I read an interesting quote recently: "You were made by
the God who made Martin Luther King, Jr., Mother Theresa, and Steve Jobs." -- Donald Miller
Consider the contributuions these people made to the world during their time on
earth. If that same God lives in you, how much of a contribution could YOU be
to the world?
You are not a waste of time and/or space, you were created to make a
contribution to the Kingdom
of God for the world that
is God’s. Pursue God and live out that contribution. Blessings as you Chase
After Him.
In Isaiah 6:8, the prophet says: “I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”
The Lord was calling Isaiah to something great, and before knowing what it was, he stepped up and said, “I’ll do it!”
Thinking of how you pursue God, what might He be calling you to? Whatever the answer, keep in mind that the work you do, isnt about you, or your glory it is about the work of God, His Kingdom, and how He might be glorified through you.
“Jesus answered, "If I were trying to glorify myself, my glory would mean nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, 'He is our God.'” -- John 8:84 ISV
“So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.”
I'm not a perfect girl. My hair doesn’t always stay in place I spill things a lot. My friends & I sometimes fight. I sometimes have a broken heart. But when I take a step back I realize how truly amazing life is & through it all God still loves me ♥
My friend Crystal has this posted on her Facebook page, and I love it to bits – no pun intended. It makes me laugh a bit. But it’s also true of life in general. If I had a chance to re-write it for myself this is what it might say:
My mouth gets me into trouble a lot. I speak before I think. Sometimes this happens in unhealthy doses. It rubs people the wrong way and I find myself in hot water. I make mistakes. Sometimes I do what I think is best and end up regretting it a moment later. I Find myself in vulnerable situations asking the question: how is me being here a good thing? All these lead me to a place of prayer. Knowing that I’ve made a mistake I find myself pleading for God to turn things around and make those mistakes into tent pegs that would expand His kingdom.
You might be reading this and wonder why I ask this of God. Like the apostle Paul, I believe that God can turn things around. In Ephesians 3:20, Paul writes that God can do an infinite amount of things to bring about his glory in a situation. The ways in which God does this is so mind boggling, words don’t do it justice. We are left staring blankly like a deer caught in the headlights. Our jaw hits the ground and our tongues roll out as this work unfolds. Humbled, the only words we can muster as a response is WOW! If not that, then some other form of incoherent mumbling finds its way past our lips.
If we believe God can do immeasurably more then we can ask or imagine, why not ask him to do so?
If you were to re-write something like that about yourself, what might it say? Would it sound something like this:
A number of months ago I was struggling with how I best enhance the ministry of the church. 1 Corinthians 12 talks about the church being like a human body. The human body has many parts to it. Each has a primary responsibility or task that is uniquely separate from every other individual part. Yet they serve an overarching purpose and without that individual function, the body’s entire function/purpose would be in jeopardy. The apostle Paul relates this to the ministry of the church.
He says there are certain things needed in the church in order for it to function properly. Such things include apostles, teachers, leaders, helpers and the list goes on. I personally believe everyone can be used for ministry. Part of the Christian life is figuring out where you fit in the Body of Christ. How your gifts, talents, and abilities enhance the ministry of the church and enlarge the Kingdom of God.
During this time I invited a pastor friend over for a coffee visit. One of the things he suggested was that my mission is to serve those of the disability/special needs community. This was a natural place of ministry for me. I had an “in” that he didn’t. I am a special needs individual. I am one of them. This gives me a voice that others don’t have. As an able bodied person, whenever he talks to someone that uses a wheelchair, crutches, a walker, etc, etc, it just goes in one ear and out the other. The pastor furthered his point by saying this is because an able bodied person doesn’t understand what it’s like to live with disability.
I wonder if this attitude is reflected in the psalms. For example, check out psalm 73:
Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong. They are free from the burdens common to man; they are not plagued by human ills. Psalm 73:1-6 NIV
I also wonder if that’s what Paul meant when he wrote:
Even though I am a free man with no master, I have become a slave to all people to bring many to Christ. When I was with the Jews, I lived like a Jew to bring the Jews to Christ. When I was with those who follow the Jewish law, I too lived under that law. Even though I am not subject to the law, I did this so I could bring to Christ those who are under the law. When I am with the Gentiles who do not follow the Jewish law, I too live apart from that law so I can bring them to Christ. But I do not ignore the law of God; I obey the law of Christ. When I am with those who are weak, I share their weakness, for I want to bring the weak to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some. 1 Corinthians 9:19-22 NLT
Theologian John Calvin once wrote: “Andsurely we may then safely triumph over our enemies when we are assured of having the call of God to the office which we hold, or the work in which we are engaged."
