The five main points were:
1. We understand we can find God, and can experience intimacy, communication and companionship with Him in His Presence, if we share His love for righteousness.
2. We are totally dependent on Him for everything, and we need and expect miracles of all kinds to sustain us and confirm the Gospel in our ministry.
3. Look for revival among the broken, humble and lowly, and start at the bottom with ministry to the poor. God chooses the weak and despised things of the world to shame the proud, demonstrating His own strength and wisdom. Our direction is lower still.
4. We understand the value of suffering in the Christian life. Learning to love requires willingness to suffer for the sake of righteousness. Discipline and testing make saints out of us, and produce in us holiness, without which we will not see God’s face and share His glory. With Paul we rejoice in our weaknesses, for when we are weak we are strong.
5. The joy of the Lord is not optional, and far outweighs our suffering! In Jesus it becomes our motivation, reward and spiritual weapon. In His Presence is fullness of joy, and with Paul we testify that in all our troubles our joy knows no bounds (2 Cor. 7:4). It is our strength and energy, without which we die.
The point that convicted me the most is number one. "You know, there are lots of exciting things about the Christian life. One of them is actually doing the stuff. Doing signs and wonders, seeing God do miracles, transforming the world around us and making the world a better place. But how do I express the fact that for us that is just absolutely not enough? We need God Himself. Not just to see a place fixed, not just to see miracles happen. Not just to see our bank account increase, not just to see people get out of the hospital. So yes, they’re out of the hospital, but what shape is their heart in? What’s their state of loneliness? What happens when they die? Life is short, you know. There are issues much bigger than your bank account."
We need God Himself. I need God Himself. One of the questions from Andrew's YDJ presentation on Samson that stuck out to me was - "Am I being used, but not changed?" God used Samson in powerful ways, but throughout his life, we see that his attitude towards God was not right. He did not acknowledge that the power that he had came from God. He let his anger and carelessness lead to his downfall. However, at the end of his life, we see a change in heart and attitude as he prays for the last time - "Sovereign LORD, remember me. Please, God, strengthen me just once more, and let me with one blow get revenge on the Philistines for my two eyes." (Judges 16:28).
I want to do great things for God and see people come to know Him. All the mission stories stirs my heart! But what if great things happened - but God wasn't there? Will I be okay? I find that the more I do things, it does not necessarily mean that I am experiencing God and knowing Him more. Yes, God requires me to give 100% of my life, but more than doing things, my primary concern should be knowing God Himself and pursing Him. As I seek Him, am I becoming more like Jesus? These days, I'm learning how important it is to spend time with God daily and to guard this time. We also take for granted how we can worship so freely and openly here with other believers. In the midst of the busyness of life, I'm learning to cherish this time I have now. Listening to the mission reports from the chapters that were pioneered in America and other countries, I wonder where God will lead each one of us in the years to come. Whether we can see it or not, He's moving!
"He loves you just the way you are, but he refuses to leave you that way. He wants you to be just like Jesus."
from Just Like Jesus by Max Lucado
He is moving!
ReplyDelete