The first overseas missionary from North America, Adoniram Judson, wrote a letter to his to-be wife's father asking not only for her hand in marriage but hand in the mission of God. Be inspired.
"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 incluence 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 righteousness, brightened with the acclamations of praise which shall redound to her Savior from heathens saved, through her means, from eternal woe and despair?"
Her father let her choose...and she said "Yes".
Again, Piper comments, "God does not call us to ease, but to faithful joy. He is closing in on some of you, smiling and with tears in his eyes, knowing how much of himself he is going to show you and how much it will cost. I pray that you will not turn away."
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Good News
"Gospel" Why does that word not ring 'good news' in everyone's ear that hears it? Why are there so many ideas of what it is? In our evangelism class we are supposed to do some thinking about the Good News of the Gospel (good news of the good...news..).
What is it?
What does it consist of?
What are the core elements?
Here are my thoughts. The Gospel huge. It's not simply heaven after earth. It's not simply a personal relationship with God. It's not just peace in our lives. It's not just justice. It's not simply payment for my sins. It is ALL of that and MUCH more. And thus the reason for my struggle to put it into a neat, compact, explainable package.
Here's what I've been taught the gospel is. In a simple 4 point presentation:
1. God has a plan for my life, a great plan. That's great news!
2. The bad news is that I like all mankind have sinned and fallen short of God's perfection.
3. But Jesus who was God and sinLESS took my penalty, physical and spiritual death, spiritual being life w/o a relationship with God, upon himself thus opening the way to relationship with God and this great plan he has for my life.
4. Although Jesus died for the whole world, we must each accept it personally, individually by turning from our previous way of sin and toward God who now is empowering us by his grace for a new life.
Man just writing that makes me feel refreshed. I thought I was going to use this section to bash how incomplete it is and self serving and individualistic but that's not how I understand it now. But don't many of those who live in a self serving, individualistic culture see this presentation in such a way that it feeds that mentality? Probably so. Anyhow, that is a good skeleton of the gospel, or maybe it's an appetizer. You know, it's a part of the whole meal but only giving you a taste of the goodness and quality of the whole thing. So what would I add?
1. God has a plan for my life and it includes becoming what I was always meant to be. It's like the mountain bike that's always sat in the shop or been ridden to class, chained up outside, then ridden home. Sure it's a mt. bike but it's not fully alive until it flies on the single track! The best part about this plan it that it has always included RELATIONSHIP with GOD. As a car only sits and rolls w/o gas, so we only live in part until we are filled with God's presents in our lives. We were made to reflect the greatness of God!
2. I think the reality of the KINGDOM OF GOD, or maybe better understood as the Rule of God, or Government of God or Way of God is a huge part of the gospel. When Jesus sent the disciples out two by two he told them to "go and preach the kingdom of God". In the kingdom of God there is plenty for everyone. We have all we need. Therefore, we can live selflessly in love toward all peoples when before we could only have coveted and lied and stolen and harmed them! God is now President of the World, well he always has been but the good news is that you didn't know He was and in fact you were on his list of enemies and were not receiving the benefits of his governing. Man I could go on about his protection and how he has our best interests in mind and tells us about how to live in the Bible and through Jesus...
3. Guilt, Shame, Punishment, Hopelessness can be all gone because of Jesus. Just that alone is good news! God holds nothing against you. Forgiveness has been given. Jesus took your punishment on the Cross. You are not what you've done. You can now be the person you always knew you should be but never could become on your own!!
