Hope 17:7

Medical Miracles...

2010-07-23T11:37:00.001-07:00

The last few days have been crazy for me.

What started out as a sore throat, a mild headache, some sinus drainage and a trip to the doctor telling me "it's a bacteria, we can't do anything about it" two weeks ago, ended up with a two night stay in the hospital.

I'm home now. Thank you for your thoughts, prayers and concerns.

I woke up Wednesday and my throat was about halfway closed. I went back to the doctor, a different doctor at the same practice. With no fever and no drainage he looked in my throat and though right away there was an abscess in their putting pressure on my tonsils and lymph nodes. He sent me to a specialist later that day - who numbed my mouth, and tried to drain the abscess to no avail. Concerned there was something there, he advised me to go to the hospital, check in, and get CAT scan done Wednesday night. Not checking in would greatly delay my ability to get such a scan.

At 4 PM I checked into the hospital, and after the CAT scan was receiving around the clock antibiotics. I couldn't swallow any water or food, so they hooked me up to an IV to get fluids back in me, and I was given the opportunity to have some meds to help with the pain. I'm not a huge fan of those things [for fear of addiction] but it helped. I had a few visitors Wednesday night [ and quite a few people praying for me too] - they saw me in pretty bad shape, and the results of the CAT scan were good news - no abscess - so no surgery was needed.

Thursday morning I had a blood test done. Results... Mono. I'm not out there kissing all the ladies, so I don't know where I picked it up, but it flat out knocked me down. They switched me off two of the antibiotics [they weren't going to help] and gave me a steroid the help the swelling. By Thursday afternoon, my throat and lymph nodes reduced greatly, but the white blood cells in my count were still high [signs that my body still needed help fighting the infection]. Thursday night went by quickly, and I was released Friday morning.

Right now, I'm about 75% back to normal. The lack of food and quality of food once I could eat set me back, being stuck in the prison I call room 4605 didn't help either. But I'm doing okay now.

I was greatly encourage when a friend of mine told me today, "Nothing like a bit of dying to help you live!"

It floored me.

Wednesday afternoon and into the evening I was very grumpy. Like "punt a fat kid" grumpy. I didn't want to talk to anyone, I didn't feel like doing anything but taking an exacto knife to my face to alleviate my pain.

Friday, I wake up with a renewed vision on life. Hospitals scare me. Well, death scares me. and I know that it traces back to my lack of faith in the gospel. If I believed it fully, I would have no problem facing any fear about any medical condition.

I didn't go in thinking I was going to die or anything - but being alone late at night in the hospital, I could hear the sounds, and get a sense that people around me were actually dealing with that issue. I was there because of a missed diagnosis two weeks ago, that just snuck up on me. There were people near me that were actually facing death on a much more practical level. I wanted the spirit to revel to me how I can follow him while I was there, but didn't hear anything back. Maybe I just needed to know that while I was there, people near me were dealing with these issues, and thusly people around me on a more day to day basis are too. That or people around me care about me more than I know - maybe both, maybe neither.

I thank everyone for their prayers and well wishes. I don't want to say it was a "miracle" but it very well may be. I don't know. I want to say the real miracle lies in the fact that I'm learning and processing, and growing through this experience. The spirt wants to teach me something - and that is the greater miracle.

Why I Blog

2010-06-02T21:57:00.000-07:00

For the past few weeks I’ve been writing a different blog post once a week. I’ve received some positive feedback from many of you – and thanks to the ability to track visits to my blog I know many people have seen and read what I’ve written. Thank you so much for reading what I have to say. Most of it has come from thoughts presented to me while helping lead a Story Formed Life course at crossroads, but other thoughts have come to me as gifts from the sprit so I can share with you what I’ve been learning, struggling through, and being presented with in hopes of being a blessing to you and your faith as well.

Today is a day I’ve had circled on my calendar for a while now. My friend, Justin Boh, and I set out two months ago to create a place where we can share our idea with others and have others share their ideas with us. We spend countless hours online everyday, and most, if not all of it, is spent on things that aren’t very productive. There is a lot of content about God, Jesus, faith, and the like – but much of this is hit or miss. A lot of it isn’t aimed at a younger generation who are thinking about things on a deep level.

And so we created The Berean Complex.

We aim to do a few things, and I thought I’d share with you, the folks who have been reading these for the past month or so, why I write.

