I initially translated that comment in the context of outreach to Muslims and agreed that certainly relationships are important.  But might there me more to that statement:  Everything rises and falls on relationship?

 

That led me to think about the Greatest Commandment – the one about loving God.  It also made me think about the Second Greatest Commandment – the one to love people.  If those are the greatest responsibilities we have in terms of obedience, than everything must rise and fall on relationship.

Lately as I’ve considered how humanism has crept into my thinking I’ve realized that at the end of the day my flesh wants to rule.  I want to think it all depends on me.  God didn’t design the universe to function that way.  He wants us to depend on Him – to know Him and for our lives to flow from Him.

It took me a month, but I finally was able to see the latest Narnia installment, Prince Caspian.  Before heading to the show a friend of mine told me to be on the look out for a scene ¾ of the way through the movie.  That was it.  Be on the look out for this scene, I’m anxious to hear your thoughts.

FYI – I am not a movie buff.  I only see a handful of movies a year, and that includes DVD.  So what do you look for when you’re watching a movie hoping to catch “the scene?”  Do you look for special affects?  Do you listen for a funny catch phrase?  Do you look for a good spiritual principle? 

My attention was drawn to this scene that took place in Aslan’s lair (Aslan is the Christ figure in Narnia).  The children were torn between with what they should or should do in a particular situation.  They were torn between what they knew to be right and what their life experience was telling them at the moment.  As their conflict increased the white witch appeared on the scene, interestingly enough, frozen in ice.  She did not have free reign to do what she wished with the children, only to tempt them to choose her ways instead of what they knew to be right.

When the conflict seemed to be almost too much, one of the children smashed the ice, causing the white witch to disappear.  Behind the ice was a portrait of Aslan.  I felt this was a clear picture of what the enemy tries to do.  Our enemy tries to prevent us from seeing Christ.  What we need in the midst of our challenges is Christ and the enemy will do whatever he can to prevent us from seeing Him. 

In case you were wondering . . . I didn’t get the scene right.  He was referring to a special affects seen at the end . . . which was pretty cool.

 C. S. Lewis once wrote, "If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world."

 

Inside each person is a longing for something better, something greater.  People try to satisfy this longing through a variety of means.  Money, success, nice houses, family, sex, booze, drugs, television, the internet, and religion are just some of the ways that people attempt to fulfill this insatiable longing.  Maybe you have felt this way before, like everywhere you turn the grass looks greener than where you are.  Like a mirage on the horizon that looks so wonderful, but you can't ever quite reach.  Maybe you feel this way right now.  Perhaps you feel this way a lot.  I've got bad news, none of the things listed above will EVER fill that longing.  They may provide a temporary relief, but not lasting satisfaction.

 

The GOOD NEWS however, is that there is a promise of being filled.  Jesus said, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled."  As C.S. Lewis indicated, nothing on this Earth can fill our hunger, but Jesus can satisfy us.  He satisfies us by giving us His righteousness, and allowing us to meet and experience God.  When you come into the prescence of the one who created you, and through whom all things are held together, what else do you need?

 

Yesterday, I had a wonderful discussion with a coworker, who expressed his frustration regarding "Christians."  This young man is searching for the truth, and wrestling with the realities of this world.  He describes walking in the forest near his house and told me he sees God there every afternoon.  When he reads the Bible it rings true.  However when he visits chruches, he doesn't see God anywhere.  My coworker described the churches he has attended, as being about themselves, and vastly different from the God he identifies in the Bible, or the one that made his forest. 

 

I hope that one day he experiences the saving grace and communion with the God he seeks.  In the meantime, I am thankful that New Life is a body of people who truly seek after God, and do not look for satisfaction in the things of this world.  Praise God that our theology and our reality are not so far apart that they set us up for ridicule.

While in France, I was at a loss to answer a worker who asked me this exact question. I promised him I would ask this same question when I returned. Where are the men? Who is willing to reject this world, and embrace the cross? There are whole nations dying. Yet we comfortably prefer to pursue in our lives the things that THIS world treasures, and play blind to the glaring discrepancy in the world. People will not be persuaded to worship God because they see how wealthy, healthy, and prosperous Christians are. This will not impress them. What will convince them is when we embrace suffering as joy, counting loss as gain, and persecution as a sweet gift.

