Jesus and Ronaldo

I saw a video of soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo going "undercover" as a bearded man in sweatpants and sunglasses in Madrid, Spain.  During the short film, he pulled out a soccer ball and a cardboard box like a busker.  After demonstrating some footwork, he tried to encourage other people to play soccer with him.  No one seemed very interested in the man juggling and kicking the ball to himself.  Finally, Ronaldo managed to gain the interest of a boy, and he encouraged him to try to steal the ball from his lightning-fast feet.  After a few minutes Ronaldo picked up the ball, signed it, and began to remove his disguise.  He handed the ball to the boy and gave him a hug.  Onlookers can be heard gasping in shock and amazement as the sportsman revealed his true identity.  The once desolate square quickly packed with people with mobiles out, and strained to capture images of the world-famous celebrity.

Who receives the glory for Ronaldo posing as a homeless man and giving a signed soccer ball to a boy?  Ronaldo, of course.  Why?  Because he didn't have to.  He makes more than 50 million dollars annually as a soccer player and could very well be one of the world's most famous athletes.  This little gesture of putting on makeup and going into the real world without security or bodyguards as a busker with a soccer ball only took a few hours and was a small sacrifice.  But because it was Cristiano Ronaldo, it is a huge deal that only improves his image (and provides advertising for products at the end of the video!).

What I find most compelling about the film (not knowing the motives of the man) is how everyone's attitude towards the man with the soccer ball changed when he pulled off his disguise.  People seemed to come from nowhere to swarm Ronaldo.  Security quickly ushered him away from the growing crowd of adoring fans, trying to press in as close as possible to the celebrity.  He had demonstrated world-class talent in that square moments earlier, but no one recognised it.  Only a couple of men and a boy were willing to humour the man and play with him for a few minutes.  It was only after those who passed by saw the beard removed from the clean-shaven face they realised under that disguise was the best and most famous footballer on the planet.  They couldn't believe their eyes.

When I saw this video, one thing flashed in my mind:  Jesus never removed His beard.  Ronaldo dressing as a homeless busker is nothing compared to the God of the universe becoming a man and walking among us.  God didn't have to, but He wanted to.  Jesus Christ was conceived by the Holy Spirit in a devout Jewish woman and born as a baby in Bethlehem.  Around 30 years old He began to preach repentance and the kingdom of God.  He healed the sick, opened the eyes of the blind, cleansed lepers, and cast out demons.  But Jesus never once "removed His beard" or His fleshly disguise.  Most people had no idea Jesus was God in human flesh because He looked ordinary, and only a handful followed Him until the end.  He did not step out of His human body and reveal His unrivaled divine splendour and glory, but chose to die the excruciating death of the cross as a sacrifice for sinners.  Even after He rose from the dead, some doubted (Matthew 28:17).

Do you realise what Jesus has done in coming to earth?  He shed His blood to provide atonement for sins so He could be with us forever - far more than Ronaldo did in giving a boy a signed ball.  If the video of Ronaldo warms your heart, how much more should God's divine condescension fill us with love and appreciation for the One who has so vividly expressed the love of God for man?  Many people still don't recognise Jesus for who He is, but one day every eye will see Him and bow before Him.  Only those with faith like that little boy - the one who appreciated and played with Ronaldo before his disguise was removed - will receive His rewards when Christ is revealed from heaven.  Only those who trust in Jesus, believing He is the Son of God, will be rewarded with eternal life.

Thank you Jesus for revealing yourself as the Son of God through wisdom, signs, wonders, sacrificial death, and resurrection.  Remember me when you come into your kingdom!

Is God Knowable?

I read a comment today which held forth sentiment I have heard many times.  On the topic of God a person wrote, "Only the foolish claim to have knowledge of what is unknowable. Science can't prove God doesn't exist and religion can't prove one does."  Instead of offering a direct rebuttal to this claim, it is a fair question to ask:  are "science" and "religion" the only authorities to invoke in the quest for the proof of God's existence?  If God exists, couldn't He chose to be known and reveal Himself?  The God who created mouths and speech, the One who has provided His written Word, can't He speak for Himself?  Science has its limits, and "religion" has been aptly defined by some as "man's attempts to reach God."  Science and religion are not the authorities concerning God's existence:  God is!