I write as a way to share my thoughts with as many people as I can. I don’t get the opportunity to talk with many of my friends on facebook on a face to face level. A lot of people are old friends from high school, still others live outside of the Cincinnati area – and while we may have met serving at a young life camp and shared a month or more of our lives together, the distance just seems to drive us apart. I hope that the things I post online can be challenging – maybe presenting a side of the coin you’ve never thought about before.
I write as a way to be a blessing to others. 1 Corinthians 14 talks about coming together with a hymn, or a word of instruction, a tongue or an interpretation. While the internet isn’t the best place to come together – it’s a way for me the share what the Spirit is teaching me and a way for me to bless others.
I write as a way to organize my thoughts. While I may not take readers from point A to point B the best [I write more like a rollercoaster… I go through a lot of loops and twists and turns, but eventually get to where I need to go] writing is a way for me to put down on paper what I think about things. It helps me nail down a personal theology and while that theology will probably change and evolve over time, at the moment, it helps me say what I believe to be true.
I write as a way to chart my growth. I really look forward to looking at my writing five years from now and realizing how stupid I was. I believe that as I grow in faith my thoughts about topics will grow and evolve as well. I want to give the girl that ends up with the gift of showing her who I was before we met. I want to be able to show my future children how stupid their father was when he believed all these crazy things.
I write to practice discipline. I’ve never been super disciplined. But giving a friend the ability to give me a swift kick to the nads when I don’t post something on time is a great way to start becoming more disciplined. Writing blog posts, or being disciplined in general isn’t going earn my salvation – but like a solider entering basic training, building disciplined is a way to train myself to listen to my commanding officer better.

I thank all of you for reading these the past few weeks. From here on out most of my work can be found HERE Please look for content there, and "Like" become a fan of theThe Berean Complex on facebook to get updates about content there. Our hope for the future is to find like-minded people and have content updated on a regular basis. Of course when I want to post something on my own, I'll put a link to my personal blog as well.

Maranatha,

Mark

God's Kingdom

2010-05-25T21:02:00.000-07:00

On my way into work today I ran into an interesting group of folks. Outside of the stadium I vend beer at was a group of men, bullhorns in hand, telling passers by that they are all sinners and deserve Hell.

I don’t want to say their message is wrong, because technically it isn’t, and their actions, while probably not the most effective message for evangelism and probably lead to more harm than good; if lead by the spirit, I really have no basis for criticism. If they are in fact preaching because God told them to, my prideful thoughts about “the right way” to evangelize and the “best way” to make disciples need to pass away with the rest of my sin.

When we look at the life of Jesus, especially when he first comes on the scene, we see him doing something similar:

“After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. ‘The time has come,’ he said. ‘The Kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!’ ”

– Mark 1: 14-15

Jesus goes into Galilee, stands in the middle of the street, and says we need to repent because God’s Kingdom is near.

Just like the passers by at the stadium, I bet people walking by Jesus had some smart remarks of their own. The Jews in Galilee of course knew about the Kingdom God was going to bring. The problem is they misunderstood what the Kingdom was, and how it would come. I’d think a few people would think, “The Kingdom is near? We’re still under Roman rule, and if God’s Kingdom is near, I don’t believe it.”

Still others might believe Him, but think “the Kingdom is near, I’m going to go get my sword…” thinking that God’s Kingdom was going to come by force – restoring Israel to the world power “it should be” and were anxious to be a part of what God was "going to do."

Both we’re wrong. God’s Kingdom came – and it came in humility. It came being born in a manger, it came working a blue collar job, it came into town riding on a donkey, it came to die a criminal’s death.

God’s Kingdom came.

So what exactly is God’s Kingdom?

"This, then, is how you should pray:

'Our Father in heaven,  

hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come,

your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.'

'Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.' ”

– Matthew 6: 9-10, 25, 33

God’s Kingdom is where His will is being done. If we seek God’s Kingdom first, before we seek a great job, before we seek a great spouse, before we seek anything of "importance", that’s when our food, drink, and clothing will be provided. We have to seek out where God is working, where His Spirit is moving.

The thing is we try too often to build God’s kingdom. I know for a fact I’ve heard that phrase murmured in churches before. Jesus said God’s Kingdom is near, and we should seek it yet too often we try to build it on our own. It’s easier that way. It’s more convenient to just try and build it. But that isn’t always the case. We have to seek where God's will is being done, and make doing so our first priority.