4. PLEASURE! PLEASURE! PLEASURE! PLEASURE! AND MORE....YOU GOT IT, PLEASURE! How this can be missed in the gospel. Joy is now available with out constraint. We've been going to the wrong places for joy and pleasure. We've been digging empty wells do drink from and now a well that never runs dry is now inside of us. No longer are we enslaved to hurting others so that we can find pleasure or trapped by buying things to bring us joy just to find that that very thing causes us more hopelessness when it finally fails us. No, Now we have the most valuable, soul satisfying, pleasure giving being ever among us. And what he has done is brilliant! He has wired us to boast in, brag on, sing about, spend on, dream about, write about, paint about, WORSHIP, that which brings us most pleasure and satisfaction...and that has now become HIM. So the more we find our satisfaction and pleasure in God, naturally, the more we glorify him and thus the more we live into our created purpose and thus the more satisfied we are and thus the more God is glorified and thus the more we live into our created purpose and thus the more God is glorified and thus the more we live into our created purpose and thus... you get the point! Brilliant!
5. And finally, All this with ever increasing intensity for E T E R N I T Y! We don't fear death. We will be raised just like Jesus was and is living forever in the presence of God. What's good about this is that I, again, don't have to selfishly hoard things for myself but can be generous and thus make others glad in God by introducing them to Jesus and this Good News.
Finally, even my little unpacking of the Good News is lacking so much. Just giving it more time I know I've got more I would write. And even in writing out the details I still couldn't capture it all. Maybe that's why Jesus said things like, "The kingdom of God is like a farmer who found a treasure in a field. In his Joy, he sold all he had and bought that field"
What is it?
What does it consist of?
What are the core elements?
Here are my thoughts. The Gospel huge. It's not simply heaven after earth. It's not simply a personal relationship with God. It's not just peace in our lives. It's not just justice. It's not simply payment for my sins. It is ALL of that and MUCH more. And thus the reason for my struggle to put it into a neat, compact, explainable package.
Here's what I've been taught the gospel is. In a simple 4 point presentation:
1. God has a plan for my life, a great plan. That's great news!
2. The bad news is that I like all mankind have sinned and fallen short of God's perfection.
3. But Jesus who was God and sinLESS took my penalty, physical and spiritual death, spiritual being life w/o a relationship with God, upon himself thus opening the way to relationship with God and this great plan he has for my life.
4. Although Jesus died for the whole world, we must each accept it personally, individually by turning from our previous way of sin and toward God who now is empowering us by his grace for a new life.
Man just writing that makes me feel refreshed. I thought I was going to use this section to bash how incomplete it is and self serving and individualistic but that's not how I understand it now. But don't many of those who live in a self serving, individualistic culture see this presentation in such a way that it feeds that mentality? Probably so. Anyhow, that is a good skeleton of the gospel, or maybe it's an appetizer. You know, it's a part of the whole meal but only giving you a taste of the goodness and quality of the whole thing. So what would I add?
1. God has a plan for my life and it includes becoming what I was always meant to be. It's like the mountain bike that's always sat in the shop or been ridden to class, chained up outside, then ridden home. Sure it's a mt. bike but it's not fully alive until it flies on the single track! The best part about this plan it that it has always included RELATIONSHIP with GOD. As a car only sits and rolls w/o gas, so we only live in part until we are filled with God's presents in our lives. We were made to reflect the greatness of God!
2. I think the reality of the KINGDOM OF GOD, or maybe better understood as the Rule of God, or Government of God or Way of God is a huge part of the gospel. When Jesus sent the disciples out two by two he told them to "go and preach the kingdom of God". In the kingdom of God there is plenty for everyone. We have all we need. Therefore, we can live selflessly in love toward all peoples when before we could only have coveted and lied and stolen and harmed them! God is now President of the World, well he always has been but the good news is that you didn't know He was and in fact you were on his list of enemies and were not receiving the benefits of his governing. Man I could go on about his protection and how he has our best interests in mind and tells us about how to live in the Bible and through Jesus...
3. Guilt, Shame, Punishment, Hopelessness can be all gone because of Jesus. Just that alone is good news! God holds nothing against you. Forgiveness has been given. Jesus took your punishment on the Cross. You are not what you've done. You can now be the person you always knew you should be but never could become on your own!!
