trivial pursuit

Today I was poking around Facebook, checking up on friends from highschool, and beating myself up for being a failure.

I had a friend who had a dream back in highschool to be a PR and marketing rep for a big exciting company. She followed the dream, got the college degree, and has an exciting job in LA doing what she's always wanted to do. Another friend had a dream to be an actress. She, too, followed the dream to college and has since landed a job with a prestigious acting troupe. Another friend has spent the last half of his life wrapped up in a passion to be a journalist. From his first publications back in high school to an internship at a major paper in Washington, D.C., to a Master's in journalism to, now, a regular job as a reporter, he has followed his dreams and accomplished his goals.

I never really had a dream in high school -- not one that centered on one career, anyway. So it shouldn't come as any surprise that there was no career dream to be my guiding star in college, or that I still can't define life in terms of "I am going to be THAT when I grow up," or "I will be satisfied when I accomplish A, B, and C goals."

This struck as a depressing realization -- at least temporarily.

It's probably no coincidence that a quote from David Brainerd has been playing through my mind all day: "Life is too precious to squander on trivial things." Or that I'd clicked a link to this message to college students from John Piper.

I started to think about the way that God's people are described in the Bible -- the way that their lives are measured. Although people's professions are an important part of their stories and their reflection of God's glory (e.g., Joseph was an excellent manager, David was a shepherd, Jesus was a carpenter, Peter was a fisherman), God doesn't define His people by their worldly measure of success in a profession. He defines them by their obedience to and faith in Him.

This changes so many things.

In the world's economy, it may be important how many college degrees you have or what kind of car you drive or what your salary is. In God's kingdom economy, it's important that you obeyed Him and didn't say that unkind word to your brother or sister or parent yesterday. In the world's economy, it may be important that you have a 5-year career advancement plan, charting your way up the ladder to a better position. In God's economy, it's important that you obey Him if He tells you to get up early to pray tomorrow morning.

Not to say that those other goals don't have their place. Or that Christians shouldn't appreciate earnest dedication to a job and the diligent work that goes into it. And often obedience to His calling will lead us into excellence in a given career path. But our progress along that path is not how our success is to be measured.

Am I following my dream more earnestly than I am following Christ? Am I holding my dream more precious than I hold Him? Do I work to please and glorify Him or to please and glorify me?

Following Christ wholeheartedly will probably mean taking a path that is crazy by worldly standards. It will mean learning to operate in a whole different economy than the one the world encourages us to accept. It will mean pouring your all into something . . . and still being willing to lay it obediently at His feet and walk away.

But, oh, will it be worth it.

Blessed be the Lord,
who daily bears us up;
God is our salvation.

* * *
O kingdoms of the earth, sing to God;
sing praises to the Lord,

Selah

to him who rides in the heavens,
the ancient heavens;
behold, he sends out his voice, his mighty voice.

Ascribe power to God,
whose majesty is over Israel,
and whose power is in the skies.

Awesome is God from his sanctuary;
the God of Israel--he is the one
who gives power and strength to his people.

Blessed be God!

Psalm 68:19, 32-35

being the grown-ups

This is a good article:

The Fruit of Immaturity

It is written primarily as a challenge to guys, but is not a bad reminder for girls.

The Faith Door

On campus at my university there is an automatic door that I have come to think of as The Faith Door. For some reason I haven't been able to pinpoint, I habitually doubt the promise of automatic doors, expecting one day to barrel straight into a deceitful supposedly-automatic door and hit the glass full-on. I just don't trust them to open.

And when it comes to automatic doors that come close to convincing me that they really really have no intention of opening [to borrow a Southern-ism:] The Faith Door sure do beat all.

That door waits to open until the absolute LAST second -- until your nose is a millimeter away and your breath is making fog on the glass.

During the first half of the semester I'd approach The Faith Door tentatively, hoping if not to avoid the collision at least to minimize the impact. But lately I've been trying just to walk through it without any hesitation, trusting in it to open.

On Monday, as I made my reckless approach, I tripped on a doormat, slid, and ran nose-first into The Faith Door, which, sensing my approach, graciously opened and let me out (just like it said it would).

It was a close call.

But it made me think about what living by faith is all about.

Like the automatic door, God has made promises about what He will do. Unlike the automatic door, He leaves us with absolutely no doubt that He will.

So often I count myself as "walking by faith" when I am still approaching the faith door haltingly, tentatively, and full of doubt. How can I, instead, trusting fully in His promises, continue full speed ahead?

Reading the Gospels recently, I've been struck by how often Jesus commended and responded to the faith of those who approached Him. To have faith in Him is to recognize His Godhood, His powerfulness -- it is to bring Him glory.

Then on Monday night Nate pointed out that in many of the psalms the psalmist looks forward to what he will do in the future in response to God's fulfilled promises, which he takes as a given in verses like Psalm 42:11:

Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God;
For I shall yet praise Him,
The help of my countenance and my God.

All over the psalms we see a pattern of trust in God and expectation of His deliverance and His blessing -- no matter how dark things look in the present.

The true test of our faith is not what we say but the way we live. Do we live second-guessing His provision in the present and doubting His promises for the future? Or do we live in sure-footed reliance on those promises, trusting Him to do wondrous things?

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12:1-2

ready or not . . .

The other night on the way back from a FAITH visit, Nate and Brendon and I saw a couple big flashes in the sky (BIG flashes!). In the aftermath of the big-flash-sighting, something came up about the sky lighting up when Jesus comes back.

