campus_minister's Xanga

The Search for Truth

Fri, 12 Dec 2008 17:14:16 GMT

As you all know, I like finding God in weird places (like country music). It is very easy for us to find Him at church, during bible study, when reading His Word, etc. But it is often much more challenging to find Him in other places like on TV, or in secular music, or even in your textbooks... And I don't just mean finding Him in "Touched by an Angel" or "Jesus Take the Wheel" but in anything that is TRUE. If a statement is true, then it about God. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." All truth points us to Christ.

Monday night, as Dr. Jackson shared with us about Creation, he made the point that religion and science are both the search for truth. He mentioned about how one of the things that bothers him the most is when students tell him that if science ever contradicts the bible (which is hasn't) that they will still believe the bible. That might sound nice, but it shows a HUGE misunderstanding. If God made the world, and His Word, then the two can't contradict each other.

So I encourage you this week as you hit the books hard to do two things. First, don't neglect your time with God. Although it isn't true that doing your quiet time will guarantee you an A, it is true that taking time to find God in the obvious places will help you have things like peace that passes understanding. And that may actually help you get an A... And second, I encourage you as you read and study to look for God in there. Because everything that is true points us to Christ whether it is biology, or history, or sociology, or engineering. He made everything work beautifully together for His glory.

Happy searching...

In His Service,
Jess

Perfected for What?

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 15:21:40 GMT

Monday night as we walked through the rest of the history of Israel, we talked about how Israel had allowed the Canaanites to remain in Canaan and the result was that they struggled with idolatry for hundreds and hundreds of years. But God wanted to sanctify and make them holy, and He wants to do the same for us.

But for what purpose does He want to perfect us?

Oswald Chambers writes:
"The emphasis of holiness movements tends to be that God is producing specimens of holiness to put in His museum. If you accept this concept of personal holiness, your life’s determined purpose will not be for God, but for what you call the evidence of God in your life... I am called to live in such a perfect relationship with God that my life produces a yearning for God in the lives of others, not admiration for myself. Thoughts about myself hinder my usefulness to God. God’s purpose is not to perfect me to make me a trophy in His showcase; He is getting me to the place where He can use me. Let Him do what He wants."

God wanted to perfect Israel so that the other nations might worship Him. And He wants to perfect us so that other people might worship Him.

Yes, it is important that you look for, pray for, and take advantage of opportunities to share your faith. But your walk is just as important as your talk.

Got any Canaanites you are allowing to live in the land? God wants to perfect you for a purpose...

In His Service,
Jess

You Are His

Thu, 27 Nov 2008 14:33:53 GMT

The prophet Isaiah writes:

1 But now, this is what the LORD says—
he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel:
"Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.

3 For I am the LORD, your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I give Egypt for your ransom,
Cush [a] and Seba in your stead.

4 Since you are precious and honored in my sight,
and because I love you,
I will give men in exchange for you,
and people in exchange for your life.

5 Do not be afraid, for I am with you;
I will bring your children from the east
and gather you from the west.

6 I will say to the north, 'Give them up!'
and to the south, 'Do not hold them back.'
Bring my sons from afar
and my daughters from the ends of the earth-

7 everyone who is called by my name,
whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed and made."

8 Lead out those who have eyes but are blind,
who have ears but are deaf.

9 All the nations gather together
and the peoples assemble.
Which of them foretold this
and proclaimed to us the former things?
Let them bring in their witnesses to prove they were right,
so that others may hear and say, "It is true."

10 "You are my witnesses," declares the LORD,
"and my servant whom I have chosen,
so that you may know and believe me
and understand that I am he.
Before me no god was formed,
nor will there be one after me.

11 I, even I, am the LORD,
and apart from me there is no savior.

12 I have revealed and saved and proclaimed—
I, and not some foreign god among you.
You are my witnesses," declares the LORD, "that I am God.

