Already?

This past Tuesday, June 21, marked 1 year since my arrival to Hong Kong. I don't know about the rest of you, but I find it hard to believe that I've been here that long. As I look back over the past year, I see that I have learned a lot (and most of it was stuff that I never expected to learn this year). Here are some highlights:

• God is REALLY BIG-I have had a number of difficult times this year, whether it was the trouble of transitioning to a city where I didn't know anybody or the culture, issues with having no idea how to do my job, or any other of a number of things. Throughout all of them, one of the most comforting things for me to remember is that me being here is not an accident. My presence in this specific place at this specific time is a part of God's plan that He had before He formed the earth, and He has me here for a purpose. Reflecting on that truth makes it hard to stay discouraged by various trials for too long.

• Unity is awesome (and essential)-One of the highlights of my year has been meeting on a weekly basis with youth leaders from churches across the city to pray together for our youth. The people in this group are some of my closest friends in Hong Kong. Despite a number of differences in doctrine, church structure, etc. we are able to recognize the fact that we have Christ in common, and that the common bond of Christ is stronger than any secondary differences that may separate us. Having this unity allows us to work together to see God glorified in Hong Kong, rather than working in competition to see us and our individual ministries glorified. This unity has born amazing fruit in the youth of this city.

• Your heart will follow your treasure-Growing up, I would always read Jesus statement in Matthew 6:21 ("Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also") as saying that where we invest our treasure is indicative of where our hearts are. While this is true on one level, I have learned this year that it works the opposite way as well. When we place our treasure somewhere, our hearts will follow our treasure. This is not an original insight-I read it in a book, but can't remember which one-but I have really gotten to see it in action this year. When I came to Hong Kong, the plan was to stay for one year, then go back to the States. After spending a year of my life in this city, investing in this city, getting involved in the lives of the people of this city-investing my "treasures" here-I have grown to love this city. That is why I will be staying in Hong Kong for another year (although I will be working at a different job here).

There are many more lessons I have learned over the past year, maybe they will be shared in future posts. (or maybe not... time will tell)

Things that Stir My Affections

For this week's blog, I want to share a challenge from a pastor named Matt Chandler. He says that we should identify the things in our lives that stir our affections for God, and the things that rob our affections for Him. Everything in life affects the way we perceive God and the way we relate to Him. For example, sin separates us from God and robs us of communion with Him. Obedience to God draws us closer to Him. However, certain things which are morally neutral (such as listening to different styles of music, eating certain foods, or different conversation topics) also have the ability to create within us a desire to draw near to God or to make us feel a greater gap between us and God. Here is a list of some things I have identified in my life that stir my affections:

Things that rob me of my joy in Christ and make me feel distant from God:

• Excessive caffeine and sugar--In moderation, these things are essential ingredients to me successfully completing most days. When I take caffeine and sugar in excess, however, they have a tendency to make me feel anxious and jumpy and draw my desires away from God to worry.
• Sara Bareilles--Musically, I love her. Lyrically, she is incredibly depressing, and I often cannot help but be in a bad mood when I listen to her music.
• Excessive rest or lack of rest--The balance in life between work and rest is one that must be delicately maintained. Too much work without rest, and I begin to find my identity in what I do rather than in who I am in Christ, not to mention exhaustion. Too much rest and not enough work, and I begin to suffer from sloth.
• Overeating--So many people take me out to eat here and order excessive amounts of food. They eat a little bit and then tell me to finish the rest. Not wanting to appear rude, I usually do my best to accomplish this feat. After the meal, my body is out of its normal, healthy equilibrium, and I am unable to focus on God because of the discomfort I am experiencing in my stomach.