Trust

2010-05-17T10:13:00.000-07:00

It must be acknowledged that the world would look completely different if Adam and Eve would have never eaten from the forbidden tree. Our concept of work would be completely different. Women, a sin free world means no more child labor pains. Men, the world wouldn’t be fighting back when we would go out and subdue it. Some people think we would be able to talk with animals. We would never die, and would share in an intimacy with God so deep that it’s we can’t even put words to how close that relationship would be.

So let’s take a deeper look at the story:

"Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?"

The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.' "

"You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."

When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves."

First off, we have to note that Eve, first and foremost is a little off base. We know God told Adam that he is not to eat from the tree. God may have told Eve this too, or he may have trusted Adam to relay this message to his wife. Nevertheless, Eve believes that if she touches the tree she will die, but that isn’t what God actually said.

Somewhere along the lines, God’s word was twisted. Adam may have had good intentions… He may have added that little bit in as an extra precaution to keep the law. He knew he wasn’t supposed to eat from the tree, so he told his wife, “babe, don’t eat from it. In fact, don’t touch it. Check that, don’t even look at it, actually don’t even think about it.” But that isn’t what God actually said.

What happened here was a lot like what the Pharisees had done. They started out with good intentions too. They saw the actions of their friends heading down a road that would lead to actions that God wouldn’t approve on. So when told “not to work on the Sabbath”, they added all kinds of extra rules to prevent any work from being done. You could only walk so far, you could only do this much, you can’t do this, you have to do this, you can’t do this, ect. But that isn’t what God actually said.

And when Jesus came, part of his mission was showing us how to live a life that pleases God – yet many of his actions seemed offensive to the Pharisees. The Pharisees in Jesus time didn’t come up with all of these rules – their ancestors made most of them – but they still play by them, they still enforce them, they still expect everyone who is a “good Jew” to play by them too. Jesus didn’t always play by their rules. He went by what God actually said.

We’re just as guilty as Adam, and we’re just as guilty as the Pharisees. We make “rules” about alcohol, we setup systems for “proper Christian dating”, we make up all kinds of laws to live by that are supposed to bring us closer to God, but often times we don’t know what he actually says about the topic.

If we take Eve’s example, the door for temptation is open wide when we aren’t sure of what God says. Sin came into the world because she wasn’t certain of what humans were told. The serpent was partly right; Eve wouldn’t die if she touched the tree. And if she believes that laying a hand on the tree will kill her, and she touches it and lives, it opens up the door for her to loose trust in everything she believe God has said.

Yes, if you are under 21, or have an addiction to alcohol and are going through a treatment program it probably isn’t a good idea for you to go to a bar. As a Christian I need to support you in your decision, no matter the cause, to set those standards for yourself – and as a Christian I need to know that you also have the ability to responsibly enjoy a beer every now and then.

But like Adam and the Pharisees we have the tendency to set up these rules for ourselves and others, not recognizing the gifts we are missing out on. What if the tree of knowledge of good and evil was the coolest tree ever? The best tree for climbing, the best tree for building the best tree house in, the best tree to lay in the shade under? Should we build a brick wall around it and miss out on the coolest tree ever, so we can’t eat from it’s fruit? Should we make all kinds of laws about the Sabbath, the gift God gave us to rest and glorify him, and make it about us and what we can and can’t do? Absolutely not!

We need to start learning what God actually says about things. We need to know his thoughts on things – and that might take some work and effort. We have to read his word. We must seek his spirit through prayer. What are those brick walls in your life? What rules have you added to your routine that twist what God said?

Creation

2010-05-04T23:48:00.000-07:00

I’ve lost count on how many times I’ve tried to read The Bible all the way through, cover to cover. It seems like every year I decide that I’m going to do it and every year, come January 3^rd, I’m usually a day or two behind, which eventually leads to me giving up on the process, or worse, forgetting about the endeavor altogether.

I’ve read Genesis chapter 1 more times than I can remember… Maybe because it’s the starting point in all of my failed reading attempts… Maybe it’s because I argue about the theology behind it more than I should… It might just be because it’s the first chapter in the entire Bible, but Genesis 1 is one of my favorite chapters in The Bible. Not only do we get to read about God creating the world and everything in it, but also we see God commission man with a really neat task. It’s a very humbling, very inspiring chapter that I can go to whenever I need a perspective check.

Nestled in between the great creating power of God, and him commanding me to “be fruitful and multiply” (Men, can I get an Amen?), we get verse 27.

