't even tell Abram where to go yet! But Abram gathered his possessions and his family and followed God on faith, not on feeling. This is now my motivation - God deserves my obedience because He's God. Period. On days that the enemy has me down, serve Him. On days that I feel bad, serve Him. On days that all goes wrong, serve Him.
I can't do much but there is one thing I know I can do, rain or shine, day or night - serve Him.
Sunday, October 27, 2013
Weekend Update
Apologies for being late with this update to the blog. I've been fighting sickness and trying to catch up with family all at once. This update will be brief as it will largely be prayer requests.
The Campus: As a whole, the Christians on campus are praying and begging for the Spirit to move among the lives of the lost. Pray that God would manifest Himself here and answer our prayers.
The Ministry: As a ministry, we are wrestling with how we can continue to reach out to students as well as inspire the students currently in the ministry to lead out. We've had particular difficulty reaching out to the male students; for whatever reason, guys seem to be more skeptical/less responsive to our efforts to befriend them. Pray that God would break down the walls around the hearts of the students and that He would give us the wisdom to see where He is working.
The Staff: I know that personally I am beginning to get a bit worn out. The semester only has about 6 weeks left, but even now I am struggling with trying to stay healthy and rested. I can't even imagine how the staff with families are handling the stresses at hand. Please pray for them and myself so that we will be wise with our time and good stewards of our bodies/health.
The Struggle: Overall, there has been a lot going on throughout the semester, but as I look back, I am tempted to listen to the enemy when he tells me I haven't been used to advance the Kingdom in any way. I know that in my mind to be a lie but my heart looks back at the year thus far and sees little earthly results. Pray that God would give my heart new resolve and remind me why I do this - for HIS glory, for HIS name, for HIS Kingdom.
Thank you as always for your prayers. Let me know if there is anyway I can pray for you and your family. Thanks and God bless!
The Campus: As a whole, the Christians on campus are praying and begging for the Spirit to move among the lives of the lost. Pray that God would manifest Himself here and answer our prayers.
The Ministry: As a ministry, we are wrestling with how we can continue to reach out to students as well as inspire the students currently in the ministry to lead out. We've had particular difficulty reaching out to the male students; for whatever reason, guys seem to be more skeptical/less responsive to our efforts to befriend them. Pray that God would break down the walls around the hearts of the students and that He would give us the wisdom to see where He is working.
The Staff: I know that personally I am beginning to get a bit worn out. The semester only has about 6 weeks left, but even now I am struggling with trying to stay healthy and rested. I can't even imagine how the staff with families are handling the stresses at hand. Please pray for them and myself so that we will be wise with our time and good stewards of our bodies/health.
The Struggle: Overall, there has been a lot going on throughout the semester, but as I look back, I am tempted to listen to the enemy when he tells me I haven't been used to advance the Kingdom in any way. I know that in my mind to be a lie but my heart looks back at the year thus far and sees little earthly results. Pray that God would give my heart new resolve and remind me why I do this - for HIS glory, for HIS name, for HIS Kingdom.
Thank you as always for your prayers. Let me know if there is anyway I can pray for you and your family. Thanks and God bless!
Thursday, October 17, 2013
The Most Dire Need
This morning I attended the Campus Ministers' Luncheon. Much was discussed, but I left with only one thing on my mind: the need for revival. We looked at a wide range of statistics, graphs, and other things I loathed in my undergrad career, but this time the numbers hit close to home.
For example, approximately 10% of UT students are involved in some sort of campus ministry. That's good, right? Of course, but what about the other 90% (out of about 52,000 students) that never get involved in a ministry? Maybe they go to church, but maybe they don't. Maybe all they give their lives to is a career.If you ask me, God deserves more than 10% of the students' praise. He deserves their attention more than a career or a degree or a anything else quite honestly. He is the lone thing in existence worthy of any glory, especially all of it. But how do we go from 10% of campus being active in their faith to 100% which is what He deserves?
