Different People, Same Need

One of the biggest hindrances a Christian faces in evangelism is himself.  We have a way of becoming self-focused when answering the call to reveal Jesus to the world through our lives.  A common extreme is to become so regimented on a process that we forget to show real love to the people Jesus died to save.  Another common issue is we are so concerned about our lack of knowledge or other perceived insufficiency we refuse to even try!

As I waited in a Starbucks to meet with a friend today, I was struck by the vast differences of the people inside.  There was a policeman with a holstered gun, a man working on his computer, a man with painted nails and a purple purse, a couple of ladies walked in fresh from a workout, and a job interview was being conducted in the corner.  I considered our different personalities, lifestyles, and occupations, and I wondered what I could possible have in common with all these people.  I looked again at the man with the purple bag with long nails:  what did we have in common besides being in Starbucks this particular morning?

Then the answer came:  everyone in this coffee shop has a real need for Jesus Christ. Your occupation, sexual orientation, your history is not relevant to answer this question.  The more I looked around and thought about it, it seemed we had much more in common than the sum of our differences.  We have all been created in the image of God by God for God.  He has breathed into all of us a living soul and we are separated by God by our sins.  If we desire to spend eternity with Christ in heaven and enjoy fellowship with God on earth and into eternity, we must repent and trust in Jesus as LORD and Savior.  Only selfishness would cause me to focus on our differences when our true needs and those of our fellow men are exactly the same.

Jesus came to seek and save those who are lost.  We all must see ourselves in truth as lost before we can be found.  We need not always use words to reveal the love of Jesus to this world, but often words will be required.  Actions motivated by love will always be required!  Instead of dwelling on differences, may we seek to meet that need that all people share in whatever means possible, that they too might experience the saving grace, love, and forgiveness of our Savior Jesus Christ!

Peace from Proximity?

Has someone ever asked you an unexpected question?  On Christmas Eve my great-grandma, affectionately known as "Mama Pachita," asked me such a question.  To this point, her question usually has been, "Mijo, why don't you speak Spanish?"  As I knelt by her chair to give her a hug she bluntly asked, "Why do you have to go so far?  What if you are gone when I die?"  She struggled to cope with the idea that I would be moving from San Diego to Sydney across the Pacific ocean about 8,500 miles away.  This is not a question I could answer.  I quipped that she had lived a long life until this point, and I didn't think that would soon change.  Though still in great health, the thought of me being gone when she passed away disturbed her.  As I lay down to pray and sleep that night, her question remained in my mind.

I suppose I don't consider the ramifications of my own death that often.  I have taken responsible steps to provide for my family through a Living Trust and life insurance, but I spend no time thinking about how the world would be different if I wasn't around.  The other night I watched the classic "It's a Wonderful Life." George Bailey played by James Stewart is given the opportunity to see what the world would be like if he had never been born.  The movie drove home the point that one person, no matter how insignificant he or she feels, makes a profound impact on the people they contact.  Their choices, character, and love actually make more of a difference than being financially secure.

In her practical wisdom, my great-grandmother's question made a profound impact upon me.  Her statement showed that where I am on the globe matters because I am important to her.  If she had died before asking that question, I never would have known how much I matter to her.  Lesson learned?  Take the time to let people know they make a difference in your life.  Also, never forget to thank God for the difference His presence makes in our lives.  I am limited to a tiny spot on the globe, but God is infinite and eternal.  Wherever we find ourselves in the world, God is near when we draw near to Him.

One of my favorite exhortations in 2 Timothy 2:3 reads, "You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ."  One of the hardships soldiers must endure is separation from family, friends, and what is familiar.  They are called to fight as a united unit to accomplish the directives given by commanding officers.  God has called our family to serve Him in Australia.  Separation is hard, but God through His gracious love meets all our needs.  He knows the desires of our hearts, our motivation, our struggles, and fulfills every promise made to us.  Romans 8:18 gives us confidence in God's plan for each one of us who labor for His name's sake:  "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."  I believe this wholeheartedly!

Peace does not come from physical proximity, but only from the Prince of Peace Jesus Christ!  Praise Him, for He will never leave or forsake us!

Love Generously!

As I went to sleep last night, a very simple thought came to me.  Wouldn't it be great if now and always God's people were faithful to share the love of Jesus with everyone?  A lot of the time we think of evangelism as going to people we've never seen before we tracts or having an outreach at the beach.  How great it would be to actively walk in the love of Christ every day!  He gave Himself completely, the greatest gift of all!