“So God created man in his own image,

in the image of God he created him;

male and female he created them.” – Genesis 1:27

The idea of being “created in God’s image” can raise a handful of questions? Does that mean God has a physical body? How is it different than ours? Does He have both mommy and daddy parts? Is God doing the creating, or is there another he that is creating in God’s image? This verse, packed in between power and purpose is often overlooked, but holds such value when it comes to unpacking what it means to be created in the image of God.

We see right from the beginning God creating a world where man and woman are created equally. While I do feel God has set certain roles aside for men, and other roles for women (sorry stay at home dads), both sexes are equally important. God, right from the beginning sets the stage for both men and women to play equal parts in representing his image on Earth. It’s much harder to see the nurturing, alluring, caring side of God, when you look into the heart of a man. And when you look for the image of God in a female counterpart, you generally don’t see the fierce warrior, the provider, the speak-truth-into-darkness side of God that you should see in men. Both sexes are necessary. Both are equal.

Because we were created in God’s image we have a higher worth than the rest of creation. Out of all the plants and animals, he points to us as the aspect of creation most like him. We are set aside to subdue the earth. We can relate to him better because even if it’s just a small portion, we know a part of us is like him.

But how does this effect our perception of others?

It’s easy to build our self-esteem, constantly reminding ourselves that we are created in the image of God. But if unchecked, this mentality could lead to a pretentious view of oneself. It’s easier to believe I’m created in God’s image, but to believe the crack heads, the pimps, and the prostitutes are too? It’s a bit harder than just using scripture to fluff up our self worth.

Too often I work diligently at appearing to appreciate someone while knocking them down in my mind. I’ll catch myself making fun of people when they aren’t around. I think highly of myself, but will knock the actions of others, even friends, when I’m alone in my thoughts. Too often we assign a lower value to someone, based solely on their appearance, their actions, or their place in society.

How can I work on this? How do I begin to train myself to see God’s image in even the lowest of the low? I think it begins with retraining our thought processes. A smarter man than me told me: “every time you are tempted to demean someone in your

thoughts bless them instead. Replace what you were about to say with ‘That person

has unimaginable value as a bearer of God’s image.’ Or ‘I recognize the worth of that person as reflecting my Fatherʼs image.’ “

It’s more difficult than it seems. As we slowly begin retraining our minds, we really begin to see how often we knock God’s creation, God’s image. I’m working on it myself, and I hope you can begin to as well.

Choices

2010-05-03T12:53:00.000-07:00

As a way to prepare myself for life after the Lost finale on May 24^th I’ve started to look for a new show to “get into”. The show that I’ve been following for six seasons will come to an end, probably leaving me with more questions than ever. It honestly will be a closing point to all the Lost parties I’ve been to over the years, a reminder of the season I missed when I was running a Young Life club the same night the show was on and how I would stay up till 4 a.m. waiting for it to post online, and an end to the discussions about the future of the show, and the spiritual images the show contains.

Outside of NBC’s Thursday comedy lineup, and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia & South Park (programs a good Christian man shouldn’t watch anyway, but does because the writing/satire/social commentary is too great to pass for “moral” reasons) I didn’t really watch any dramas on a regular basis. I don’t know what drew me to it, but recently I’ve stumbled upon ABC’s FlashForward.

For those who aren’t familiar with the program, the first episode showcased a mysterious event that cause everyone on the planet to simultaneously lose consciousness for 2 minutes and 17 seconds, during which people appear to see visions of their lives approximately six months into the future – a global “flashforward”. FBI agents Mark Benford and Demetri Noh begin the process of determining what happened, why, and whether it will happen again.

The episode last week [two episodes ago, since an episode will air between the time I write this and the time it’s published] really got me thinking. Demetri was trapped in a Saw-esque device that was set to shoot him if Bedford did not reach him in time. The backdrop of the scene was a giant chalkboard that pinpointed one event, and dependant on how that situation played out, it could possibly lead to a number of different outcomes. Those events had different forks leading to other possible events creating this giant map of how a single choice can affect the lives of not only the person in the situation, but the lives of everyone else around them.

It’s a modern take on the butterfly effect idea. And that, combined with a conversation this week got me thinking:

I’m at a time in my life where the decisions I’m making now have greater meaning than they did, say 5 years ago. For example, lets take the hot button issue of marriage and dive into it. We can do this with any issues we’re facing, but this one seems fitting for a majority of my readers.