13 Yes, and from ancient days I am he.
No one can deliver out of my hand.
When I act, who can reverse it?"

What great promises we have in our God! He is the our one and only Savior, the Holy One of Israel, and no one can deliver out of His hand. We are His.

And since we are His, he has called us to be His witnesses.

"You are my witnesses," declares the LORD, "and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he."

In John 6 Jesus is asked what it is to do the work of God and He responds, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent."

You are His. And He has redeemed you to do the work of getting to know Him better. Will you find time to do that today?

In His Service,
Jess

My Hope is Built on Nothing Less

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 18:42:48 GMT

These last few weeks there have been a lot of weighty things that we have been lifting up to God... I am so encouraged to know that each of your cares what He thinks. That might seem so simple and so obvious, but it is a big deal. Think about all of the other students you see everyday who don't even think about what God thinks. Imagine if you had to make all of your decisions without Him...

But as we seek God for answers, it is important that we are also just, seeking God. Period. Not just for answers, or for peace, or for joy, or for strength, but just to seek Him.

I was challenged by these thoughts from Matt Chandler, pastor of The Village Church in Highland Village, TX:

"In 1 Timothy 4:10 Paul writes 'For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.' I love that verse. We toil, yes. We strive, yes, but where is our hope? What, or rather, who is the goal? I love preaching the Gospel and I love planting churches, but I do those things because in them there is this unbearable weight of His presence. This crushing majesty that makes me want to cry, sing and scream all at the same time.

"The thing that disturbs me lately is that it seems we've made the goal something else all together. We think the goal is growing our churches to a certain size or our platforms (pulpits, blogs, books) to a certain fame. How hollow is that? And, how dangerous? Just because men love Jesus and follow Him doesn't mean that they get to grow a platform or reach a certain level of "success" (I use that word loosely). Here are a few men who loved our great God and King and were obedient beyond the norm:

* Moses spends his whole life with grumbling, whiners and dies without getting to walk into the promise land.
* Samson suicide bombs the Philistines and when the dust settles he is dead and the Philistines still rule over Israel.
* David's son rapes his sister and leads a rebellion against David, dethroning him for a season.
* Jeremiah ends up in exile with the rest of the country after repeatedly getting beaten for preaching what God commanded him to preach.
* John the Baptist is beheaded by a pervert who gives his head to a 15-year-old stripper.
* Peter is killed, reportedly crucified upside down.
* Paul is killed in Rome but only after he spends his life (with thorn intact) being beaten, rejected, lost at sea, and consistently dealing with people coming in behind him and destroying what he built.

"If your hope is set on anything other than Him, how do you survive when it goes bad? How do you remain passionate and vibrant when no one comes or the baptismal waters are still for long stretches? How do you maintain doctrinal integrity or teach hard things if He isn't the treasure? How do you worship when your wife gets sick or your son goes for a ride in an ambulance? If He is the goal, the treasure, the pursuit, then those things are fuel that presses you into His goodness and grace all that much more. I am not saying they are pleasant or enjoyable but only that if He is your goal you will find your faith sustained."

Or to rewrite those words for the average college student: If your hope is set on anything other than Him, how do you survive when it goes bad? How do you remain passionate and vibrant when no one comes to community for long stretches? How do you maintain academic integrity or learn hard things if He isn't the treasure? How do you worship when your mom gets sick or your best friend goes for a ride in an ambulance? If He is the goal, the treasure, the pursuit, then those things are fuel that presses you into His goodness and grace all that much more. I am not saying they are pleasant or enjoyable but only that if He is your goal you will find your faith sustained.

Those thoughts remind me of the old hymn "My hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus' blood and righteousness."

And (for Brett) perhaps this would be a good week to start keeping a record of God's faithfulness. Answered prayers, things your learning, ways He continues to come through.

Remember as you seek God for answers, that you don't forget to just seek Him... May your hope be built on nothing less this week.