Thinking about His coming, my heart sank.

I want so much to see Him, to know Him, to be with Him in heaven. But in that moment I heard myself think not now, not tonight, I'm not ready . . .

C.S. Lewis wrote about this thought in his essay "The World's Last Night":

The doctrine of the Second Coming teaches us that we do not and cannot know when the world drama will end. The curtain may be rung down at any moment: say, before you have finished reading this paragraph. This seems to some people intolerably frustrating. So many things would be interrupted. Perhaps you were going to get married next month, perhaps you were going to get a raise next week: you may be on the verge of a great scientific discovery; you may be maturing great social and political reforms. Surely no good and wise God would be so very unreasonable as to cut all this short? Not now, of all moments!

But we think thus because we keep on assuming that we know the play. We do not know the play. We do not even know whether we are in Act I or Act V. We do not know who are the major and who are the minor characters. The Author knows.

Lewis concludes:

We cannot always be excited. We can, perhaps, train ourselves to ask more and more often how the thing which we are saying or doing (or failing to do) at each moment will look when the irresistible light streams in upon it; that light which is so different from the light of this world -- and yet, even now, we know just enough of it to take it into account. Women sometimes have the problem of trying to judge by artificial light how a dress will look by daylight. That is very like the problem of all of us: to dress our souls not for the electric lights of the present world but for the daylight of the next. The good dress is the one that will face that light. For that light will last longer.

Each of us will face that light. It may be in the glorious moment of His second coming. Or it may be the other side of a moment of horror like so many experienced last month at Virginia Tech. Or in a car accident or in a hospital ward.

I don't want my heart to sink in that moment.

"Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

“Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods.

"But if that evil servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

Matthew 24:44-51

the waves and winds still know

Today's (yesterday's?) post is from Brendon. It has been exciting this week to compare notes with a number of people at church and see that God is teaching us each about varying aspects of trusting Him fully.

Over the past month or so, I've had a sudden powerful urge to learn.

The main problem I face is that I don't know where to start. By that, I don't mean that I don't know where to go to get an education, or where to go for any prerequisites. What I mean is that there are so many different things I want to study, that I don't know what order to pursue them in.

This is something I've often been in prayer about, asking God to reveal his plan for my life to me. I've been blessed in that whenever I get overly frustrated at work, with the feeling of time being wasted, God gives me an opportunity to do His work. Each time, it feels like a reminder, "I'm still using you here. Persevere."

God is showing me, bit by bit, that my knowledge isn't relative to His ability to use me. Although I can't stem the desire to learn (nor do I want to), I have God encouraging me to be patient. I've found trusting Him to organize my education, finances, and long term goals to be the hardest thing I've ever done. After so long of doing everything my way, to meet my ends, and by myself, relinquishing control is tough.

It feels like God is calling me to walk on water with Him, as Jesus did to Peter in Matt. 14:29. But like Peter, I constantly look at the wind and the waves, lose faith, and begin to drown. What a gracious God, that every time I cry out "Lord, save me!", He stretches out His hand like Jesus did for Peter, and pulls me from the waters.

Verses 32-33 say, "When they got into the boat, the wind stopped. And those who were in the boat worshipped Him, saying, "You are certainly God's Son!"

The boat and the worshipping at the end of the trial are a strong reminder of what is to come. A reminder of why God asks me to persevere.

Because one day, the wind will stop and I'll be the one getting into the boat. One day, I'll be the one who gets to worship at the feet of my saviour. Until then, I'll have to rely on God's love to keep me from the wind and the waves.

crazy stewards

I settled into a night of travelling tonight with a couple Puritans (including this one) and Through Gates of Splendor, which opens with a familiar quote from Jim Elliot, "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."

Then as we touched down for a long layover in Las Vegas I saw all the lights flashing in this dark, dark place and thought of Philippians 2:14-16:

Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.

You can't hide a light in the dark.

Why do I try so hard to hide mine? To dim it so that I fit in?

Then, thanks to YouTube and free wi-fi, my sister and I watched this documentary on the life of singer Keith Green. It's about an hour long (in installments) and definitely worth the time it takes to watch it.



Not everyone's light will shine the same way Jim Elliot's did, or the same way Keith Green's did. And that's a good thing (I'm exhausted just reading about the energy of those guys!). But does my light shine as brightly as it was created to? Am I a faithful steward of the life I have been given?

Where would my stewardship fit into this story?

praying Scripture for each other

[Note: As I read through this post I see that it could be understood to tend toward a brand of legalism that relies a particular formula to come before the Lord in prayer. This is not at all how it is intended. My intent is to, in writing praise to God for giving us His Word, encourage this blog's readers to experience the wealth of His Word in a new way.]

This year I've been learning about praying Scripture for people in our lives. For some reason I'd either missed all previous teaching on this or had never heard it and it just had never occurred to me. But it's been a treasure trove for some of those times when I don't know what to pray for as I ought.

So, on the off chance that I haven't been the only one in the dark about this, I thought I'd post about how it works.

It's simple. You take a passage of Scripture and turn each phrase into a prayer for a person or persons. So, the other night I thought that I should pray for a friend who needed wisdom to make a decision. I ended up reading Ephesians 1 and praying through verses 15 to 20. Here's how those verses go:

Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,

Paul here basically gives an outline of what he prayed for the believers at Ephesus, which makes it even easier to follow. So you might begin by giving thanks to God for the person you're praying for, and for that person's love for the saints, and then take each of the rest of the phrases and break them down into a prayer.