Revival.
This goes not only for the UT campus, but for the state, the nation, and the world. There is no possible way for you to fully understand who Jesus is and NOT be brokenhearted by the lack of praise we as a nation/culture/people give the Creator. I find myself disgusted at the fact that some people claim to know Christ and simply place His love for us by the wayside. Note: I'm not disgusted with people, simply the complacency that we as a people have shown to God. So what can be done to reconcile us as a people back to the outright obsession with God that He deserves?
We need to plant our faces firmly to the ground and pray with desperation for God to move among the students/nations. If Jesus were to come back now and see that there are people who have yet to hear His Gospel, what excuse would we give Him? Were we too busy with school or work? Had we forgotten to share with those around us? Is there any reason good enough that we could actually give Him?
Hint: no!
I am tired of the enemy having his way with the students here. No more will I sit and wait for someone else to tell them of Christ or to intercede for them in prayer. I beg you to do the same: we as a people - as God's creations - need an outpouring of the Spirit the likes of which we've never seen or experienced.
It is estimated that approximately 1,000 people who don't know Christ pass away every 5 seconds. That means 13,500 have died and will experience and eternal separation from Christ just since you started reading this post. That is NOT okay.
There is a need for the Gospel on campus; it is the most dire need I've ever witnessed.
For example, approximately 10% of UT students are involved in some sort of campus ministry. That's good, right? Of course, but what about the other 90% (out of about 52,000 students) that never get involved in a ministry? Maybe they go to church, but maybe they don't. Maybe all they give their lives to is a career.If you ask me, God deserves more than 10% of the students' praise. He deserves their attention more than a career or a degree or a anything else quite honestly. He is the lone thing in existence worthy of any glory, especially all of it. But how do we go from 10% of campus being active in their faith to 100% which is what He deserves?
Revival.
This goes not only for the UT campus, but for the state, the nation, and the world. There is no possible way for you to fully understand who Jesus is and NOT be brokenhearted by the lack of praise we as a nation/culture/people give the Creator. I find myself disgusted at the fact that some people claim to know Christ and simply place His love for us by the wayside. Note: I'm not disgusted with people, simply the complacency that we as a people have shown to God. So what can be done to reconcile us as a people back to the outright obsession with God that He deserves?
We need to plant our faces firmly to the ground and pray with desperation for God to move among the students/nations. If Jesus were to come back now and see that there are people who have yet to hear His Gospel, what excuse would we give Him? Were we too busy with school or work? Had we forgotten to share with those around us? Is there any reason good enough that we could actually give Him?
Hint: no!
I am tired of the enemy having his way with the students here. No more will I sit and wait for someone else to tell them of Christ or to intercede for them in prayer. I beg you to do the same: we as a people - as God's creations - need an outpouring of the Spirit the likes of which we've never seen or experienced.
It is estimated that approximately 1,000 people who don't know Christ pass away every 5 seconds. That means 13,500 have died and will experience and eternal separation from Christ just since you started reading this post. That is NOT okay.
There is a need for the Gospel on campus; it is the most dire need I've ever witnessed.
Thursday, October 3, 2013
Special Edition: Prayer Requests
For this post, there's no theme or story tie-in. The thing I want to highlight this week are people I'd like you to pray for. It'll be brief but prayer for these folks is very much needed.
The UT Campus: it's a very liberal campus which was expected, but I didn't think the students here would be so apathetic to the Gospel or even spirituality in general. The amount of times "I don't really think about faith or religion" astounds me more than all the atheists I've talked to. Pray that God would drop the walls that people build around their hearts.
The UT Nav students: they are very much caught in the midst of a spiritual battle here. The vast majority of their classmates/professors are most likely not Christians. This makes them rely on God more, so pray they are able to do so more and more.