In His Service,
Jess

Trusting God

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 18:53:49 GMT

This week at Connection we talked about trusting God. Do you trust Him enough to believe that He will get you through tomorrow? How about when everything seems to have gone wrong? Or how about enough to ask Him for hardship if that is what is needed for Him to be glorified through your life?

Mercy Me sings:
Bring me joy, bring me peace
Bring the chance to be free
Bring me anything that brings you glory
And I know there'll be days
When this life brings me pain
But if that's what it takes to praise you
Jesus, bring the rain...

If someone in your life could only have their faith in God restored by seeing you trust God through the worst of circumstances, would you be courageous enough to ask God to do His worst?

Oswald Chambers writes:
"I must learn that the purpose of my life belongs to God, not me. God is using me from His great personal perspective, and all He asks of me is that I trust Him. I should never say, 'Lord, this causes me such heartache.' To talk that way makes me a stumbling block. When I stop telling God what I want, He can freely work His will in me without any hindrance. He can crush me, exalt me, or do anything else He chooses. He simply asks me to have absolute faith in Him and His goodness."

It's that kind of faith that moves mountains. And that kind of trust that brought Jesus through Gethsemane and Calvary. What would your next step look like in the gloriously challenging pursuit of God's best??

In His Service,
Jess

Prayer Works

Fri, 07 Nov 2008 21:07:34 GMT

I don't know about you, but I find that oftentimes when I pray I make one of two mistakes. I either pray so vaguely that I'm not really asking for anything, or I pray for something in particular but have no expectation that God will actually answer.

Monday night at Connection, Kelly gave us some specific ways that we can pray for missions outside of the vague, "God, please bless all of the missionaries," prayers that we often throw out there. And then we had an opportunity to actually put them to use as we prayed around the West Chapel.

Has that affected your prayer life this week? Have you remembered to pray for people that you know are on the mission field? Or over your favorite places?
Or pray through the headlines?

Then on Wednesday morning I talked to Maria, who is a member at Berwyn Baptist and coordinates all of the meals that feed our commuter, grad, and Wed night communities. Maria told me that her son Peter, who has a mental disability, had been in the hospital all weekend, was released in error on Monday morning, and hadn't been seen in the last two days. I could not imagine the horror that she and her husband Steve must have been feeling. I promised her that we would pray for her son to be found, and she gave me a photo.

So Jade, Julie, Rochelle, Minmin, and I all prayed at commuter study for Peter to be found THAT DAY, and I also passed on the request to the Wed night crew. And you know what? Maria called me Thursday morning and Peter had been found! He had left the hospital and walked and walked for two days straight until he made his way home.

I bet the feeling in her heart could not compare to the words of the father in the story of the prodigal son in Luke 15, "But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate."

It was a refreshing reminder for me this week that prayer works. Have you truly asked God for something this week? Do you believe that He will answer? How would your life look different if you really, truly trusted Him??

More on Monday night... See you at 7:00PM in the West Chapel.

In His Service,
Jess

Where are you at?

Sat, 01 Nov 2008 16:09:38 GMT

Monday night at Connection we walked through the five stages of the Christian walk as defined by Steve Shadrach in "The Fuel and The Flame."

They are briefly:

True Convert: Someone who has made a decision for Jesus, and a decision against sin, which they are willing to profess publicly.

Growing Christian: Someone who has started to do things to pursue their relationship with God, which has resulted in changes in their character and behavior.

Disciple: Someone who is continuing to grow as a Christian and has developed a heart for God so much so that they are willing to do anything for their own spiritual growth.

Disciple-Maker: Someone who is continuing on as a disciple, but has now developed a heart for people and is willing to do anything for someone else's spiritual growth.

Reproducer: Someone who is a disciple-maker and has led someone else through the process of also becoming a disciple-maker.