Things that stir my affections for God:

• Anything deeply theological--Whether this is solid preaching, a good book, or music with totally gospel-centered lyrics (although preferably not southern gospel-styled), things that more clearly reveal to me who God is, how He works, and how I can know Him more deeply typically cause me to draw closer to Him and have a deeper desire to know Him.
• Fresh fruit--This may seem weird, but eat a fresh, ripe mango and tell me God's not awesome for creating it.
• Starry skies--One of my favorite things to do while I'm at home is go outside on a night when it is below 0 degrees (so the sky is too cold for clouds) and stare at the stars, pondering the greatness of the God who created them and knows them all by name. Starry skies are one of the things I miss most in Hong Kong.
• A good night's sleep--It's amazing the difference it makes for my day to be able to wake up with a smile on my face rather than having my first thought of the day be how much I hate my alarm clock.
• Self-sacrificial service for the sake of someone totally undeserving of it--Whether it is hearing a story of someone who gave his or her life so that others could live, or seeing a group of 20-somethings give up their weekday evenings to tutor inner-city kids so they can pass school, I see shadows of Christ's ultimate sacrifice in these things, and the joy I find in these stories of self-sacrificing service always cause me to have a desire to dive more deeply into understanding Christ's sacrifice for me.

Thursday's Thought--Sneak Preview of this Sunday's Sermon

I have been asked to preach at IBC this Sunday because last week and this week we have been/will be honoring our graduating seniors during the Sunday morning service. Every time I preach at IBC (this will be the second time), I feel a great weight because of the importance of the fact that I am delivering the Word of God to the entire church and because of the rarity of this opportunity arising. I feel a need to pick not just something important to say to the church, but to actually say the most important thing to the church that I can.

This time, I have decided to preach on 1 Cor. 2:1-5, specifically focusing on the part where Paul says it was his goal during his time among them to know nothing except Christ and Him crucified. During my study this week, it has truly amazed me that with all of the issues facing that church--including, but not limited to: intense sexual immorality, divisions, selfishness in approaching the Lord's Supper and spiritual gifts, and denial of the resurrection of the dead--Paul continually points them back to Christ as the ultimate solution to every problem the church is facing. He truly understands that, as Timothy Keller so wisely says, "Idolatry is always the reason we ever do anything wrong." Every problem the church was facing was due to the fact that they were taking worship of the true God and replacing it with worship of other things. The only way to fix this problem was to point them back to the true God and replace their idolatry with worship. The gospel was, in Paul's eyes, the most important thing for the Corinthian church to know. If Paul thought it was so important, I guess it should be a safe pick for my time preaching at IBC.

That's the teaser. Check back in next week for the link so you can listen to the podcast.

Thursday's Thought

Last Friday morning, I woke up very early to go to breakfast and hear a man speak who biked over 30,000 miles from Siberia to London via Australia. When I got on the bus to go to this breakfast, I wanted to read a passage from the Bible, since I knew I had a busy day ahead and it would be a while before I would have more time to do it. Wanting to keep my reading (and the process of getting stuff out of my bag) more simple, I simply grabbed my Kindle, turned it on, opened the Bible on it, and read the first thing that was on the page.

When I turned on the Kindle, it took me to 2 Kings 15. It was a random chapter. As I started to read it, I thought maybe I should have been more intentional about the passage I picked. I read about king after king who ruled Israel and Judah—good ones, bad ones, ones who inherited the throne when their fathers died, others who took the throne by force, and lots of other details about each king—and I was confused. What did this have to do with my life, with my understanding of who God is, or with my understanding of how to live a life that is defined by the gospel?

I finished reading the chapter, and I was still totally confused. I spent the rest of the bus ride thinking about what I had read. It’s in the Bible, so it had to be significant, but why? And then it hit me. Everybody in this long list of kings, whether they were good, bad, traitors, idolaters, worshipers of the true God, warriors, or wimps, died. They got a few verses in a random chapter in the middle of 2 Kings to tell about their life and the way they led their nation, and then the story moved on from them to the next guy. This is because the story in 2 Kings 15 is not about Azariah, Zechariah, Shallum, Menahem, Pekahiah, Pekah, or Jotham. Each of them is a small player in the story of God calling a people to Himself, purifying that people for Himself, and—ultimately—making all things new. The main character in this chapter is God. He is the One ho raised these men to power for a time to fulfill His purposes. He is the One who allows bad kings to reign (for a time) and strikes one of the good ones with leprosy. He is the One who still lives after kings and kingdoms rise and fall. His story is the one that will endure.