"Beau": I don't remember what alias I used for this guy previously, but Beau will do for now. This is the agnostic student I met two weeks ago to read the bible with. I met with him again this past Monday, but this time I just wanted to focus on trying to build a relationship with him and not pursue any other agenda. I think a friendship could develop. Hopefully I'll gain his respect and be able to talk more with him about Christ. Pray that God would take away whatever idols Beau has and leave a void in his heart that only God can fill.
"Ryan": This is a guy that's in the Navs but has been pretty flaky. I don't want to give details, but he needs prayers for God to comfort him.
Fall Retreat: This weekend, the ministry will be going on a retreat. It's a good time to get away from school/work and to hear from the Lord. Pray that the Lord would move in the hearts of the students this weekend.
Game Night: JR and I host our weekly game and pizza night tonight on his floor at 7. Pray that the residents would be hungry for free pizza and good conversation!
Thank you for your thoughts and prayers! Message me if there is anyway I can improve my communication or pray for you specifically!
The UT Campus: it's a very liberal campus which was expected, but I didn't think the students here would be so apathetic to the Gospel or even spirituality in general. The amount of times "I don't really think about faith or religion" astounds me more than all the atheists I've talked to. Pray that God would drop the walls that people build around their hearts.
The UT Nav students: they are very much caught in the midst of a spiritual battle here. The vast majority of their classmates/professors are most likely not Christians. This makes them rely on God more, so pray they are able to do so more and more.
"Beau": I don't remember what alias I used for this guy previously, but Beau will do for now. This is the agnostic student I met two weeks ago to read the bible with. I met with him again this past Monday, but this time I just wanted to focus on trying to build a relationship with him and not pursue any other agenda. I think a friendship could develop. Hopefully I'll gain his respect and be able to talk more with him about Christ. Pray that God would take away whatever idols Beau has and leave a void in his heart that only God can fill.
"Ryan": This is a guy that's in the Navs but has been pretty flaky. I don't want to give details, but he needs prayers for God to comfort him.
Fall Retreat: This weekend, the ministry will be going on a retreat. It's a good time to get away from school/work and to hear from the Lord. Pray that the Lord would move in the hearts of the students this weekend.
Game Night: JR and I host our weekly game and pizza night tonight on his floor at 7. Pray that the residents would be hungry for free pizza and good conversation!
Thank you for your thoughts and prayers! Message me if there is anyway I can improve my communication or pray for you specifically!
Thursday, September 26, 2013
"The League of Shadows"
At several points throughout the Batman Trilogy, the League of Shadows - the super-sinister organization bent on purification through destruction - make attempts to wipe Gotham city - Batman's home - from existence. Throughout the movies we witness evil schemes hatched, put into motion, and then thwarted by the Dark Knight in what becomes a colossal clash of good and evil. We don't ever see epic Good versus Evil confrontations in real life...or maybe we do, but we simply don't know what to look for.
I've been studying the book of Daniel in my quiet times lately. Daniel contains many Old Testament stories that I'm sure most of us are familiar with: Daniel's interpretation of King Nebuchadnezzar's dream of the statue made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, and clay; Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refuse to bow to King Nebuchadnezzar's 90 feet tall golden statue and are thrown into the furnace and live; Daniel prays to God even though it is outlawed, gets thrown into the den of lions, and is protected completely from harm.
These are all stories that we're quite familiar with, but later in Daniel we encounter something only discussed as if it were a fairy tale and nothing more - spiritual warfare. In chapter 9, Daniel prays for the scattered nation of Israel. We see later in chapter 10 that an angel comes 21 days after Daniel prays to bring him God's answer. The angel says that he left the Father's presence as soon as Daniel prayed to God to comfort Daniel, but why did it take him 3 weeks then to arrive? The angel says the "prince of Persia withstood me 21 days". Surely he can't mean a man kept an angel from his duty for 3 weeks? No, "prince" here refers to a fallen angel, one of the angels that rebelled with Lucifer - this is spiritual warfare.