I don’t claim to be a Calvinist but as I was reading this (as difficult and wordy as his writings are); it leapt off the page at me. As far as I can remember, I’ve always struggled with God’s call in my life. When I entered college I was dead set on graduating with a youth ministry degree. This became my goal due to an influence by my own youth pastor. Prior to entering college my youth pastor told me she received a word from God regarding my future. Now she never claimed to be a prophet, or have the gift of prophecy enabling her to speak a word into lives, having it unequivocally come to pass 100% of the time. One of the things she shared was God wanting me to graduate with a youth ministry degree.
Fortunately, that part came to pass – but with some struggle. More then once, I questioned God’s call on my life to go into youth ministry. Every time that calling came into question, God confirmed that I was in the right place completing an appropriate call on my life. As I continue to follow God’s leading, I question Calvin’s above statement.
In a recent job interview, I was asked by the potential employer, after spending nearly a decade getting my degree, why I’m not pursuing a career as a youth minister. I responded by saying, since graduating, I feel a need to work within the disability community. Expanding on that thought I feel the need to use my gifts to bless them, and help usher them into God’s kingdom.
With this “change in calling,” on my mind I wonder if Calvin’s statement is absolutely true. That is, 100% true 100% of the time. Evaluating my current place in life, I find myself in a place where Calvin’s thoughts on God’s calling could be true. I’m currently involved in two churches. One works with the disability community helping to Guide them into God’s Kingdom. The other place of worship is in need of a youth minister and is a venue to exercise my years in Bible College and training in youth ministry.
After much prayer and considering where my walk with the Lord has led me, to date I don’t have an answer and wonder if I ever will. One thing is certain. I do feel a need to work with both churches and that I have the blessing of God to do both. Still doubt occasionally creeps in and I wonder if I’m double dipping running the risk of burning the candle of both ends, or if this is INDEED God’s way of saying: “Hey Tim, do both!” If experience has taught me anything this struggle with my calling will be ongoing.
If you read any portion of my blog, it doesn’t take much to see that I’ve been on a journey of discovery as of late. Although I shudder at the thought, its definitely true that its been almost a full calendar year of asking, poking and prodding God to find out what He wants me to so with this next leg of my life. I must say so far it feels like I’ve been on a rollercoaster with plenty of dead ends/locked doors, u-turns and loop da loops. Parts of the journey have felt like dragging my legs through mud. Why can change be such a drag? This change isn’t wholly a stick in the mud though, for I have seen many grow ops (that’s my "word" for growth opportunities). I’ve experienced freedom from things that have kept me disabled, rediscovered that the kingdom of God is not only tangible but it is something that I can actually take part in. I also have a newfound joy for worship.
However, it still feels like life (for me at least) is still on the discovery channel. My good friends Erik and Bonnie popped by for a visit this week in response to an email I sent them a few weeks ago. I had asked them a question about leadership as it pertains to my involvement with the Expressions Community. In addition to vision casting about things ahead for expressions, they encouraged me to put feet to the new mission God seems to have called me to: encouraging people with disabilities. I felt deeply encouraged as we dreamed about the possibilities and wrestled with what my new mission looks like.
Together, the three of us figured that encouraging people with disabilities would need to include investing in them somehow. What does that look like? I don’t know, maybe I could buy them all some stock with their maturity date being April 1st. To what extent do invest in these people? No comprende mi amigo, but I do know I want it to be a long lasting one. So if you come across this and feel the urge to pray, feel free to do so. Until next time, this is Tim bits saying over and out!
In the last 6 months I’m finding I’ve become the occasional fan of the television ministry 100 Huntley Street. This is surprising to me as I’ve been quite bitter about any sort of television ministry. Maybe it’s because of questionable televangelists like Benny Hinn Jim Baker or Jerry Faliwell. Regardless of who or how it started, I’ve always been a tad bitter toward these types of ministries. Still there are times I find myself interested in what shows up on my TV through 100 Huntley Street.
Capitalizing on Canada's hosting of the 2010 Olympics, those behind 100 Huntley’s cameras decided to send one of their reporters to the Olympics to highlight the church’s involvement in the games. In a piece called buying sex is not a sport, they profiled a ministry standing outside a strip club in Vancouver in a picket line on protest.