Lets start with this whopper: A few months ago I decided to stop leading Young Life. This pretty much means my life is going in a different direction compared to the people still involved with that mission. My chances of dating and then marrying one of the gals still involved is slimmer now than it was before I left (which, I admit, was slim to begin with), but because I am not leading anymore, it opens up the door for me to begin to get to know another group of people on a more intimate level, opening up many new, and equally scary, doors when it comes to meeting a pursing a woman.

Also I’ve recently shifted paradigms when it comes to issues dealing with family. I’m starting to rethink the “she’s cute and loves Jesus, therefore she’s perfect for me” mentality. Personality types also come into play. I’m naturally unorganized and all over the place. If I date / marry someone with the same attributes, the bills might not ever get paid on time, the kids would never make it to school, and diner would never get made. I’m not trying to pigeon hole my future wife into rolls she has to play, but rather acknowledging my shortcomings, and narrowing down the search to help me build the strongest family I can. If I hadn’t made the choice to really try and live this mentality out, the direction of my life would be going in a different direction than it is now.

Other things effect this as well… If I decide to go back to school next fall or not. If I go to that one social gather or not… If I start a new job or not… These choices, whether made deliberately or on a sub-conscious level affect the direction of my life’s path. They effect the people I meet, the people I spend time with, and begin to narrow down the possible girls I can spend my time with.

But it isn’t just dating and marriage that are effected by this. I mean, that decision, in and of itself, is just a major milestone in shifting the story of my life down a specific path. 5 years ago, choosing to go to college where I did was that major milestone. Five years from now a new major decision might come out of the woodwork taking my life down another specific path.

God has a plan for me. God knows where my choices are leading me and I have faith that the decisions I am making in real time will only lead me to a path where He is glorified the most. I don’t think He’ll have it any other way. But I can’t see through the fourth dimension. Time for you and me is linear. Our lives are a series of actions and reactions that have significant impacts on our future.

The cliché question is “if we could see 6 months into the future, would you want to?”

Of course I would. It would be easy. We as people want security in knowing our futures. The majority of us would take comfort in knowing the direction our choices were taking us. Again, it would be easy.

God didn’t design it that way. He doesn’t reveal to us His full plan in one lump sum. We may get glimpses through prophesy, but still, the full picture isn’t given. We have to live life, in faith, that our God is a father who loves us, a daddy who cares about us, a papa who wants to bless us. Our paths might be rough at some point, but that doesn’t mean our father isn’t there taking care of us. Have faith in His goodness. Have faith in his plan. Have faith.

Discipline?

2010-04-26T14:53:00.001-07:00

I did it.

A few weeks ago, after leaving the gym, I reached my goal of trying to lose twenty-five pounds.

While I don’t have the rippling abs and super cut biceps I imagined I would after three months of pounding the treadmill everyday, I am looking and feeling better. I know the ebs and flows of my workout routine shouldn’t be directly tied to the prosperity of my spiritual life. I’ve learned that being disciplined in small areas of my life, like working into a running schedule and eating better, can help me take greater strides in avenues that hold more of an eternal significance.

I recently spent a week in Florida for, what seems like will be, my last college spring break trip. I would wake up at eight a.m., make breakfast for myself, and the run anywhere from two to six miles depending on how well my shin splints were doing that day. I’d come back to the rental house and spend a solid hour or so studying the scriptures, praying, and seeking the spirit as a way to start my day before anyone else would wake up. I really enjoyed combining this discipline while being able to take in the awe of creation a few yards from the beach. But it got me thinking; why do I feel it necessary to spend time with Jesus like this? And if everyone does it, does that necessarily mean it’s the best way to build spiritual discipline in our lives?

I know a “quiet time” isn’t necessary for my salvation, but why have wiser men than me have suggested that this discipline would be beneficial to my spiritual life?

You need to know that I have the personality type that when told to do something, I usually entertain the idea of doing the exact opposite in order to prove someone wrong. So when told to have a daily quiet time, I used to chose to do the exact opposite, justifying my actions, or lack thereof, by trying to avoid any hint of legalism in my life. I’m not the type to nod and agree, to do as I’m told no questions asked, I can’t act based solely on the initial words of others. While these older, wiser men and women exemplify great Christians; they have to tell me the reasons behind the action, not just how to do them effectively.

