Reflection on the Disasters in Myanmar and China

An earthquake killed 12,000 people in Chengdu, China, yesterday.  There are another 62,000 dead or missing in Myanmar, according to their government, from a cyclone May 3.  The UN predicts that there could be more than 100,000 dead.  The UN has has also reported that possibly up to 40% of those killed in Myanmar were children.

I have friends who are students at the University of Nebraska, who are from Chengdu and whose families still live and work there.  As far as I know, their families are okay.  How sobering it was to hear my friend tell me yesterday, “I called all my relatives.  No one answered.  I was so scared.”  It turned out that his family members were okay.  Just think, though, if that were to happen to your hometown.  It’s a bone-chilling thought, isn’t it?

Through it all, I can’t help but wonder how many people are asking, “Where is God?”  The question is not “Where is God?”  I believe that God is in their midst, mourning with them the loss of loved ones.  He is in their midst, wooing certain persons to himself.  The question we should ask is, “What is God doing in a disaster like this?”  (I wrote on this subject a while ago –  you might find it helpful.)  But if we think about those questions, we cannot ask the first one.  If our foundation is the Bible, then God never leaves room for the question, “Where is God?”  The Bible makes it clear: He alone is Sovereign and he ordained these events to happen.  He did it for his glory, according to his secret will. 

Who has spoken and it came to pass, unless the Lord has commanded it?  Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that good and bad come?  Why should a living man complain, a man, about the punishment of his sins? (Lam. 3:37-39)

Is a trumpet blown in a city, and the people are not afraid?  Does disaster come to a city unless the Lord has done it? (Amos 3:6)

I form light and create darkness, I make well-being and create calamity, I am the LORD, who does all these things (Is. 45:7).

And from the mouth of our Lord Jesus himself:

There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.  And he answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way?  No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.  Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem?  No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:1-5).

It’s clear that God has not simply “allowed” these disasters.  He, in his infinite, mysterious will, has caused them to happen.  And he didn’t do it because the people were “worse sinners.”  God did it to show his power; to display his mighty glory; to show how imperfect the world is; to show his great mercy on those who survived — or on us who are unaffected; and to draw our attention to himself, that we might embrace the only thing that will never die, flood, break, rust, or rot, namely Jesus. 

When disaster strikes, turn to Jesus and be astonished that though you are a great sinner, calamity has not fallen upon your head yet.  Be amazed at the mercy of God that you are still hanging by the thread of sovereign grace that God provides.  When disaster strikes, fall on your face, worship and repent before the great God who ordains everything in the universe to come to pass. 

Come to me all who labor and are heavey laden.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light (Matthew 11:28-30).

God Tends to Use Failures to show His Greatness

God is so merciful and gracious to provide his Son Jesus as the atonement for our sins.  Certainly, God could have written us a Bible with one statement that said, “It’s your fault you are sinners, so get back on your feet by yourself.”  I’m so thankful he doesn’t say that.  For those who have faith in Christ as the payment for their sin, they are perfectly accepted by the Father.  Romans 8 says that “nothing in all creation” can separate us from God’s love if have been justified by Jesus’ death. 

The body of Christ is made up of people who fail all the time, in order that God’s grace may be praised all the more.  I love the Switchfoot song “Beautiful Letdown” that reminds us this: “[We are] the church of the dropouts, the losers, the sinners, the failures, and the fools.  We are a beautiful letdown.”  Sadly, so many people still try to do good things and earn acceptance through hard work, religion, or managing sin.  Some of these people call themselves “Christians” and say, “I read my Bible.”  I wonder, though, do they actually pay close attention to the people in the Scriptures they are “reading” about?

Had God wished to communicate to us that our acceptance hinges on our goodness, he would have chosen another sort of person than those he most typically uses in the Bible to reveal the basis for our faith. But then he would have revealed himself to be a different kind of God.

- Bryan Chapell, Christ Centered Preaching

Oriented to the Kingdom

This morning at Grace Chapel, Pastor Mike Hsu gave a sermon called Oriented to the Kingdom, (it should be upload for listening in a few days) from Genesis 1:26-28. The central theme of the message was that we, as sons and daughters of God, have been entrusted with the responsibility of seeing the will of heaven enforced here on earth. In the Garden of Eden, work, worship, and holiness were an integrated and continuous whole. Because of sin, that is no longer the case. Mike gave three applications for how to make this happen - by God’s grace - that I’d like to reflect on.

