How would Solomon use Facebook?

We may never know for sure, but here are Tim Challies‘ thoughts on how the book of Proverbs relates to our massive social media intake and output today. They’re good thoughts; be challenged by them.

 

HT: Matt LaCava

Why the move to CO?

From Matt LaCava’s blog earlier today:

Back when Kate and I were dating, and all along the way since then, we’ve discussed how both of us were in some way interested in getting involved in a church plant, particularly in the western part of the U.S. It wasn’t something that either of us were pursuing vigorously, but we both had in our hearts a desire to be open to the Lord’s leading in this regard. Once we got married, we discussed what steps that we took next would best position ourselves to be used by God to lift up Christ in and through us. It seemed clear before long that we should both pursue further education. So, we did that – as of May of 2010, we both have our Master’s degrees. All along the way, though, we were thinking in terms of “strategically” placing ourselves in the position to be able to go and do whatever God would lead us to go and do.

In September of 2008, Kate and I were invited by our new friends Todd and Carissa Davis to join them for dinner. Todd and Carissa were on the verge of moving to plant a church in Brighton, CO with their friends, Ryan and Danielle Fisher, and they had invited the Fishers to dinner as well. It wasn’t long before Kate and I both were getting the sense of a likemindedness and unique fellowship with both the Davises and Fishers that we thought was somewhat rare and exciting. They, of course, were trying to recruit us to join them, but even without their recruiting, Kate and I had a sense of interest in what both couples were planning on doing, and went home thinking seriously about looking into joining them in their church planting efforts. As time went on, we became more acquainted with both couples, grew in our fellowship with one another, and became more and more interested in joining them.

Because of schooling and plans for me to complete a pastoral internship at Heritage Bible Church, our home church, we weren’t able to join them immediately when both couples moved out in the spring of ’09 to officially plant Redeemer Bible Church in Brighton, CO. But, we followed their work and progress pretty closely, and took a “survey” trip out to where they were in July of ’09, along with some other friends from HBC. After that trip, we felt that God was continuing to confirm in our minds that this was quite possibly what He had for us to do. Again, we followed the progress of our friends, and continued to pray that God would direct us and make clear to us what He would have us do.

It seemed clearer and clearer to us that God was directing us to make the move as soon as school was finished. An opportunity to finish the last portion of the HBC internship in CO was approved by the HBC elders, and that seemed a clear indication of God’s leading. We learned that Kate’s insurance from her job would cover us both for 6 months after she quit, so that was hugely encouraging with our baby boy due in August. More than that, though, God was working and directing through instilling in us a desire to join in the Kingdom work in Brighton, a desire to have a close-knit fellowship with the people already out here, a desire to be under the oversight and care of Heritage, and a desire to be involved in a church plant somewhere in the western U.S. We decided to take another trip out here for RBC’s first official public service on Jan. 17, 2010, and while we were here the Lord continued to confirm the work in us that we were seeing. After that particular trip, it became quite evident to us that moving to Brighton, CO to help with Redeemer Bible Church was exactly what God wanted us to do.

There was no flash of lightning, no voice from the heavens, no big emotional high and no visions or dreams. There was simply a desire to do it that God placed in us. I remember when we were preparing to take our first survey trip out here in July ’09, my friendMatthew Hoskinson said to me, “Don’t look for a bolt of lightning or anything like that – just love God and do what you want to do.” This sounds somewhat contrary to what we may ordinarily think about making big life changing plans. “Do what you want to do” is usually bad advice, isn’t it? If my “wanter” is being driven by a desire to love and glorify God and make Him look as big as He is to the world around me, than what I want will be what God wants. So, the “do what you want to do” part is highly dependent on the “love God” part. This is exactly what Kate and I were trying to do in this decision process – love God, and trust Him to make our “wanters” want what He wanted.

So by the end of January 2010 Kate and I began officially planning to make the move in the spring. Honestly, we were planning on it before then, but we felt like God had confirmed what we already knew to be true through our brief trip in January. The rest, of course, is, as we say, history. We have made the move, and we are currently looking for a permanent place to stay while Ryan and Danielle Fisher are graciously allowing us to reside with them until then.

I haven’t answered the question that the title of this post asks, though. Why the move to CO? Why move farther away from friends and family than we’ve ever been before? Why make going back for holidays to see our loved ones at best more inconvenient and at worst downright difficult? Why spend a couple thousand dollars in moving expenses? Why the hassle of packing everything up and risking them being broken on the trek across the nation? Why risk not having steady income for at least a little while? Why live out west where tornadoes are at least more common than they are back east? Why live in a higher cost of living area? The answer to all of those questions, and more, is simple, and it’s an answer that isn’t original with Kate and me. The answer: Jesus is worth it. Jesus is worth seeing family less. Jesus is worth being in the path of a tornado. Jesus is worth having a lower standard of living. Jesus is worth the hassle of packing things up and moving them across the country. Jesus is worth it all. In fact, Jesus said in Luke 14:26,

“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.”