And then I got it. I am like one of these kings. My life, in the grand scheme of history, is no more than a few verses in the middle of some random chapter in the middle of some random book. But that’s ok. Because it’s not my story that needs to last. It’s His story that needs to be told and that will endure. And to play the most minor role in His story is much more significant than being famous, powerful, or rich.

“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and how inscrutable His ways!” Romans 11:33

From the Head to the Heart

I’m pretty sure that ever since my second Friday of Pathfinders in first grade I could have recited Proverbs 3:5-6 to anyone at any time. The thing I have been learning this week is that there is a big difference between knowing a truth in my head and knowing that truth in such a way that it sinks into the core of your being and impacts the very way you live your life. Obviously, this is not a new lesson for me, but it is one that God has been pounding me with this week.

I have been spending a lot of time lately thinking about what I’m doing next year. Crunch time is fast approaching, and my decision is (hopefully) imminent. I have a couple of options that I am considering, and I am confident that at any of them I will enjoy my job, have great opportunities to serve, and will learn a lot. The issue is that (obviously) I want to make the best decision, not just a good decision. And I have been stressed out lately about which one I’ll choose. Which is odd, considering I just finished memorizing Philippians, which includes the verse, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God, which surpasses understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” I can recite that verse all day long. The disconnect comes when I try to take the verses I know in my head, such as Philippians 3:6-7 and Proverbs 3:5-6 and actually live them. It’s taking a while for me to learn this one, and I don’t know when it will sink in for good, but I’m now aware of the problem, and I think that’s an important first step to finding the solution (which will involve a lot of prayer and time in the Bible.)

A Video

Yesterday, I made a video to promote our upcoming camp. This week's thought is the content of the video. (I tried to load the video itself to the blog, but it wouldn't work, so I guess I just ahve to give you the youtube link.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQLRpd5AMy4

Thursday's Thought-Remembering

We live in a very fast-paced society. We are always moving forward. We can’t afford to slow down, stop, or—God forbid—take a look backwards. We value progress and change above all else and see the past as a necessary step to getting where we are today and nothing more.

If we are Christians, though, should this be our attitude about the past? In the Bible, God was very intentional about making sure His people remembered the past. Starting with creation, God made a weekly celebration—Sabbath—to commemorate His work. He was so passionate about His people remembering His work of creation that in Numbers 15, a man is stoned for gathering sticks to build a fire.

God also gave His people numerous other reminders throughout the Bible of His previous work. The rainbow is a gift to help us remember God’s faithfulness to keeping His promises. The Passover was given to the Israelites to remind them how great a salvation God had given them from the land of Egypt (and that one was such a big deal to God that if someone failed to keep it properly, they were excommunicated from the nation of Israel). When the Israelites entered the Promised Land, they built a pillar of rocks next to the place where they crossed the Jordan River on dry ground so when future generations asked about the stones, they could tell the new generation about God’s faithfulness to them in the past. Throughout the Old Testament, God is wildly passionate about His people remembering in an intentional way what He has done for them. This theme even carries over into the New Testament, where Jesus institutes the Lord’s Supper as a reminder to His followers of His death. Each time we celebrate this, it should be an intentional act of remembering what God has done for us in the past.

But what difference should this make in our lives (besides inspiring us to take communion the next time they have it in church)? One thing that I have found in my life is that reflecting on God’s past faithfulness is one of the best tools available to give me hope of His future faithfulness. Reflecting on times in the past when I was in a situation where I had no idea how anything could ever work out for good but I can now see how God used it to shape me and mold me into who I am today, I am encouraged to persevere (with faith) through today’s trials because I know the same God who got me through yesterday will get me through today.

P.S. As far as last week's post goes, I didn't totally skip it, but it is in the form of an inspirational video, and I wanted to wait until my new computer got here to load it, since my old one would take forever to load it. The new computer is here now, so it should be up soon.