• See our work as calling. So often people think that if they aren’t a pastor, missionary, campus ministry worker, or even a God-blogger, that they are, for some reason or another, not as significant in the Kingdom. We know from 1 Corinthians 12 that the whole body is essential to properly function! How glorious that God has designed his church to work together for the ultimate goal of his glory. This happens by everyone doing whatever they do for the glory of God. Colossians 3:23 says, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.” As Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “If it falls your lot to be a street sweeper, sweep streets like Michelangelo painted pictures, sweep streets like Beethoven composed music, sweep streets like Leontyne Price sings before the Metropolitan Opera.” Christians have somehow developed this idea of leaving the material world - whether in the occupational sense or otherwise. We should redeem that which can be redeemed in the material world. Let me say, lest someone call me materialistic, hedonistic (in the worldly sense), wicked, or blasphemous, that there are some things are impossible to redeem. For example, we cannot have Christian porn or Christian strip clubs.
• See our worship as integrated. Worship is more than just singing a hymn or going to church on Sunday. It’s more than simply reading the Bible and praying. Mike pointed out that so many Christians struggle with deep, abiding joy because we don’t seek the Lord daily, even hourly! So many Christians do not read the Bible and pray to God. Our worship culminates on Sunday morning as we fellowship with Christ’s body in church. Yet, during the other six days of the week, we should trust the Lord to feed our own souls through Bible reading and prayer. And when we do this, by the Spirit’s power, we will see that everything is worship. We can worship Jesus at work, class, on the sports field, and in our homes with family. Worship is whatever glorifies God and as we saw from Colossians 3:23, that can be whatever we are doing.
• See our holiness as a chief goal. When sin creeps in our lives, we are distracted from these first two applications. The Westminster Confession’s first question is, “What is the chief end of man?” The answer is “To glorify God and enjoy him forever.” John Piper has adapted this to say, “The chief end of man is to glorify God by enjoying him forever.” When we do these things, it is the fruit of striving for holiness and trusting God to kill our sins. John Owen said, “Be killing sin, lest sin be killing you.” Notice that Mike did not say holiness is the chief goal. It is one of the many goals that will bring about the ultimate goal: God’s glory. When we are living life like it is a war, we are constantly prepared to use the Bible as our sword to put to death our own wickedness, the devil’s schemes, and the world’s fads. When we live life with a peace-time mindset, however, we get caught off-guard and grow complacent. This will cause us to neglect personal holiness and therefore forget that any work we perform is the Lord’s calling and that worship is an integrated, all-inclusive, life-long adoration toward God in all we do.

 

Weekly Spurgeon

From Morning and Evening

“God, even our own God.” 
- Psalm 67:6

It is strange how little use we make of the spiritual blessings which God gives us, but it is stranger still how little use we make of God Himself. Though He is “our own God,” we apply ourselves but little to Him, and ask but little of Him. How seldom do we ask counsel at the hands of the Lord! How often do we go about our business, without seeking His guidance! In our troubles how constantly do we strive to bear our burdens ourselves, instead of casting them upon the Lord, that He may sustain us! This is not because we may not, for the Lord seems to say, “I am thine, soul, come and make use of me as thou wilt; thou mayst freely come to my store, and the oftener the more welcome.” It is our own fault if we make not free with the riches of our God. Then, since thou hast such a friend, and He invites thee, draw from Him daily. Never want whilst thou hast a God to go to; never fear or faint whilst thou hast God to help thee; go to thy treasure and take whatever thou needest — there is all that thou canst want. Learn the divine skill of making God all things to thee. He can supply thee with all, or, better still, He can be to thee instead of all. Let me urge thee, then, to make use of thy God. Make use of Him in prayer. Go to Him often, because He is thy God. O, wilt thou fail to use so great a privilege? Fly to Him, tell Him all thy wants. Use Him constantly by faith at all times. If some dark providence has beclouded thee, use thy God as a “sun;” if some strong enemy has beset thee, find in Jehovah a “shield,” for He is a sun and shield to His people. If thou hast lost thy way in the mazes of life, use Him as a “guide,” for He will direct thee. Whatever thou art, and wherever thou art, remember God is just what thou wantest, and just where thou wantest, and that He can do all thou wantest.

He’s Not Talking About the Bible

“If this book doesn’t change the world — we’re all screwed.”

- Penn, of Penn & Teller

Penn is referring to Richard Dawkins’ book The God Delusion.  I wonder if Penn knows that the best selling book of all time is the Bible.  The second?  Not Dawkins’ book.  Not Darwin’s book.

It’s John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress – which is practically like the Bible.

Go figure.

Imputed Righteousness to the Unworthy

To believe, and to consent to be loved while unworthy, is the great secret.

- W.R. Newell

Sometimes we forget that God’s love is unconditional and grounded in who Christ is, not what we’ve done.  It’s easy to accept love from people when we know we deserve it.  But with a holy God, we are never deserving.  For God to love us even in our darkest, most grotesque hour–because of his Son–is what makes following Jesus more utterly satisfying than anything else in this world. 

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

- 2 Corinthians 5:21

Resting in God’s Sovereignty

The God of the Bible does not take risks. He is not a God who sees the world spinning out of control. He never gets frustrated at what happens. Nothing is “out of his will.” Psalm 115:2-3 reiterates this. “Why should the nations say, ‘Where is their God?’ Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.” Later on in this chapter, in verse 11, it says, “You who fear in the LORD, trust in the LORD! He is their help and their shield.” The psalmist is communicating that God is a God to be trusted in because he is dependable and unchanging. He is a rock and a defense. He is not a God who is doing things on the fly. Later on, in Psalm 135:6, David says, “Whatever the LORD pleases, he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps.” That whole chapter teaches how the Lord controls all things. God does all things and everything pleases him, because he ordains it. He cannot disappoint himself.