So, if I don’t think that Jesus and His work in me, His church, and His Kingdom, is worth more than my family, friends, possessions, safety, comfort, convenience, and financial “stability” (when are our finances ever really stable?), Jesus says that I cannot be His disciple. What Jesus is saying is that He must be worth more to me than anything else in the world. I’ve heard people say things like, “I just could never move so far away from family” or “I just couldn’t live in an area where there are tornadoes” or “I just couldn’t give up my job and risk not finding another one” or “I just couldn’t bear to be away from all of my friends in this area” or “I just have so much in life I still need to accomplish before I take a risk like _____” or “I just couldn’t_____”. The truth is, some of those things really are difficult. But I have to be willing to do them if that’s how God is leading, because if I’m not, I can’t be a disciple of Jesus.

I don’t say this all to make Kate and me look like people who have arrived at the true understanding of the meaning of the cost of discipleship and are among “The Few, The Proud, The Those Who Have Done the Right Thing.” The truth is, there has been some serious wrestling with some of these things, these risks involved with making this move. And sadly, many times, our reactions to these things have been more carnal than spiritual. But God is gracious, and has worked in us and enabled us to follow His direction. I’ll be honest – there is still some uneasiness and unsettledness at times. There are still unknowns. There are still risks. But we’re thrilled to have a complete confidence that the Father is working to bring fame to His Son, Jesus, through His Spirit’s work in and through us.

Note: for a good book on discerning God’s will, I highly recommend “Just Do Something” by Kevin DeYoung

An encouragement from God through his Word

Yesterday, the Lord greatly encouraged me through his Word in the passages that were part of my scheduled Bible reading for the day. It was so encouraging to me that I thought I needed to share it.

 First, I was reading in Psalm 86, and it was easy to identify with David’s heart in the Psalm. I’m not facing personal enemies like David was, but I do find my heart tending to be fearful of the challenges that lay before us in starting a church. David said, “There is none like you among the gods, O Lord, nor are there any works like yours” (vv. 8-9), and I believe that too. I also believe that because God is merciful and gracious and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness that he will turn to me, be gracious to me, and give me strength as his servant (vv. 15-16). Still, like David, I find myself asking God, “show me a sign of your favor” (v.17), even though he has done this in the past, time and time again. Whether it’s getting word on the house we made an offer on or finding some people that would want to be part of the church we’re working to start, I have to admit that I desire to see continuing evidences of God’s favor on us. 

Then I went to the other part of my reading, Exodus 30-34. Again, the challenges we face are minimal compared to the challenge Moses faced in leading the stubborn, unbelieving, and rebellious children of Israel to the Promised Land, but I can relate to Moses’ prayers to God in the face of these struggles. Moses reminded himself that God had told him that he had found favor in his sight (33:12), but he still asked God to continue to grant him favor (v. 13). He grounded this request in a desire to see God’s ways and to know God. That’s a good word for me. My conviction of God’s favor in my life doesn’t depend on circumstances but on my knowledge of God’s faithful and gracious character.

 In particular, it has been my prayer for a long time that God would not send us to any place where his presence would not go with us, just like Moses asked of the Lord (v. 15). I’m sure, like Moses, that the only way it can be known that we have God’s favor is by his obvious presence with us (v. 16). I truly believe that this is a prayer that God answers in the positive just as he answered Moses, assuring him of his presence, his favor, and his personal knowledge of Moses (v. 17). My response to this assurance echoes Moses’ response—a desire to see God’s glory.

 I don’t expect to receive the kind of vision of God’s glory that Moses experienced, but I’m blessed to be able to read what Moses saw and heard. Moses watched a magnificent display of God’s glory passing before him, but the heart of God’s display of his glory to Moses was in his declaration of his character (34:6-7). The Lord is the covenant-keeping God who is “merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin” (vv. 6-7). I can receive the truth of this declaration just as much as Moses did, and frankly I see its expression even more clearly than Moses as I read about Jesus Christ and his work in the New Testament.

 In my self-righteousness, I want to assure myself of God’s favor and presence by being perfect, and that will never be possible in this life. I can truly have confidence in God’s favor and presence, however, because I know he is gracious and merciful, and he is faithful to keep his word in the new covenant through Jesus Christ that assures me of his favor and presence (v. 10). What more do I need than this knowledge of God’s glorious and gracious character? Worship and expression of dependence on him is the appropriate response (vv. 8-9). I know God has set his grace and favor on me because I’m united to Jesus Christ, and I know his presence is with me because the Holy Spirit indwells me. I know God will continue to be gracious, merciful, and faithful because I know what he is like through what I read in his Word. I will rest in this and expect to see demonstrations of God’s glorious character and blessing in our lives and in this effort to start a church, not because of our own worthiness but because of the worth of Jesus our Redeemer. I am convinced through Jesus Christ that the Lord is “a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness” (Psa. 86:15 & Exo. 33:6). He’s certainly with us, and his favor is certainly on us through Christ our Savior.