This world teaches the pursuit of wealth, health, power, success, fame, long life, nice houses, popularity, and self gratification are worthy. Jesus talked about being poor in spirit, mourning, being meek, hungering for righteousness, being merciful, being pure, making peace, being persecuted and insulted as the things worth rejoicing in. Yet we embrace the world.

Where are God's men? If given the choice today, would you choose a million-dollar house, a luxury car, a wonderful spouse, and plenty of money to burn, or the opportunity to become a martyr for the sake of Christ? Which do you desire more? How about the martyrdom of your children? Who will count that as gain?

Where are the men? We are in a great spiritual battle, and it is being fought largely by women.  I am privileged to know a few of God's men and women. But fewer men than women. Men, let me give you permission. It is okay not to make a pile of money, to go into the world of business, medicine, law or agriculture and make your mark. It is okay to live in a small house, or rented apartment. It is okay to relocate your family or to "downgrade" your lifestyle. Christ is worth more. Who cares if men think highly of you or if they despise you. Christ is more.

Where are God's men and women who will reject the world and embrace the cross?

“I would like you to know we buried our late father yesterday and surely I preached and shared about the hope of glory, Jesus Christ.  My cousins, relatives and mourners were touched by the message.  Pastor Matt rest assured that however much the enemy does, I’m stable and firm to God’s vision and task.”

I am always blessed when I hear testimonies like this.  They inspire me.  I want to have an attitude like this – an attitude that says in the midst of even the most painful experiences, “I have hope.” 

I believe Christ wants to produce hope in us.  We just need to get “us” out of the way.  In order to become the people God intends for us to be, we must die to self.  I’m realizing as long as I’m in the way, not much good is going to come out of me, but with God I can expect the impossible.

The change in me isn’t going to come in the mourning over my problems, but with what God does in response to it.  Godly mourning brings God’s forgiveness, which brings God’s happiness, which is what I desire.  The Lord is with those whose hearts are close to His . . . and He’ll use even the most difficult moments to get us where we need to be.

This is a video of what we saw God doing in Kitale and Simbanga Kenya during our two week trip in April, 2008. We visited IDP camps in Kachibora, Endebess, and Shogrund. We came from 3 diferent churches in central Ohio: New Life Hilliard, Ekklesia, and New Life OSU and partnered with a grass roots, indigenous church in Simbanga called Liberty Ministries. God is awesome.

 

Click the picture below to get to the You Tube video.   

 

 

From the Desk of Pastor Matt . . . 

In my quiet moments I’ve been hearing God say, “Write. Write down what you are learning.”  I’ve tried once to write only to get snowballed by life, but I want to try again.  A mentor of mine, Elmer Towns, once told me, “ Reading makes one a broad man.  Writing makes one an exact man.”  I’d like to work at being a little more exact with everything that has been going on in my heart/head.

QUESTIONS I’M WRESTLING WITH . . .

I used to think I was a church-growth guy.  I may still be – I’m just not any good at it.  When you’re so programmed to think “production” it’s easy to let your mind think that’s what life is about.  How much can I produce for God?  What can I do for God?  It’s interesting how when something doesn’t seem right or isn’t going right, our natural tendency is to think: “What must I do to fix the problem?”

I’m not sure those are the right questions.  Let’s get real – how many books need to be written before we find the answer?  It seems to me every author has an answer that is a little better or a little different than the next.  I’m not sure another method is the answer. 

The more I reflect and talk with Christians engaging the conversation, the more I become convinced the greatest problems do not have to do with what we are or are not doing.  The problems are a bit deeper.

Jesus demanded that we not only do right, but that we must be right.  In one exchange He told some people that their righteousness must exceed that of the Pharisees and teachers of the law (Matthew 5:20).  That’s what you would call an impossible task.  And I think that was His point.  The life Christ call us to is impossible.

There is a life that Christ calls us to live.  We just can’t do it on our own.  It must be lived through Him.

The invitation from Christ to us is simple.  Get to know me.  See if I can’t change you and change things through you.

For More Reflection read Jeremiah 9:23-24.