Monday, February 15, 2010

The Year of the Tiger


Location: Apartment of my brother's friend, a few moments after midnight on the 14th of February, 2010 (Happy Valentine's Day for those of you who celebrate it--Happy New Year to my Chinese friends!)

This is unbelievable.

For the last several hours, in fact all day, the air has been ripped apart by concussions of earth-shaking fireworks in preparation of the New Year. Now however, only moments after Cinderella's carriage turned into a pumpkin, the atmosphere around our hotel is literally billowing with sulfur smoke, illuminated by hundreds of firework bursts every minute, silhouetting buildings, a construction crane, and the Year of the Tiger with flashes of light. Moments ago, this year became next year, and the city sounds like a gigantic drum roll forever waiting the climatic cymbal crash.

I was asleep amid the noise, but I awoke just moments before the changing of the guard; in other words, just before the new year stepped onto stage. It is impressive, if not unbelievable. People want a reason to celebrate, and tonight they have it in China.

In fact, I have been impressed by many things in China. Not only do people want to celebrate, but they want to worship. I was impressed by the number of people buying insense for buddhas and hailing the various statues, a brief pause in their modern lives of cell phone technology and international sophistication. People want to be proud of something, to value their heritage and traditions. I was impressed by the immense structures and grounds of the Summer Palace from the Ming Dynasty (I think); equally impressive is the modern architecture of the city, such as the Olympic quarter and the business district. People want to be recognized. I was impressed by vendors crying out in Chinese, knowing we would not understand, but desperately hoping we would stop and buy something from them, instead of from one of their hundreds of counterparts.

Not only did we visit the Summer Palace, but we visited the ruines of the ancient summer palace that was destroyed during some foriegn invasion (please pardon my poor knowledge of local Chinese history). There they had decorated for the New Year, and even the local Chinese were tourists in their own city and country as they browsed the merchandise in the stalls and watched the performers attract their attention. Surely we were on television at least twice as large video cameras were pointed our way to capture the expressions of obvious "foreigners" mingling among the Chinese mobs. Our five person family did not blend in, and we had the pleasure of being joined by one of my sister's college friends, A., who lives in Beijing teaching English.

To tell you the truth, as impressed as I am by what I see, I dislike visiting many of the tourist attractions for two reasons. One, I do not like being a tourist. I have seen neat things in different parts of the world, and I would rather spend time with and get to know local people instead of taking photographs of their ruins and residences. Two, as a Christian, it saddens me to visit these "sacred" places, such as temples and the like, to watch a people I believe to be in bondage, unconsciously caught in Old Testament idolotry as they seek long life and protection from evil. I am no stranger to evil, myself, and I also think it unwise to make myself vulnerable to spiritual attack by lingering in places and among people dedicated to worship of someone other than Yahweh God. For if I or anyone else worships anything or anyone other than the one God, ultimately we are worshipping God's enemy, the devil, who aspired to be worshipped in the place of his Maker.

It is difficult to be a man of God in today's world; to be in this world but not of it. It is difficult to visit these temples and shrines while keeping a pure heart and a pure mind. It is difficult to join a family's awe of another culture when you are acutely aware of the traps and dangerous pitfalls hidden within it. Perhaps a more comprehensible example is a discussion of what to do when you join people you love (but who believe different things than you) in front of a movie screen, watching what quickly reveals itself to be moral filth. How do you respond in a way that respects the people you love without allowing such garbage to penetrate your soul? Without declaring myself "holier-than-thou," I want to keep myself unstained by this world--what if Jesus returned right now, amid the firework percussion concert of the Year of the Tiger? Would He find my heart set on Him, or filled with images of painted buddhas or Hollywood nudity?

May this year be not so much the Year of the Tiger, but instead, the Year of our Lord, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. The fireworks are fading, but the Word of the Lord will never pass away! May the Name of the Lord be praised!
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A Rose From Home

A Rose From Home

My Story (As prepared for my church congregation this spring--2009)


I have a story to tell you. I am the main character, but the story is not about me. I have traveled several parts of the world, but my adventure has been closer to home. I am twenty-six years old. My story begins like many of yours…

I grew up going to church. I had been born into a family who labeled themselves “Christian,” in a country that labels itself “Christian.” Every Sunday found me attending a worship service and Sunday school in a mainline denomination church. I served as an acolyte, attended Vacation Bible School, helped my dad count and record the offering money, sang in the youth choir, was a leader in the youth group, and occasionally served as liturgist. Baptized as an infant, I was confirmed at the age of twelve, thus becoming an “official” member of the church. Then, hurt by the church, my family left to find another.

Have you ever been hurt by the Church?

After months of searching, we settled into a very large independent church. Things were different there, and I was quickly welcomed and at home among new friends that truly had a passion for Jesus. The Word of God was taught boldly from the pulpit, and I was introduced to a missions-aware lifestyle. So it was with regret that I said goodbye only a couple of years later to move with my family to another church. I purposely remained aloof, not wanting to make new friendships before I left for college a year later. Besides, I was loosing my faith—or so I thought—and I didn’t want anyone to know. I was asking scary questions like “Is there really a God?” and, if so, “Is He the Christian God?” and “Would I be Christian if I had been born in another part of the world?”