In praying through the passage, more than in my previous readings of it, I noticed the magnitude of what God has promised us in Christ, and the amazing gravity of the things we can pray for each other.

What would happen if we were constantly bringing our brothers and sisters to the Lord in prayer asking

- that they would see ever more clearly the lordship of Christ and the glory of the Father
- that they would have a spirit of revelation and wisdom in the knowledge of Him
- that their prayers to know Him more would be answered
- that the eyes of their understanding would be enlightened
- that they may know the hope of His calling
- that they may know the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints
- that they may know the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe
- that they may know that the power we have in Christ is the same mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead

???

And that's only one passage.

He is good!

Peter

Having arrested Him, they led Him and brought Him into the high priest’s house.

But Peter followed at a distance.

Now when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them. And a certain servant girl, seeing him as he sat by the fire, looked intently at him and said, “This man was also with Him.” But he denied Him, saying, “Woman, I do not know Him.”

And after a little while another saw him and said, “You also are of them.” But Peter said, “Man, I am not!”

Then after about an hour had passed, another confidently affirmed, saying, “Surely this fellow also was with Him, for he is a Galilean.” But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are saying!” Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed.

And the Lord turned and looked at Peter.

Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.”

So Peter went out and wept bitterly.

Luke 22:54-62

For the disciples, the night of Jesus' trial was a disaster. All their dreams had fallen to pieces. Their fellowship was broken, their Lord was arrested, and they scattered.

Peter's version of the story hit me hard tonight. Peter was full of energy and verve and bravado and plans -- plans to be at the right hand of the victorious Messiah, brandishing a sword and seeing that what was wrong was made right.

Then in a couple of hours everything changed.

Bravado and plans changed to denial and shame.

It is hard to imagine the heartbreak contained in the sentences, "Then the Lord turned and looked at Peter," "Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord," and "So Peter went out and wept bitterly."

* * *

How did the Peter of that night become the Peter we meet in Acts 2, or the Peter who wrote 1 Peter and 2 Peter?

Re-reading Peter's story tonight made me think differently about a passage from his letters that we seem to hear a lot:

Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil.

1 Peter 3:13-17

Something happened between "Woman, I do not know Him," and "always [be] prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you . . . with gentleness and respect."

* * *

Let's not take this Easter week lightly.

fellow laborers

A couple Saturdays ago I got to be part of a great conversation with Mary and Lisa (two of the most cheerful servants I know) about Christian service and the joys of serving others. Also that week I was able to talk with Elsa about taking time for private worship. Then on Monday with Aura about missions, martyrdom, and complete surrender to Christ. Thursday with Don about evangelism and the beauty of working together in the body of Christ. Friday with Paul about discovering new things while reading Genesis and Exodus. Yesterday and today with Becky about prayer and hanging in there even when it seems like God is not answering.

Looking back on each of these conversations, I see how God has been filling out my understanding of the spiritual disciplines we've been studying on Thursday nights through the living, breathing examples He has placed in my life.

Has anyone else been having similar experiences? What have you been learning about spiritual disciplines as you put them into practice during the week? How has the practice of spiritual disciplines impacted your days?

Yup, this is an invitation to comment!

See you in the comment box!

heads up

Here's a link to the Department of State page for how to get a passport:

How to Apply in Person for a Passport

It's always a good idea to apply when you're not rushed for time, especially right now while there is a passport crunch and some delay is inevitable.

Jesus wants me for a sunbeam

Last weekend the youth had a discipleship weekend where they studied and practiced some of the spiritual disciplines that we've been learning about on Thursday nights.

On Saturday morning they went out for service projects -- cleaning windows, planting flowers, and pulling weeds.

I spent some time with them on Saturday afternoon and heard from members of all three service groups (window-cleaning girls, flower-planting boys, and weed-pulling boys) what a great experience it was. Some things the kids noted were that

- it felt good to help someone
- they were able to meet people they'd seen before at church but didn't really know
- the people they helped really appreciated being helped
- they were encouraged by the responses of those they'd served, so that they walked away remembering smiles or kind words or cookies shared, not dirt or sweat or weeds

It was encouraging to me to see the true joy experienced by younger brothers and sisters in Christ who were able to share His love in service to others. While so many youth activities cater to "what will the kids get out of it," this was an opportunity to learn firsthand that it really is better to give than to receive.

It made me think about the ways that the life Jesus calls us to live is fundamentally different from what the world offers us -- but infinitely better.

He calls us to live for Him and not for ourselves, but in the process we find true freedom and the joy that comes from being a channel of His abundant love.

He calls us to abandon worldly pleasures in obedience to His commands, but in the process we find that the world's pleasures are only cheap imitations of His good gifts.

He calls us to discipline ourselves in service to Him, but along the way we come to know the exhilaration of running wholeheartedly toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

May His call change the way we look at every aspect of our lives -- the way we interact with people, the way we spend our time, and, yep -- the way we wash windows and pull weeds.

promise

For a month now I've been thinking about God as "the Faithful One who has never broken a promise."

Instead of the thought getting smaller and more manageable and familiar and sorted out with the passing of time, it keeps getting more awesome and incredible and weighty and earth-shaking.