So where are you at? There are no right or wrong answers, just honest ones. The two questions to ask yourself are:

1) How do I feel about God? Am I willing to do whatever it takes to work on my relationship with Him?
2) How do I feel about people? Am I willing to do whatever it takes to help them work on their relationship with God?

As all things do, these questions get at the heart of the two greatest commandments: Love God and Love People. And they are fundamentally important because they affect all of the decisions that we make. These questions affect whether or not we go to class, who we spend our time with, who we vote for on Tuesday, what type of job do we look for, etc., etc., etc.

Have you taken these questions seriously lately? Your answers will determine where you're at, and also where you are going. So perhaps the better question is not where are you at, but who are you becoming...

In His Service,
Jess

How are the Psalms treating you?

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 00:43:35 GMT

Monday Night at Connection you all (sorry for my absence) prayed your way through the various Psalms:

The Hymn: I will give praise to God because...
The Lament: I will pour out my heart to God because...
Thanksgiving Psalms: I am grateful to God because...
Psalms of Confidence: I am sure that God will always...
Psalms of Remembrance: One thing God has done for me is...
Wisdom Psalms: Lately, God has been teaching me that...
Kingship Psalms: I am glad that God is the one in charge because...

Gotten to spend any time in the Psalms this week? I hope you have and have been able to experience them more deeply. I have found them renewing to my soul this week. Like this one:

Psalm 21

1 O LORD, the king rejoices in your strength.
How great is his joy in the victories you give!

2 You have granted him the desire of his heart
and have not withheld the request of his lips.
Selah

3 You welcomed him with rich blessings
and placed a crown of pure gold on his head.

4 He asked you for life, and you gave it to him—
length of days, for ever and ever.

5 Through the victories you gave, his glory is great;
you have bestowed on him splendor and majesty.

6 Surely you have granted him eternal blessings
and made him glad with the joy of your presence.

7 For the king trusts in the LORD;
through the unfailing love of the Most High
he will not be shaken.

8 Your hand will lay hold on all your enemies;
your right hand will seize your foes.

9 At the time of your appearing
you will make them like a fiery furnace.
In his wrath the LORD will swallow them up,
and his fire will consume them.

10 You will destroy their descendants from the earth,
their posterity from mankind.

11 Though they plot evil against you
and devise wicked schemes, they cannot succeed;

12 for you will make them turn their backs
when you aim at them with drawn bow.

13 Be exalted, O LORD, in your strength;
we will sing and praise your might.

How amazing is God's love for us! Need something to read to hang out with God?? Try opening the book to the middle...

In His Service,
Jess

Are you being interesting, or being interested?

Wed, 15 Oct 2008 21:42:11 GMT

At Connection Kelly and I gave you guys (another) assignment for the week:
-Spend Tuesday-Thursday doing your normal thing, and at the end of each day, see how many times you talked about God in your conversations
-Spend Friday-Monday seeing if you can actually be more intentional about talking about Him

So how's it going so far?

Last week, at the Catalyst Conference in Atlanta, I heard from Jim Collins, a famous business researcher who makes his living evaluating how good companies become great companies. And he gave us some great biblically consistent insights even though he isn't even a Christian (funny how that always works...) He spoke to us about what we can do as leaders to take our ministries from good to great.

So do you want to move your conversations from good to great? Here are some tips from Jim Collins:

First, if you want to have better conversations, then you have to make time for them. Yeah, your busy, but if there are things that you want to do more of that you aren't doing, then you need to not have just a "to-do" list, but also a "stop-doing" list. Tricky, I know. What are some things you need to stop?

Second, if you want to have better conversations, then your conversations have to be insightful. It's kinda hard to talk about how what God has been teaching you could be helpful, if you don't actually know what the other person's needs are. So don't give answers, give questions.

In essence, if you want to have meaningful conversations, then how about you stop spending so much time trying to be interesting, and start spending more time being interested?

In His Service,
Jess

Are you being interesting, or being interested?

Wed, 15 Oct 2008 21:41:51 GMT