Like the Israelites in the desert we try to create these tangible ways to measure our faith and claim that in doing them, we’re worshiping God, when in reality all we’re doing is creating a bigger barrier between our true father and ourselves. When we look at the idea of adding more discipline into our lives we have the tendency to fall into one of two camps: The “nod and agree” – act blindly faction, and the “don’t tell me what to do” – I’ll figure it out on my own camp.

When we act blindly, trusting in the guidance of others, our actions seem correct but we can easily lose sight of the bigger picture. We become a group of autonomous people going through the motions in hopes of achieving a greater sanctification based on the words of a trusted parent, pastor, or friend. We look at their lives, see that they are putting these actions into practice and seek to imitate rather than understand. It’s simpler that way. It’s easier to go through life looking for answers to “how” questions rather than “why” questions. Sometimes, it’s just been wired into us to not be difficult and to go with the flow.

On the other side of the spectrum we find people that want to avoid legalism all together. These zealots try to find their own meaning in life, and refuse to, as G.K. Chesterton would say, respect “the gospel of the dead.” Change for the sake of changing isn’t always the best option, and when we perpetually do the opposite of the nor we lose respect for the men and women who have paved the way, and figured things out that if we would only stop for a moment and listen, would save us countless hours of searching for answers in the limited life experience we have.

So what’s the answer?

How do we combine the advice of our elders and their stories, with the knowledge that come with figuring out why we do things on our own? What if we never come to the right answers on our own? What if our elders don’t know why they do what they do, and are only doing it because some one told them to?

What’s great about God is that we can’t limit him. We can’t “put him in a box”. If that is true, than is there more to God than what has been revealed to us in scripture?

What if God gave us a something else to help us figure out the mystery of discipline, and other life mysteries and we don’t tap into it as much as we could?

I think he has. In fact, I know he has. It’s called the Holy Spirit, and I think if we learn to listen to him more, the reason we become disciplined changes from “I have to…” to “I get to”.

If I were to join the Army and be dropped into war right now, I wouldn’t last the day. But when soldiers go through basic training and are woken up the first day at 4 a.m. they have a hard time getting out of bed, but as their training goes on, their bodies adjust to the discipline needed for combat. Their bodies are trained to listen and react, no questions asked. If we don’t take this mindset when it comes to discipline in our lives, we can easily miss the Holy Spirit calling us to do His work.

If our reasons for becoming disciplined are “everyone else is doing it” or “because I have to” or “because someone told me to” we miss the point. If we aren’t disciplined for the same reasons, we miss the point. Discipline opens up the door for us to be able to listen to the Spirit and do His work, which often benefits us more greatly than just knowing about Him.

I have to praise you like I should...

2010-04-19T14:25:00.000-07:00

   It’s easy to see God when things are going well.

     We get a promotion, and we thank God.

     We start dating a cute girl, and we praise The Lord.

     We pass that test we didn’t really study for, and we commend Jesus.

     But where are our cries of thanksgiving when we lose our job due to downsizing? What happens to our adoration when we get left in the dust by a cute girl who’s ex boyfriend wants to “try things again”? Where is our love for Him when we fail at the things we’ve worked so hard to accomplish?

     It seems like our love for the father goes out the window the minute hardship steps in the picture.

     Why is it so easy to worship God in the good times, yet so difficult to see him when times are tough? Doesn’t God say that he has “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”? Why then do some people have to choose between paying rent and buying groceries? I know I shouldn’t be one to question my father, but as a son of the king, I feel inclined to ask why He does what He does as a way of trying to get to know Him on a deeper level.

     When we look toward God in times of our suffering we can begin to understand Him more so than if we just give Him praise when things are going well. It’s difficult to praise Him when things don’t go our way, or when times are tough. When we only praise Him when things are going well it leads us down the road of blaming God when things go bad. We begin to get spiteful towards our father. We think if He really is omniscient and omnipresent, that He is the cause for our pain. Without delving into the debate between Calvinism and Armenianism, if we only give thanks during the good times, we miss out on the full relationship our father offers. It’s difficult to worship God, let alone “thank” Him for the misfortunes in our lives. It’s an act of humility; an act of submission to glorify Him in times of strife, but doing so draws us closer to our father who wants to be our source of comfort and security when we are tired and burdened.

     We have to begin looking for and praising God in all aspects of our lives. It’s a tough thing to do, but it can only lead to a greater understanding, and greater level of intimacy with God.

     “But I am afflicted and in pain;
          let your salvation, O God, set me on high!”
   – Psalm 69:29

     "Can anything ever separate us from Christ's love? Does it mean He no longer loves us if we have
          calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger or threatened with death? No!
   Despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ who loved us."
   - Romans 8:35-37

New to Youth Ministry?