He has never broken a promise. Never. Not in the thousands of years of human existence. Not ever. And He never will.

He gives THAT much importance to His Word.

He is the Faithful One who has never broken a promise.

How can our lives show that?

Hello, my father just died.

Here's a link to the article that Don read from on Thursday night.

I know Who holds my hand

This week I have been praying through some things and fighting hard to seek God's will instead of my own. All the while I keep running up against the picture of God as a perfect, compassionate, gentle Heavenly Father. When I think of Him that way, I see the foolishness of my doubt and I see my second-guessing as an offense to His perfect provision.

Sometimes I feel like He is telling me just to let go and hold His hand.

If you have ever been blessed with the trust of a little child, you know what a precious, innocent treasure it is. To a little one who lives in love with his or her daddy, there is no safer place than Daddy's arms, no more secure place to hold on to than Daddy's strong hand. The eyes of a child looking up at Daddy the Protector and Guide are eyes full of perfect trust.

Why should I give my Heavenly Father any less?

Today I was thinking about this hand-holding picture again and thought of two ways it should change the way I live from day to day (including the way I pray). Here they are:

My Joy

HE loves me! When I want to measure my happiness in a wealth of human affection, or in circumstances, or in my health, or in how well my day went at school, I need to remember the eternal, unquenchable fountain of joy that is my perfect Father's love. He has given His life as my ransom. And He wants me to be with Him in heaven. And He has promised that He has a plan for me. The joy of the Lord is my strength.

My Hope

Like the old song says, "my hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness." Nothing less! How often do I build my hope on things that don't last? Why do I so easily settle for less than the glorious hope He has given me? "I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus' name." What fading earthly things am I building on while Christ our Rock has offered me Himself as a foundation?

May we all be as beloved children, never doubting the wisdom, power, and provision of the Father Who firmly holds our hand.

At that time Jesus answered and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.

All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Matthew 11:25-30

captives

A public university is a good place to learn . . .

about people.

Today a discussion about moral standards in my Communication in Groups & Teams class (yes, that is a real class) turned into a group therapy session. A significant portion of the discussion was devoted to "what would you do if you found out your significant other was cheating."

I was boggled by the definition of "cheating."

One girl explained the discussions she and her boyfriend had had about "would I forgive you if you were cheating," then wrapped up by saying that she knew he wasn't one she would marry and that sooner or later they'll break up and she'll be really down for about a month and then get over it.

Every once in a while someone in the class would make a comment about marriage. I couldn't figure out what the definition of that was, either. As best as I could figure, marriage is a really special kind of embellishment you add to a relationship that means a lot to you -- for as long as that relationship means a lot to you. After that, get out as fast as you can.

It was sad.

Later I had another experience off campus that emphasized the kind of moral vacuum that exists when the world looks at relationships between men and women.

On one side, this is a deep tragedy -- for the men and women who make the wrong decisions, and for the children who live with the consequences.

On another side, this is an awesome opportunity -- to let our standards in our relationships (which are totally foreign to anything the world is used to) shine the light of Christ.

We can let our love as brothers and sisters shine in our faithfulness and kindness in a world where people look at others as instruments for their own pleasure.

We can let our love as children toward parents shine in our obedience and honor in a world where parents and rejected and derided.

We can let our love as future husbands and wives shine in our purity and sincerity in a world where relationships are built on lust and greed.

We can let our love as husbands and wives shine as a picture of Christ and the church in a world where marriage is "been there, done that."

We can let our love as parents shine as we raise children that are citizens of another -- that is, a heavenly -- country in a world that is self-absorbed.

We can let our love as families shine in our harmony and hospitality in a world characterized by houses full of feasting -- with strife.

Marriage is not an accident of the human condition. It's an amazing, intentional picture of Christ's love. Let's defend it, diligently prepare for it, honor it, and live it.

what is fellowship?

At least in my experience, "fellowship" is one of those Christianized words that we use in the church without thinking about what it means.

We use it to describe our time when we get together for dinner with fellow believers. We use it to describe church socials.

But is that really what it's all about?

In The Four Loves, C.S. Lewis compares the camaraderie of friendship with the camaraderie of romantic love, saying that while lovers are content gazing on each other, the gaze of friends is fixed not on each other, but on a common interest or goal. Friendship is being delighted by the same things, being saddened by the same things, walking together toward a common end.

This picture can help us understand what real fellowship is.

Real fellowship isn't patting each other on the back or saying nice things to each other. Real fellowship is challenging each other to be more like Christ, the Author and Finisher of our faith, to Whom we both look in earnest expectation.

Real fellowship isn't covering another person's sin. Real fellowship is what Don talked about last week from Galatians 6: restoring those who are overtaken in a spirit of gentleness.

Real fellowship isn't all laughing and celebrating and having a party. Real fellowship is sharing in another's suffering, need, and pain, and offering earnest prayer through long dark nights.

Real fellowship doesn't observe a distinction between "spiritual things" and "everyday things." Real fellowship is always pointing to Christ and exchanging the wealth of His Word -- on days other than Sunday.

Real fellowship is not an end in itself. Real fellowship is only a preview of a totally Christ-centered life in Heaven.

audience of One

Yesterday my mom got a call from one of her friends from high school -- she called to say that her daughter was going to be on last night's American Idol. So, for the first time ever, we tuned into Fox to witness the Idol phenomenon.