O, how we can rest in the only Sovereign in the universe! O, how we can turn to him in times of trouble and rely on his unshakable nature. When times are hard and questions come, God is a utterly immovable. When storms arise and our lives our flooded with trials, resting in the sovereignty of God gives us a fortress of safety and comfort. He is a God to be praised and worshiped because his knowledge is far beyond anything I can think up. It is deeper and wider than what I can fathom. As Paul cried in Romans 11, “O, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!” It’s too much for my finite mind, yet it is glorious to embrace and learn about.

I urge you to wrestle with this attribute of God and search the Scriptures. Discover the blessing of trusting in the Sovereign Lord, for he is our help and shield! He is in the heavens and he does all that he pleases!

Three-part series on God’s sovereignty

For the next three weeks, I’ll post an article about God’s sovereignty. This first article is a discussion of God’s control over death, disaster, and disease. I hope you find the series encouraging, challenging, and eye-opening. Look for the last two installments later on in the month.

You can find it under the “Articles” tab or you can click here to read it now.

peace,
james

STINT in South Africa

Dear Partners in the Gospel,

About five months ago, there was a chance to go to Uganda for a year to teach African pastors. I love theology and I want to teach and preach Jesus for my life’s work as a pastor. As you know, the Uganda opportunity quickly dissolved. I knew I didn’t want to be on a campus in Africa-or America. I feel called to more than campus work. I want my ministry to expand. I want to reach a more diverse group of people. I know being a pastor is my call because I love writing, preaching, shepherding, and communicating. It’s an irresistible call. My bones quake for it. My blood simmers at the thought. It will be there. I am going there. Just not quite yet. After the Uganda option fell through, I thought all other possible African ministry with Campus Crusade were on campus. I was awfully wrong. Just a week and a half ago, I found out differently. That day, my life’s direction changed. That day, suddenly, Africa became a giant opportunity.

Right now, I have applications at two amazing seminaries. My call is to go there, yet today, I feel like Eric Liddle, from Chariots of Fire. “God made me for China,” he said. “But he has also made me fast.” For me, I’m saying, “God made me to be a pastor. But he also made me for Africa.” Perhaps the race I need to run first is Africa; perhaps seminary can wait. Crusade does more than Campus ministry in South Africa. Here’s a quick rundown: Training in sexuality and abstinence; theological training for pastors; visiting orphans and widows; job-skill training; providing relief and support for AIDS patients; and the JESUS film to African tribal people. South Africa is the hope of Africa. It is like the United States of that part of the world. Africans say, “If I can only get to South Africa, I will be successful.” If you reach this country, you will reach the whole continent. Right now, I hear the call, “Preach, disciple, send!” For some reason though, it’s followed by: “But, wait!” I want to go to the hard places to work with the hard people. With this opportunity, it seems, I can’t pass it up. At the end of my life, will I say, “I’ve wasted it”? Or will I say, “I went to Africa when you called me, Lord”?

Because of this, I have decided to do a year-long STINT (an acronym for Short Term INTernship) from January to December 2009 in Pretoria, South Africa. This conviction is so heavy on my heart even though it has just budded. I can’t imagine the enthusiasm that will come as the experience blossoms into a rich time of growth and dependence on the Lord.

A year in Africa would humble my arrogant heart. A year with people who have AIDS and with children who don’t eat everyday would change my perspective on life. If I don’t go, will I ask, “What if?” May I never say that! Humility. Perspective. Wisdom. Experience. All of these, and so many more, will come if I go. It will no doubt change my life. Will it be hard? O yes! I might die. The great German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, “When God calls a man, he bids him come and die.” When Jesus’ life was risked upon going to Jerusalem, Thomas said in John 11:16, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” Jesus is whispering to me: “Come and die.” Will I die to myself? Will I go through the humility, pain, and sowing period to be more fruitful down the road? The experience gained from going to South Africa does not come from a classroom or interning at a church. Those are good things, but in the season I am in right now, would that be best? I do not have a wife or children or a mortgage. There is no better season than this one to seize the opportunity.

If I go, it would truly show that Jesus is my Treasure. It would prove my heart for Africa. It would be evidence of the Spirit’s work in my life. It would lower my pride, make me live simply, open my eyes to the hurt in this world, and would draw me to repentance and a greater thirst for Jesus. The great sin of the church in the 20th century was that it let an entire continent go down the toilet and sink into the devil’s grip. I don’t want to be identified with that. Know this: I’m not going to impress God or make him love me if I go. He will love me if I go or not. I’m going because he loves me and I want to obey his call. I’m going because Jesus said, “Go therefore, and make disciples of all nations.”

I want to store up my treasures in heaven. It sounds crazy to want to live in a broken country like South Africa. But when I read the words of Jesus in Luke 18:19-30, my fear is dissolved: “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive many times more in this time and in the age to come eternal life.”

I hear this promise. I believe it in faith.

Amen.