I'll go into detail about my studying Daniel later, but this post is about how this knowledge affects my time here at UT.
In light of the reality of spiritual warfare, I've been trying to see it more than before because rest assured that it's going on whether we're aware of it or not. This past week while sharing the Gospel of Jesus with students on campus, we had one interaction in particular that was clearly spiritual warfare. As we shared the Gospel with this one young man, we could clearly see and even feel him close himself off to us even though he was perfectly open and happy moments earlier talking about faith and spirituality. I've no doubt that this young man has some serious spiritual warfare going on in his life, yet most of us live our lives as though there is no hell, no dark forces, no death in existence. The truth is that those things are real - they're all too real. What do we do about it other than talk, blog, or think on it?
Faith, ladies and gentlemen, without works is no faith at all. If the love of Christ doesn't inspire you to action to tell/show others about THE SON OF GOD who died FREELY for them so that they may have eternal life and be adopted into God's family as righteous sons and daughters then I would take a long, hard look at my relationship with Christ to determine it's legitimacy. If you live your daily life without interaction with the Lord of creation then you probably don't know who He really is because if you did, there's nothing that could keep you away from His throne of grace. "Faith without works is dead." - James 2:14-26
There is absolutely a "League of Shadows" at work in our world, though this league has no purification in mind at all - only destruction; this power is the force of the evil one. But my Abba Father has already won the victory in Christ. So i'm gonna tell people about Him. Will you?
I've been studying the book of Daniel in my quiet times lately. Daniel contains many Old Testament stories that I'm sure most of us are familiar with: Daniel's interpretation of King Nebuchadnezzar's dream of the statue made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, and clay; Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refuse to bow to King Nebuchadnezzar's 90 feet tall golden statue and are thrown into the furnace and live; Daniel prays to God even though it is outlawed, gets thrown into the den of lions, and is protected completely from harm.
These are all stories that we're quite familiar with, but later in Daniel we encounter something only discussed as if it were a fairy tale and nothing more - spiritual warfare. In chapter 9, Daniel prays for the scattered nation of Israel. We see later in chapter 10 that an angel comes 21 days after Daniel prays to bring him God's answer. The angel says that he left the Father's presence as soon as Daniel prayed to God to comfort Daniel, but why did it take him 3 weeks then to arrive? The angel says the "prince of Persia withstood me 21 days". Surely he can't mean a man kept an angel from his duty for 3 weeks? No, "prince" here refers to a fallen angel, one of the angels that rebelled with Lucifer - this is spiritual warfare.
I'll go into detail about my studying Daniel later, but this post is about how this knowledge affects my time here at UT.
In light of the reality of spiritual warfare, I've been trying to see it more than before because rest assured that it's going on whether we're aware of it or not. This past week while sharing the Gospel of Jesus with students on campus, we had one interaction in particular that was clearly spiritual warfare. As we shared the Gospel with this one young man, we could clearly see and even feel him close himself off to us even though he was perfectly open and happy moments earlier talking about faith and spirituality. I've no doubt that this young man has some serious spiritual warfare going on in his life, yet most of us live our lives as though there is no hell, no dark forces, no death in existence. The truth is that those things are real - they're all too real. What do we do about it other than talk, blog, or think on it?
Faith, ladies and gentlemen, without works is no faith at all. If the love of Christ doesn't inspire you to action to tell/show others about THE SON OF GOD who died FREELY for them so that they may have eternal life and be adopted into God's family as righteous sons and daughters then I would take a long, hard look at my relationship with Christ to determine it's legitimacy. If you live your daily life without interaction with the Lord of creation then you probably don't know who He really is because if you did, there's nothing that could keep you away from His throne of grace. "Faith without works is dead." - James 2:14-26
There is absolutely a "League of Shadows" at work in our world, though this league has no purification in mind at all - only destruction; this power is the force of the evil one. But my Abba Father has already won the victory in Christ. So i'm gonna tell people about Him. Will you?
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