It was one of the saddest things I have ever seen.

There was this one guy who said he never felt accepted by his mom until he broke to the next round of the show. Eventually came the round where he didn't break, and when he called to tell her, she hung up on him.

And then there was a girl who did break, and who exulted sincerely into the camera, "God likes good people," pointing to herself.

It was a celebration of unabashed selfishness.

It was a showcase for people who have no basis for their own self-worth.

It was a throbbing tribute to the pain and futility of living for what you can earn and hold and enjoy.

I kept wanting to jump through the screen and say "It doesn't matter!!! Give up this worthless thing and find something real to laugh and cry and scream and whoop over!"

But that is where most of our world lives.

Once again I was reminded of the importance of the "song" that we sing in our lives. Who are we singing for? What are we singing about?

All of the songs I saw sung on Idol last night were about love. But over and over again the singers displayed that they knew nothing about love. Some showed that they were unloved. Many many others showed that they were unloving.

Praise be to God that He gives us the assurance that we are loved and that HE is Love. That is a song worth singing.

because He has dealt bountifully with us

As a musician with regular musician-related tasks, it's not really possible for me to get away from music. So maybe it's not surprising that I can't imagine life without it.

But it continues to amaze me that there is so much music and singing in the Bible.

We look to music when we are full of victory and joy. We look to music when we are full of sorrow and despair.

What we sing -- and whether we sing -- is a vital part of our testimony to people we meet. We have been saved from a hopeless, desperately ugly eternal captivity to sin. Are we singing the kind of victory song that's described here in Psalm 126?

When the LORD brought back the captivity of Zion,
We were like those who dream.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
And our tongue with singing.

Then they said among the nations,
“The LORD has done great things for them.”
The LORD has done great things for us,
And we are glad.

Bring back our captivity, O LORD,
As the streams in the South.

Those who sow in tears
Shall reap in joy.
He who continually goes forth weeping,
Bearing seed for sowing,
Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing,
Bringing his sheaves with him.

Do our laughter and our singing draw the attention of the nations?

Do you have a song?

(P.S. -- I can't help but add this. If anybody out there thinks singing is a "girly" activity, check out I Chronicles 6:33 and see what the original he-man was up to.)

A Mind Like Muller's

Thursday’s thoughts on Muller sent me to the Christian Ethereal Classics Library searching for thoughts directly from Muller. I found a book by Andrew Murray on Prayer with a section entitled, George Muller, and the Secret of His Power in Prayer. Muller’s story is worth your reading time. You’ll find it here.

As clearly as Muller’s life displays the power of our prayer hearing God, it also demonstrates the efficacy of the word of God in the heart of His children. After years of depending on commentaries and other works, Muller committed himself to reading Scripture alone; he estimated the benefit of a few hours of study of God’s word to exceed months spent in the writings of men. On obedience to Scripture Muller said, “‘It had pleased God, in His abundant mercy, to bring my mind into such a state, that I was willing to carry out into my life whatever I should find in the Scriptures.”

Pray that we would all have that same mind - that we would all say, “Whatever I find in Your Word Lord God is what I will carry out in my life!” We all ask God for direction, wisdom, and guidance. Let’s commit not only to ask to know His will, but also to dive into His word with a readiness to live what we read. As we develop pure obedience to the Word of God I am confident we will find wisdom for each step on our journey home. What better way to acknowledge him in all our ways than to carry out everything we find in His Word? (Prov. 3:6)

Don’t know where to start reading? Check out what the Sermon on the Mount says about how we should live. Matthew 6-7

wrestling, swords, and dart-throwing

Monday was my first day of school.

In my preparation for this semester, and even on Monday as I drove to school, I had resolved to think of myself as a missionary on my campus: sharing the love of Christ is my reason for being there, as much as to earn my degree or learn new things.

As I walked around the campus, sat in my classrooms, and met some new people, I was overwhelmed by a flood of doubts about my missionary resolution: They won't understand, won't want to hear, won't like you, if you take a stand in some class you'll say the wrong thing and do more harm than good, what if someone really does have an argument that can shatter your faith, you're just a hypocrite and tow one line at home and church because that's where it's easy, just concentrate on your classes and don't let other people sink in, you've always failed before, and on and on.

I got home feeling pummelled, physically exhausted, and convinced -- in a spirit of fear -- that my effort to be a light on campus would fail.

Later that day a friend sent me an e-mail:

I prayed for you this morning. That God would make you a light on [your] campus. That you would shine brightly and would display the loveliness of Christ to your professors and peers.

So it went something like this:

(1) I purpose to be a light on campus
(2) Someone prays for me to be a light on campus
(3) Doubt attack! Fear attack! Doubt attack! Attack! Attack!!! ATTACK!

Coincidence?

I don't think so.

Guys, we are in a serious battle. It is no small thing to want to show the love and light of Christ.

We need to stay in the Word. We need to encourage each other with the truth of Christ. We need to pray boldness -- for ourselves and for each other.

We need to remember that it's not of our own strength or our own merit that we are able to reflect the light of Christ, but only through His strength and all-sufficient merit. By the same token, ours isn't to bring about fruit but to plant the seed and trust Him to bring the increase.

And we would all do well to keep Paul's admonitions from Ephesians 6 close at hand:

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.

Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.