The statement that God is unknowable is partially true.  In the beginning God said, "Let there be light!" and there was light.  The Bible reveals God as an omnipotent, all-powerful Spirit who created the universe in three distinct persons:  the Father, the Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.  The heavens declare the glory of God, and the glory of sun, moon, and stars reveal His divine order and power.  A blind man could never see, even if light shone brightly upon him.  Because of sin, all men are spiritually blind and in darkness - unable to discern the divine presence of God and separated from Him - even though we were created to be in relationships with Him.  Jesus came to earth to reveal God's existence to the unbeliever, His love for the sinner, and His power and glory to all.  He said in Matthew 11:27, "All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him."

God is not a nebulous construct of the feeble minded, for who could have dreamed up Jesus?  His existence is scientifically and historically verifiable by eye-witnesses.  Jesus is a real person who walked the earth.  He healed countless people of incurable diseases, did miracle after miracle, and spoke wisdom like none before or since.  He claimed to be equal with the Father, a clear claim to deity.  Religious leaders out of envy arrested and accused Jesus, and was condemned to die on a Roman cross, though without committing a crime.  Jesus bled and died on the cross, and even in dying convinced the Roman centurion and his fellow soldiers He was indeed the Son of God.  Three days later, Jesus rose alive from the grave.  Death could not hold Him, and He has sent the Holy Spirit to indwell all those who believe.  Religion had a hand in killing Jesus, and science only supports the reality of Christ's life and resurrection.

Content yourself with doubts if you wish, but I am also an eyewitness of Christ's glory through transformed lives.  The Holy Spirit lives inside of me, for I have been born again through faith in Jesus Christ.  Chalk me up as a fool for Jesus if you like, but personal attacks do nothing to deny the reality of Christ's existence, His promises, that I have been forgiven for my sins, have experienced joy and peace even in trials, and a new life without any fear of death.  The shed blood of Jesus has paid for my sins, and I have a relationship with the living God.  It is not science or religion which affords me this privilege, but is a gift provided by the grace of God.  As it is written in Jeremiah 9:23-24, "Thus says the LORD: "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches; ²⁴ but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight," says the LORD."  Did you see that?  God says He can be understood and known, even though His ways are past finding out.

I don't know much, but I will pledge my life upon this truth:  I was once blind, but now I see.  Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  God is knowable, my friends, for He has done everything to make Himself known.  If you don't yet know Him, do you want to?  Seek Him with all your heart and He promises you will find Him (Deuteronomy 4:29).

Open the Door to Jesus

Experiencing fellowship with God today should be a Christian's prime focus.  Living in obedience to God is evidence that I am His, and He is mine.  Eternity weighed against the temporal is more important in a sense, but if I do not fear God and love Him today my sense of eternal security could be a product of self-deception.  If I genuinely love God, I will obey Him and desire to spend time with Him now and gratefully join with others in the Body of Christ in worship.  I will desire to have a deeper understanding of God and take practical steps to draw near to Him.

1 John 1:6-7 reads, "If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. ⁷ But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin."  My theology does not assure me entrance to heaven, but the blood of Jesus Christ applied to my soul by grace through faith.  I can be sound in doctrine, but it is only theoretical unless I am born again and filled with the Holy Spirit.  Because Jesus Christ is the Light of the World and become my life, I have fellowship with God and other Christians.  Since the Holy Spirit fills each born-again believer, I experience fellowship with God through communion with others who are in Christ because we are one in Him.

Are you experiencing fellowship with God?  Do you speak to Him and heed His voice through the prompting of the Spirit and the reading of His Word?  What prophetic words have you taken to heart God has spoken through fellow Christians?  If you do not care to spend time with God today, do you really want to abide in His presence forever?  And if a person is not delighted at the thought to spend today in God's presence, why should that person fool himself to think God wants such an ungrateful one with Him forever?  God is interested to have a close relationship with me today.  He is not interested to offer me a heavenly flophouse where I can be eternally content and secure without me caring to know Him.  Eternal security is found in knowing, trusting, and obeying God now.

Jesus said in Matthew 28:18-20, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. ¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen."  Jesus came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10) and destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:7-8).  As I read this portion recently, it struck me that Jesus did not ask His disciples to obtain decisions for Christ so people could go to heaven.  He told them to go and make disciples of all nations who obey all Christ commanded.  People are willing to pledge themselves, but God is not interested in man's promises.  He seeks to save sinners!  Make no mistake:  only true followers of Christ will go to heaven, for faith without works is dead.  Only those who have fellowship with God and walk in the light will live eternally with Him.