2009-10-21T19:49:00.000-07:00

   Recently I've been able to converse with a few of the college students who are training to become part of the volunteer staff of the youth ministry I've been involved with for the last five years. While new volunteers come in every year, for the first time I feel like I'm being looked up to as someone who has a bit of wisdom, while in all honesty, I'm trying to figure out the best ways for doors to open up for kids to meet Jesus too. It seems like I have more knowledge on what isn't effective compared to groundbreaking innovations into youth ministry tips. But if I were to compile a list of things those new to youth ministry, it would look something like this:

   The ministry I'm involved with is a para-church organization that ministers to high school students. There is a lot of freedom when it comes to running programs compared to some churches which might tie down leaders and volunteers when it comes to interacting with students, but while some parents might feel uneasy with older folks spending time with their kids we have a great reputation with other parents in the community.

   With that in mind, the specifics of the ministry I work within might be different than the means your organization takes, but these principles should be able to cross over into any youth ministry program.

Model Your Ministry After Jesus - No where in scripture did Jesus tell us to go make converts. Rather, He told us to make disciples.

Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."- Matthew 28:18-20 NIV

While Jesus did speak to the masses the men he spent most of his time with were the twelve disciples, and within those twelve, an even more select three. If you were to gain 1000 new converts every year for fifteen years, you would have 15,000 new believers considering they were all genuine converts. This would surely be pretty impressive and your church would definitely take notice but is this method the best? and is it even possible?
What if you were to spend six months leading one person to the Lord and the next six months discipling that person so they could reproduce themselves? After one year, there would be two new christians. However, after twelve years, there would be no one left on earth to evangalize.

   While there should be events aimed at bringing in and meeting new students specific attention should be paid toward the discipleship of students as well. We can feed and entertain them while telling them about Christ but if we aren't training our students to become disciples of Christ, then we are failing at completing the great commission.

Be Available - One of my most cherished memories of doing youth ministry was an interaction with a former student of mine a few months ago. He was a young man who I had met a few times through some of the students I was closer with, but never came to any of the events we ran while he was in school. This particular night, he was having some relationship questions and he message me on facebook while I was checking my email and getting ready for bed. He said he needed to talk to someone, and that I might have some answers to some of his questions.
   Every once of my being wanted to stay home. I had worship band practice early in the morning and a full day after that, but something inside of me told me to go. I picked up the now college student and ended up sharing the gospel with him at a White Castle at 2 a.m.
   Being a leader of student ministry means that if we are really building relationships with students that they will come to us with questions about God, relationships, and life. Look for opportunities where you can interact with students, and even plan big events around students schedules. Planing weekly events on Friday might be a bad idea because your competing with football and basketball. Planning times when students are free might mean a sacrifice on your end.

Be Real - I remember the first time I learned my youth minister wasn't perfect. He had taken a few of us high school guys out for snow cones, and the only music he had in his truck was nineties rap. ODB, Wu Tang, Biggie - all the greats. If my mother would have heard some of the lyrics from those songs, I probably wouldn't be allowed to go on anymore snow cone outings.
   But it was the night that I learned my leader was a lot like me than I thought he was. As leaders in youth ministry we get the opportunity to present the gospel to students, many of which are hearing it for the first time. I'm not promoting sinning in order to win students for Jesus, but being able to share your life with them can be a benefit as well. Letting them see that you listen to top forty stations or whatever the case may be can help build credibility when ministering to students.

Get Involved - Look for ways to get involved with students outside of your church or youth ministry. Travis Deans has compiled a list of thirty ways to get involved and build relationships with the schools in your area. I know quite a few men and women involved in youth ministry who coach high school sports. While many of these kids won't ever come to a program they run, these men and women are purposefully coaching - building relationships with students who otherwise would never hear the gospel.

Remember Parents - While we may claim that our calling is to students, we have to take into consideration their parents as well. What are you doing to involve parents in your ministry? From my experience parents look at what I'm doing and praise me for my efforts, but as a follower of Jesus, I want everyone to know Him, not just the students I interact with. In your ministry are there opportunities for parents to help out? Most of the time, all you need to do is ask parents for help, and they will! Too many youth workers feel that they are all alone when it comes to doing ministry and that always isn't the case. Involving parents can have tremendous effects on both the students and their family.