And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

losing weight[s]

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12:1-2

This morning I was reading a commentary on Hebrews 12 by F.B. Meyer and ran into some potent reflections on the idea of weights we foolishly carry around with us. Here's some of what Meyer says:

No man would think of maintaining a high speed encompassed with weights. The lads who run for a prize litter the course with garments flung away in their eager haste. There would be little difficulty in maintaining an intense and ardent spirit if we were more faithful in dealing with the habits and indulgences which cling around us and impede our steps.

Thousands of Christians are like water-logged vessels. They cannot sink; but they are so saturated with inconsistencies and worldliness and permitted evil that they can only be towed with difficulty into the celestial port.

Meyer points out that this idea of "weights" is not the same as sin. A weight, he says, can be "something which others account harmless, and permit, and in which you once saw no cause for anxiety, but which you now look on with a feeling of self-condemnation."

It may be a friendship which is too engrossing; a habit which is sapping away our energy as the tap-root the fruit bearing powers of a tree; a pursuit, an amusement, a pastime, a system of reading, a method of spending time, too fascinating and absorbing, and therefore harmful to the soul -- which is tempted to walk when it should run, and to loiter when it should haste.

-- from F.B. Meyer on Hebrews, published in Parallel Classic Commentary on the New Testament: Calvin (Mark Water, ed.)

Hard words, eh?

What are your weights?

note those who so walk

A couple of weeks ago a friend reminded me of the Jim Elliot quote, "wherever you are, be all there."

When Jim Elliot said "all there," he meant it. For him, being all there meant giving up all he had -- his future, his family, and his life -- as a martyr in the jungle of Ecuador (read more of the story here).

Being "all there" is hard, especially while we live in a culture so saturated with distractions.

But most often what keeps me from being "all there" isn't a cell phone or an internet browser or an iPod (it probably helps that I don't own an iPod...). What keeps me from being "all there" -- fully engaged in whatever I believe God has called me to do -- is wondering what other people think of me, trying to figure out how the "Now" God has marked out connects with all the "Later" plans I've worked out for myself, or allowing myself to be defeated by sin.

Sometimes, in my human wisdom, I decide that being "all there" is dangerous, because I might put my safety at risk or miss some other opportunity that would be bigger and better. I worry that wholeheartedly following God's plan will compromise my well-being.

It isn't a new worry.

In fact, Jesus warned against it over 2,000 years ago:

“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. -- Mathew 6:31-34

In His providence He gives us the imperative -- and the amazing liberty -- to be "all there," following Him.

Will we?

is this me?

Cartoon (c) 2007 by Ben Lansing (www.benlansing.com, www.tttblog.com)

not my life

The other night I was reading selections from The Christian's Daily Walk, a commentary on Christian life by Puritan Henry Scudder.

Along the way Scudder commented that we are stewards of the lives we are given.

"Steward" is one of those now-Christianized terms that seems to have lost the impact of its meaning. It has been defined as, "a person who manages another's property or financial affairs; one who administers anything as the agent of another or others."

This is a shocking concept if you think about it, because it means that we can claim no ownership of our own lives at all. In legal terms, to be an agent is to be fully responsible for every action to the person for whom you are acting.
So, to adopt Scudder's way of thinking, we are actually accountable to someone else for every single minute we spend on this earth.

While it is a position of heavy responsibility, the position of agent is also one of honor, since the person who uses the agent (the "principal," in legalese) trusts the agent to make the best use of his property.

The Bible has a lot to say about stewards and stewardship. As you have time, it is a helpful activity to look at the places where this word comes up in Scripture.

And think about these questions:

• Am I operating as if I'm a steward of the life God's given me?
• How do I demonstrate that stewardship?
• Am I a good steward of my material possessions?
• Would I treat my possessions differently if they weren't mine, but belonged to someone who had ultimate authority over me?
• Am I a good steward of the relationships God has placed in my life?
• What does it mean to be a "steward of the manifold grace of God"?

But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers. And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.” Be hospitable to one another without grumbling. As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

-- 1 Peter 4:7-11

prayer meeting update

Thanks to all who prayed at and for the prayer meeting Sunday night. It was a refreshing and challenging time of giving thanks and praying big things for 2007.

Please be praying specifically
- that God would give us a heart to love and welcome people into our group in 2007
- that God would give us a clear vision for mission work we should pursue in 2007

inspiration on the oldies station

There was no post this week. There were final exams instead.

But, after some thinking, I thought that instead of posting nothing at all I could post the title of the post I was planning to write, which I think sufficiently explains where I was going.

It was,

"Santa, Baby" and Thoughts on Prayer

times and seasons

Then God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years; and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth”; and it was so.

Then God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also. God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth, and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. So the evening and the morning were the fourth day.

Genesis 1:14-19

I remember reading this a few years ago and realizing for the first time just how significant times and seasons are to human existence. God created them and explained them and set it all up before there even were people.

Astrology has given the heavenly bodies a bad rap in Christian circles. It is good for us to think about the sun and moon and stars as the special gifts God made them, and glorify Him for that.

It is also important to realize that He has wired us to recognize and relate to times and seasons.

As we approach New Year's day and the dawn of 2007, we can look at it as a God-given reminder to take stock of where He has brought us this season and where He is leading us the next.

Let's start praying now for the new year.

And please pray for the prayer meeting we'll be having on New Year's Eve, that those who are planning it would have discernment and that Christ would be glorified through our time together, our prayers, and in His answers.

supplication for the saints

Here's a great idea for a resolution to make for the new year (or before . . .):

Praying for your Pastor

the engrafted word

Lately we've been talking about the Word of God and all that it is. Last night Nate challenged us to be people who tremble at God's Word.