Romans 10:13-15 reads, "For "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved. ¹⁴ How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? ¹⁵ And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!"  How will people know of the love of Jesus firsthand except God reveal it through His people?  We know love because of the sacrificial love of Christ, who died for us when we were sinners.  We ought to die to self every day for all people so they too might experience the love of Christ.  The love of God prepares the soil of people's hearts to be a willing recipient of His good Word.

A willing recipient is a captive audience!  People may not agree with what we believe or what we say initially, or perhaps will never agree.  But they will never be able to speak against love from a pure heart.  As God has generously offered His love to us always without intermission, may we give that love to others.  Let us give the gift of Christ's love this Christmas season and always!

True to His Word

"I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. ¹¹ For as the earth brings forth its bud, as the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring forth, so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations ."

Isaiah 61:10-11

 

What God has promised He is able to perform.  Our intellect can get in the way of trusting the Word of the LORD.  When my children were in preschool, they learned how plants grow from seeds.  They wrapped dried beans in a wet paper towel sealed in a Ziploc bag.  After placing the bag in a sunny spot, with childlike enthusiasm they couldn't wait until the first tender shoots peeked out from those seemingly dead, dry beans.  When we grow plants from seeds as adults, we carefully amend and prep the soil, plant certain seeds in certain seasons, properly space the seeds, regulate the depth, fertilize, and build a fence.  We have sprays for pests, various plant food, and consider all the work of weeding and irrigation.  Though the process of growing beans is the same for either children or adults, the knowledge we gain by adulthood makes things so difficult!

This is why God desires we have faith like a child.  A child does not look at all the hindrances of growing a plant because his mind is fixed on the surety of the process:  plant a seed in the ground, add a little water and sunlight - and he knows a plant will grow.  This is how we ought to be when God gives us His Word.  We ought not look at the obstacles which seem to contradict God's Word, but consider the character of God who speaks.  He will never lie, mislead, or be incorrect.  If God says He will make righteousness and praise spring forth to God before all the nations, He will do so!  Nothing is too hard for our God.

When God told me in 2002, "You shall preach, and you shall be sent," it seemed very unlikely.  I wondered how such a thing could come to pass.  God used a quote from Spurgeon's from Lectures to My Students to encouraged me to believe His word spoken to my heart:  "Neptune had long been shining before he was discovered and named; and you and I brethren, may remain unknown for years, and possible the world may never discover us; but I trust that our influence, like that of Neptune, will be felt and recognized, whether we are seen of men, or only shine in solitary splendour to the glory of God."  Soon after I received a call from my pastor who invited me to teach a home fellowship.  Then in 2005 I came on staff at Calvary Chapel El Cajon and was ordained as a minister in 2006!  I had preached, but I had not yet been sent.

It was in 2005 when God placed a desire in my heart to pray for the east side of Australia.  Every morning in my prayers I would turn my face towards Australia!  Little did I know at the time that He would not only open a door to visit the east side of Australia in 2009, but I would be offered a pastoral job at Calvary Chapel Sydney in 2010!  Yesterday my wife and I had a meeting with a pastor to discuss our vision for the fellowship in Sydney.  At the end of the meeting, he prayed for us.  As he prayed, I was blessed beyond measure by what was said, which was something to the effect of:  "Thank you Jesus for sending Ben and Laura to this church at this time."  My mind flashed back to words that God has impressed upon my heart more than once.  In front of the Castle Towers in Castle Hill, there is a large Australian flag.  As I waited at the light and watched the flag wave in the breeze, God encouraged me with the words, "I will establish you."  It is God who will establish, and it is God who has sent us.  His prayer only confirmed it was Jesus Christ Himself who had sent us!

If it was a church fellowship or a group of elders who sent our family to a foreign field, I could doubt their judgment.  But if it is God who has sent me, He can certainly fulfill His will concerning me.  If God says He will establish, He will do it!  He has already fulfilled His word spoken in 2002:  "You will preach and you will be sent."  Won't He establish us as well?  Because God's Word endures forever, it is like good seed that will never be without fruit.  It will never return to Him void, but always accomplish what He intends.  Isaiah 55:9-11: "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. ¹⁰ "For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, ¹¹ so shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it."

 

What God says He will do!  Let us purpose in our hearts to believe God no matter what.  Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to Him for righteousness.  Joshua 21:45 is as true today as it was then:  "Not a word failed of any good thing which the LORD had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass."  Do we live our lives like this is true?