The people behind the protest represent REED (Resist Exploitation, Embrace Dignity). It exists as an avenue to eradicate prostitution and help victims of the sex trade. In the beginning of the video, REED’s founder says the reason for the ministry is to help the marginalized people of society. Doing so emulates Jesus’ actions and attitudes toward the marginalized of his day; which is a charge to Christ’s followers of 2010. I agree with what REED stands for and applaud them in their efforts to reach the lost and forgotten of our world. But I question the medium used to communicate their stance. Something similar happened a few years ago in Calgary.
Approximately every 6 months those hungry for anything spiritual across Canada’s prairies flock to Calgary in anticipation of the next Body Soul Spirit Expo. A few years ago, some of Calgary’s church community mimicked REED’s actions and led a protest outside the walls of the event. It resulted in anything but something positive as the protest lead to burned bridges with the expo organizers, leaving them with a bad taste of the local church in Calgary.
In September 2008, the church community once again made itself known to the expo; this time with a more astute approach. A joint effort of two worship communities, Canyon Creek Christian Fellowship and Expressions Community, offered the expo’s attendees a place to sit relax and pray, if they so desired. This had a far better impact then the previous group standing outside protesting the event. In the aftermath of the sit relax and pray booth at the expo, it’s been mentioned that some healing began between the Expo’s organizers and their view of the church.
A few days after REED was profiled at the Olympics, Moira Brown interviewed Sandra McIntosh as she shared about her efforts in Thailand rescuing women out of the sex industry. Carrying the same mandate as REED, NightLight seeks to help women leave the sex trade. Instead of standing outside buildings in a picket line, NightLight’s volunteers go into strip clubs befriending the women who work there. After establishing a rapport with these women, the NightLight volunteer offers a way out.
For those that want it, an avenue out of prostitution is provided through various classes offered by the ministry. Some of these include computer training, financial management, and the entrepreneurial venture of selling handmade jewelry.
Two separate ministries with the same mandate promoted through differing mediums. One is tarnishing the light and hope the church brings through political protest, while the other is advancing the Kingdom of God through relationship. Which one has more impact? I honestly can’t say, for God may be using both in their own unique ways, but it still leads me to wonder what is the most effective way to minister to the hurting world… by protest and getting in your face about their cause, or through relationships and seeking opportunities to share your heart? For myself, I prefer the latter. What do you think?
He told them still another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough." Matt 13:33 NIV.
I went through a difficult time a few months after graduating college. My pastor and I weren’t getting along; I was applying for jobs and not having any success. Feeling stagnant in my faith led to thoughts of walking away from God and wondering if He was doing anything in my life. His lack of involvement dominated my thoughts in all I was doing. The only thing I felt I had done was move out on my own, and build relationships with my neighbors. But I was struggling to see the significance of that.
With no job and nothing but time on my hands, I decided to plan a vacation. Shortly after that, phone calls emails and requests for a “safe journey” or a “we’ll miss you” visit started to flood my mail boxes and plug up my phone line. It was my neighbors wishing me a safe and fun time. During these visits, they took this time to tell me, in their own ways, how I’ve blessed their lives and how I may be gone but not forgotten.
Rick McKinley says a situation like this is the kingdom of God like yeast in our lives. “Invisibly, silently, seemingly without power, seemingly absent, the presence of the kingdom is spreading through the flour until the flour becomes bread. But the miracle of the yeast is God’s work, not yours or mine.”
Unbeknownst to me God was at work in my life doing things behind the scenes that only He can do. So even though I didn’t see it at the time I now praise Him for the ways He’s used me to represent His Kingdom.
I’m reading through another book once recommended by a friend called This Beautiful Mess. In the opening pages, the Author tells he is a pastor. He says the primary tools are a bible, prayer, a crowd of people and a dinner platter filled with bread and wine. He then compares his process to that of gardening. The soul is his soil and he gets his hands dirty by sifting natural fertilizer (AKA manure) into the dirt. Pulling weeds and watering the crop is added to his profile of gardener for the Kingdom of God as his thinks about the best ways to yield a full harvest at the right time. I thought it was an interesting metaphor for the "job" as a pastor. (It definitely takes away from the age old theory that the church needs no volunteers because the pastor can do everything... but I digress); especially when Adam's primary role before the fall was that of a gardener. I’ve yet to be a pastor somewhere so I can’t speak to the truth behind the analogy... but I wonder if there is any truth in the comparison... what do you think?