How can we get there?

Here's one suggestion:

Four Steps to Transform Your Life (a longer version here).

If you're not ready to try it with a long book, try it with a short one (maybe 1, 2, or 3 John, or James or Philippians).

And as you read, remember this promise we read on Sunday morning, from Isaiah 55:

For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven,
And do not return there,
But water the earth,
And make it bring forth and bud,
That it may give seed to the sower
And bread to the eater,
So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me void,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
- Isaiah 55:10-11

relativism antidote

This is for everyone who is out there having discussions in college classrooms, cafeterias, or coffee shops. Here's something you may be hungry to hear (I know that I am, after school today):

There is objective truth.

It can be known.

It is exclusive.

I will say that again:

Truth is exclusive.

Truth is exclusive.

Truth is exclusive.

This means that there are things that are right, and, necessarily, things that are wrong. If we don't have a truth that can withstand attack and be the ONLY when everyone else's "truth" is one of the many, then we don't have anything worth sharing.

Jesus said that He is the way, the truth, and the life. We also know that His Word is truth. And we also know that He has sent the Holy Spirit to remind us of the things He said and to accomplish His work in the hearts of those who listen.

Because of the help of the Spirit, we are not alone when we study or share the Word of God. And we can be assured that the truth we find there is the real thing, not one of a million equally viable options for what we can choose to accept as our own personal "truth."

This is hard to live out in a classroom where you may be the only person who [knowingly] acknowledges the existence of objective truth in the first place.

Let's pray for each other that we would be bold to share God's truth with the people in the house or desk or cubicle next to ours.

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.

Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

-Ephesians 6:10-20

See you tomorrow night!

giving thanks

Happy Thanksgiving everybody!

Please be praying for the Thanksgiving dinner at church tomorrow, that God would be glorified in all that happens and that people would be drawn closer to Him. And everybody who'll be there, know you're being prayed for!

This week, in between wrapping up school and fighting with turkeys on the frozen food aisle, I've been thinking about the importance of giving thanks. It makes me think about the story of Jesus and the ten lepers in Luke 17:

11 Now it happened as He went to Jerusalem that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. 12 Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off. 13 And they lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” 14 So when He saw them, He said to them, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.”

And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed.

15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, 16 and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan. 17 So Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? 18 Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” 19 And He said to him, “Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.”

It seems like a lot of times I mean to say "thank you" to God or to give Him the glory for something He's done, but not so often that I actually do it. Even when I do these things in private prayer, how often do I verbally give God the glory in front of other people?

In the past couple of months I've been very encouraged by hearing Christian brothers and sisters at church directly giving glory to God for things that He's accomplished in their lives. When we step out in obedience and give Him the glory, we really don't know what He plans to work out through that. Many times I think He works it out for the encouragement of others in ways we would never understand.

Let's not be like the nine lepers who never came back to Jesus, so that He will not look at us and ask, "were there not any found who returned to give glory to God?"

variations on a theme

Hey all, check this out this week if you get a chance:

Thank God for an Inspired Bible

It is a sermon by John Piper on the inspiration of Scripture (just exactly what we were talking about Thursday night!).

God is good!

on being drunk

Last Thursday night we studied 1 Thessalonians 5, which includes this passage:

1 But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. 2 For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. 3 For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. 4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. 5 You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. 6 Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. 8 But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation.

Those who were there on Thursday will remember the story Nate shared about the conversation he'd had with the proprietor of a Middle Eastern restaurant. When Nate explained his job teaching young people about God, the man replied by describing how "drunk" people in the US seem when it comes to God and religion.

The Random House dictionary has a good definition of drunk: "being in a temporary state in which one's physical and mental faculties are impaired by an excess of alcoholic drink." But how does having one's "physical and mental faculties" impaired relate to the American perspective on God?

In the abstract, there are a couple of applications. People are made "drunk" by consumerism and a lifestyle of plenty. And made drunk by the constant drive for entertainment and things that occupy our minds without exercising them. And made drunk by a culture that insists that there are no consequences, that what John Lennon imagined is a good thing.

But I saw some concrete applications of this on Saturday when our FAITH team was doing some door-to-door visiting. We went from house to house passing out MCBC brochures and asking people if we could pray for them. Several people declined our offer with variations of "everything's good, thanks." One man told us that his family had a bad year last year, but that they didn't need prayer this year because things were much better. Another lady said that her family didn't need prayer because everyone was in good health. A couple people waved off Jim's or Nate's mention of Jesus with "I really don't want to get into that right now."

Part of me wants to assume that the people who waved us off were secretly hiding their true feelings of spiritual depravity and struggling desperately to silence the voice of the yawning God-shaped void that infuses all their waking and sleeping hours.

But I think that, truthfully, most were probably just drunk. They say "things are good" because they believe "things are good."

How can we get people to stop being drunk? How can we get them to see that there is a heaven, a hell, and a just God who vehemently hates their sin? How can we help them to know that there is a love, joy, and peace in living for Christ's glory that is greater and deeper and sweeter than anything the world has to offer?

I don't know.

But I know one thing that would help:

not being drunk ourselves.

In the psalms, David used very vivid imagery to depict his hunger and thirst for God:

As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God.