Have you ever asked yourself unsettling questions about what you believe?

So I headed into college under a cloud of confusion that only worsened for the next two years. Though I didn’t know what I believed anymore, I continued to go to church every Sunday, and to help lead worship in chapel. Most importantly, even during this questioning, I continued my morning habit of daily study of the Bible. I had begun at age twelve, reading at first a chapter per day, then ten minutes each morning, then an half-hour, and so on. So, only by the grace of the very God I doubted, I remained anchored in His Word and in His community, though I felt like a fake most of the time. Since then I have learned that “fake” is the worst insult the world can give us; that is why the label of “hypocrite” is so offensive.

Have you ever felt like a fake?

Six weeks with missionaries in South Africa followed by a year in France began to teach me what life with God is all about. I began rebuilding my faith, this time it belonged to me, in contrast to me borrowing the faith of my parents, church, or anyone else. In my parent’s basement in 2003, on either Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve, I invited Jesus to live in me; perhaps I had done so before, but I didn’t recall—but since 2003, I have never forgotten that moment. Unfortunately, nothing changed. I continued to do my best to act like a Christian, as I had done for so long.

Have you ever found yourself “doing your best” to be a good person, or to act like a Christian?

Though I did not realize it at the time, I was quenching the Spirit, even though I had welcomed Him into my life. During the next few years, the LORD continued to nurture me, and slowly things began to change. Several tough months in Idaho birthed my prayer-life. I spent three years being humbled in a job that was my informal seminary training. In 2007, a short stint in Mexico helped me to see things as they were, and not long afterward, I was baptized by immersion. No baptism of any kind can save a lost soul—only Jesus can do that. However, this baptism was an important covenant between me and God, symbolizing not only my death and resurrection with Jesus and my public profession of faith, but it also my life change, the beginning of my bearing fruit. “For each tree is known by its own fruit…”according to Luke 6:44. During the past year and a half, the LORD has provided me with an informal pastoral internship in my church, teaching me every aspect of discipleship. Simultaneously, I have been studying unceasing prayer and worship. I am now very different than I was five years ago.

In the Book of Acts (which tells the story of the earliest years of the Church) every time a person decided to follow Christ, two things took place—though not always in the same order. Each person experienced a life change, which I call the “baptism of repentance,” as well as the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, which I call the “baptism of the Spirit.” Looking back, I realize that the Holy Spirit was living in me in 2003, but it wasn’t until I surrendered everything to God, as represented by my immersion, that I allowed the Spirit to have His way in me and transform my life. “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now life in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. (Galatians 2:20)”

Have you invited Jesus to live in you? Have you allowed the Spirit to transform your life?

I tell you this story for two reasons. First, I tell this story in order to boast in the LORD! May God our Father get all praise and glory forever! Second, I tell this story because it is relevant to you. Likely you have heard that I am leaving the country: I have let my light shine before you; please let your light shine within the Church, too! This congregation is in revival, and as each of you allows the Spirit to revive you, the entire Church will be revived and utterly transformed, to the glory of the Most High God. And for His glory is the reason He created us; the reason He sent His only Son to reveal Himself to us; the reason He became Sin for us and died for us on the cross—while we were still sinners; and the reason that He conquered death and offered us eternal life with Him.

It will cost you a lot—in fact, it will cost you everything, your very life. But if you have never surrendered your life to Christ Jesus, if you have never invited Him to send His Spirit into you and to transform your life, then do it right now. Just let go of everything to which you are desperately clinging; stop trying to do it yourself! This is the very reason you are still breathing in this physical life—God has been delaying His judgment of this sinful world because He is waiting for you—2 Peter 3:9 says He wants none to perish!

If you have already invited the Spirit into your life, then live like it! Bear fruit! Anyone and everyone who meets you or knows you or sees you or hears you should know immediately and clearly that Jesus the Christ lives in you and loves them! That is how stark the contrast should be between your life and the world around you!

Have you immersed yourself in God’s Word and in prayer in the last twenty-four hours?

If you call yourself a follower of Christ, then there is no excuse for not communing with Him daily! Anchor yourself in the Word! God has revealed Himself to us through His Son, Jesus Christ, and the Bible is a complete and accurate record of that revelation. And prayer is humbly letting Him love us. Let Him love you! God doesn’t need us, but He wants us! God doesn’t need us to live for Him—He wants to live in and through us! Let us love and fellowship with one another, even when you disagree! Pray for each other—the names in the church directory are a great place to start! Church, we are not only the Body of Christ, but we are the Bride of Christ. We have allowed ourselves to get bedraggled and stained—now let us stand to the glory of God! Let’s let Him purify us, restore us, and love us!

My dear Brothers and Sisters, if you have ever once been blessed by God our Father at work in me, then I urge you, please, take seriously His desire to love and work in you, beyond anything you can ask or imagine! I have told you the beginning of my story—may it end in glory to the Father, in the Name of Jesus, by way of His Spirit.

Now, what is your story?