Christianity is not a religion but a decision to enter into a relationship with the living God.  God has reached out to us, not to impose rules upon us to restrict, but having freed believers from sin He instructs us in how to live in the way that pleases Him.  He has demonstrated His love for us through Christ dying on the cross, and He has proved His victory and power through His resurrection from the dead.  He has also sent the Holy Spirit to fill all who trust in Christ, providing the desire and ability to do His will (Phil. 2:13).  If you do not have fellowship with God today, do not be deceived to think you will suddenly obtain this privilege when you body dies on the basis of your theology.  Jesus spoke to the lukewarm church of Laodicea in Revelation 3:20, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me."  Will you open the door today?

Grate Expectations

Ultimately God is the One who prepares and sustains people in ministry whether locally or abroad.  There are unique challenges faced by those who are led to serve in a foreign field.  Recognising and preparing for these changes will aid you immensely in overcoming all by God's grace.  When shrubs or trees are transplanted they can experience shock, and moving a family across the ocean can be shocking as well.  But the glorious truth is Christ is the best husbandman, and the fruitful tree He prunes so it might bear more fruit.

I never aspired to foreign ministry, but it is something God has called me to embrace.  Answering the call has been rewarding beyond belief.  Such aspirations will eventually end up disillusioning and burdensome when of the flesh.  Travel and living abroad has a romantic appeal to some, like a boy who becomes temporarily infatuated with a girl.  But those for whom God has opened a door no man can shut to a foreign field, having confirmed His call upon your life through His Word and others, here are a few things to keep in mind which can prepare you to stay the course with joy.  Expect things to occur which will grate on you, but this is a necessary part of the refining process God employs to make us useable.  This is obviously not a exhaustive list, but these are lessons my family and I have learned along the way.

• Understand you need to change.  Moving internationally means transitioning into a new culture with a different mind-set and world view.  It is insensitive and foolish to be endlessly comparing and contrasting with your original background.  Quit comparing and learn to be content.  You need to be willing to adapt concerning language and communication style, eat different or unfamiliar foods, watch or play different sports - without trying to force people to change to accommodate you!  You are the foreigner, and you must be willing to change every aspect of your life to minister effectively where God has placed you.
• Be prepared for silence.  Just because your life has been radically changed with an international move, life for everyone else is very much the same.  If you expect hundreds of email replies to your newsletter, you will be disappointed.  If you expect phone calls from friends and family or even the people with whom you are connected in the foreign field, you may be waiting a while!  Life goes on, and only Jesus is available to speak anytime - even without needing a good internet connection.
• Get used to being wrong.  Be prepared to say the wrong thing the wrong way at the wrong time.  Humbly admit mistakes when you make them, and do your best to improve.  Be willing to have a hearty laugh at your own expense.  No sense in becoming angry over missing a turn because you were driving in the wrong lane.  Accept you are imperfect and welcome correction as a loving friend and gratefully accept those who seem to rejoice to instruct you. 
• Get used to needing to prove yourself again and again.  It can be hard going from having a reputation as the "real deal" in your home country to being an untested unknown - and sometimes unwanted - in a foreign field.  Respect is earned over time, not obtained by virtue of your position or sacrifice.  Being a foreigner in Australia, whenever my circle enlarges I need to prove myself again.  Even becoming a dual citizen, my accent for the remainder of my life will expose me as an outsider.  It is following Jesus with patience, humility, and faithfulness over the long haul which brings credibility.  It can be exhausting to perpetually be on trial, but God provides all the strength we need.
• You need to to take the initiative.  Don't expect to be automatically included because you are new.  Take time to make friends outside of ministry.  Ask people about where they do their shopping and ask them to help you buy clothes.  Involve yourself in volunteering with charities or at your children's school, connect with other parents through sports, and invite others out for coffee or dinner.  Go up to people at church and join in with their conversation.  Unless you take personal steps to enlarge your circle, it will remain painfully tight.
• Transition will take time.  Be prepared for this to take many years, not months.  When I trimmed a lemon tree, it remained without much growth or lemons for an entire year.  A year later, however, the same tree produced a massive harvest.  Establishing a family in a foreign country takes a long time.  Things will not be "normal" for years.  At every turn there can be constant reminders you are a stranger in a foreign land.  Take time to ensure your immediate family is well settled before spreading yourself thin with ministry responsibilities.  The house should be built before the shed, or otherwise we leave our family in the cold while we toil away on our projects.

Hopefully these lessons are useful as you are obedient to go and serve the LORD and people wherever He sends you.  With God all things are possible.  All the mental preparation in the world is nothing compared to the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit and guidance from God's Word.  The LORD spoke in Joshua 1:7-9, "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. ⁹ Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."