My soul thirsts for You; my flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water.

Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none on earth that I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness.

I spread out my hands to You; my soul longs for You like a thirsty land.

In our post-agrarian culture it is hard to understand the picture of a "thirsty land," just as it is hard to understand what true hunger and thirst are. We are fed abundantly. Our needs -- and, beyond that, our wants -- rarely go unsatiated.

So, here's an idea. Maybe we should try practicing hunger once in a while. Yep, practicing hunger. In other words, fasting.

The most common type of fast is a fast from food for a pre-determined number of meals or days. Plan to spend a fast day in prayer, and let the growling stomach or the caffeine-deprivation headache remind you to be back on your knees before God.

There are other types of fasts, too. These kinds of fasts can help us realize how attached we are to things in our lives that may be dulling our hunger for God. Other types of fasts could be

• fasts from TV
• fasts from the Internet
• fasts from video games
• fasts from movies or going to the movies
• fasts from instant messaging or text messaging

If anything on this list makes you think, "fasting from that would be impossible!" think twice about whether that may be the fast for you.

Let's be hungry, thirsty people.

new [!] and improved [?]

Just to add some semblance of regularity to this blog, I'm going to experiment with some regular postage (so maybe it should be "posting").

The schedule is . . .

• long post on Wednesday
• Thursday night Bible study follow-up on Friday
• announcements whenever

Eventually we may expand to Sunday School and sermon follow-up . . .

Until then, check back on Wednesdays and Fridays for new content.

thanks to Elsa . . .

for the reminder that this Sunday is the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church.

Here are some readings on persecution and the Christian life:

Hebrews 13:3
Matthew 5:10-12
Proverbs 24:11
2 Timothy 3

mirrored here, may our lives tell Your story

Yesterday in my journeys around the internet I ended up in a little neighborhood of atheist/secularist/infidel web sites, and eventually at the web site for the book An Infidel Manifesto: Why Sincere Believers Lose Faith.

I thought I was beyond being discouraged or muddled by this stuff.

I was wrong.

Something about questions like "why does a good God allow children to suffer?" is perennially disturbing. I know (head knowledge) answers to these kinds of questions, but it's easy to start thinking "you know, I think the cynic has a point there . . ."

Reading through the cynic stuff, though, I was struck by the cynic's implied assumption (impressive Greek word for this: enthymeme) -- God exists to make US happy. Operating off this assumption, if there is sadness, pain, or unfairness in the world, then God isn't doing His job.

A lot of Christians tend to operate off this same assumption. And we measure happiness the same way the world does: nice stuff, success, the absence of suffering.

But Jesus gave us a different assumption and a different measure. God, in seeking His own ultimate joy and happiness, subjected His only Son not only to excruciating physical agony, but to the more intense agony of complete separation from Himself. Why did He do this? One reason is so that we could be with Him at His right hand, knowing "pleasures forevermore."

The ultimate reason is to bring glory to HIMSELF.

Does God care about joy? Yes. Does joy exclude suffering? No. Could joy -- true, deep joy -- even exist without suffering?

Are there times that human suffering brings God more glory than plain vanilla happiness ever could? You bet.

Something about this idea grates on our human nature, and I think it's probably one of those lessons that takes a lifetime (and then some) to learn.

---------------------------------
P.S. -- Here's a good article I found this week about the relationship between pain, joy, and God's ultimate glory:

Unexpected Callings
by Suzanne Hadley

to chew on

Here's a link to the set of biographies that Nate was talking about tonight.

Dig in!

And if you listen/read one that you think would be good for others in the group to see/hear, go ahead and post a comment about it.

SO not Hollywood

As young adults, we're in a season of decision-making.

Whether it's jobs, location, or relationships, we're making ties now that will impact our lives, the lives of our families, and the lives of our children (and grandchildren and great-grandchildren).

In all of those choices, the world is screaming at us to do what feels good. Find the job that feels good. Find the place that feels good. Find the relationship that feels good.

What God asks us to do couldn't be more different. He asks for submission. Complete obedience. But the best part is that He does this for our (and His) ultimate joy. How many jobs, places, or relationships that feel good at first end up being totally wrong later?

But submission is hard. And it helps to have examples of people who have been there already and made the right decisions.

One of the most challenging things I've read on this topic is the letter that an aspiring missionary, Adoniram Judson, then in his early twenties, wrote to the father of the girl he wanted to pursue in marriage.

Is this the kind of vision we have for the choices that we're making right now?

I have now to ask, whether you can consent to part with your daughter early next spring, to see her no more in this world; whether you can consent to her departure, and her subjection to the hardships and sufferings of missionary life; whether you can consent to her exposure to the dangers of the ocean, to the fatal influence of the southern climate of India; to every kind of want and distress; to degradation, insult, persecution, and perhaps a violent death. Can you consent to all this, for the sake of him who left his heavenly home, and died for her and for you; for the sake of perishing, immortal souls; for the sake of Zion, and the glory of God? Can you consent to all this, in hope of soon meeting your daughter in the world of glory, with the crown of righteous, brightened with the acclamations of praise which shall redound to her Savior from heathens saved, through her means, from eternal woe and despair?

(P.S. -- Her father let her decide, she said yes, and -- because of the same dangers Adoniram foresaw -- she died on the mission field 13 years later. Both husband and wife are in heaven today, along with the children they buried and the Burmese people they led to Christ.)