4. PLEASURE! PLEASURE! PLEASURE! PLEASURE! AND MORE....YOU GOT IT, PLEASURE! How this can be missed in the gospel. Joy is now available with out constraint. We've been going to the wrong places for joy and pleasure. We've been digging empty wells do drink from and now a well that never runs dry is now inside of us. No longer are we enslaved to hurting others so that we can find pleasure or trapped by buying things to bring us joy just to find that that very thing causes us more hopelessness when it finally fails us. No, Now we have the most valuable, soul satisfying, pleasure giving being ever among us. And what he has done is brilliant! He has wired us to boast in, brag on, sing about, spend on, dream about, write about, paint about, WORSHIP, that which brings us most pleasure and satisfaction...and that has now become HIM. So the more we find our satisfaction and pleasure in God, naturally, the more we glorify him and thus the more we live into our created purpose and thus the more satisfied we are and thus the more God is glorified and thus the more we live into our created purpose and thus the more God is glorified and thus the more we live into our created purpose and thus... you get the point! Brilliant!
5. And finally, All this with ever increasing intensity for E T E R N I T Y! We don't fear death. We will be raised just like Jesus was and is living forever in the presence of God. What's good about this is that I, again, don't have to selfishly hoard things for myself but can be generous and thus make others glad in God by introducing them to Jesus and this Good News.
Finally, even my little unpacking of the Good News is lacking so much. Just giving it more time I know I've got more I would write. And even in writing out the details I still couldn't capture it all. Maybe that's why Jesus said things like, "The kingdom of God is like a farmer who found a treasure in a field. In his Joy, he sold all he had and bought that field"
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Don't Waste Your Life
My new favorite book for 2008 is Don't Waste Your Life by John Piper. You can find a free online copy of the book here. http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/OnlineBooks/ByTitle/1593_Dont_Waste_Your_Life/
It's one of those books that makes you feel like a piece of crap but then gives you so much hope for the changes that can be made in your heart, mind, life and thus world. It's one of those books that I want to read every year. Because, let's face it, WE ARE PRONE TO WASTE OUR LIVES ON LESSER THINGS THAN GLORIFYING GOD BY BEING AND MAKING OTHERS GLAD IN HIM. I'm a pro at wasting my life, how bout you? Watching TV shows that I don't like in the first place but that in the end make me want things I didn't know I wanted before watching them. Spending money on the newest gadget that will totally revolutionize my life or that piece of apparel that will make me feel like the stud I wish I was... You know you've done it! But those kinds of things are wasting my life. Check this out. What kind of questions to you ask when it comes to these things?
What's wrong with it?
What's wrong with this movie?
Or this music?
Or this game?
Or these friends?
Or this way of relaxing?
Or this investment?
Or this restaurant?
Or shopping at this store?
What's wrong with going to the cabin every weekend?
Or having a cabin?
Piper says, "This kind of question will rarely yield a lifestyle that commends Jesus as all-satisfying and makes people glad in God. It simply results in a list of don'ts."
Rather how about these kind of questions.
How will this help me treasure Christ more?
How will it help me show that I do treasure Jesus?
How will it help me know Jesus or display him?
So the questions are mainly positive, not negative, How can I portray God as glorious in this aaction? How can I enjoy making much of him in this behavior?
Because, remember, not doing something bad doesn't mean I am doing something that's good and that's right, important, worthy, glorious or unwasteful.
I'm wasting my life in many ways and though I know of some changes God wants to make in me I know that in a way there will always be ways I waste it and that fact give me more thankfulness for the grandness of God's grace. Until the end comes I will continually fall short of the glory of God even while becoming more like Him.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Meet The Team
The Kirk's Bike Shop Racing Team is coming together pretty quickly.
We now have six members and 4 sponsors. Our sponsors are Kirk's Bike Shop, Community Storage, The Heorot and AWC.
Meet the team:
Mark has been racing for 11 years and has won Championships in
Indiana and Oklahoma. Mark will be racing in the Clydesdale category
this year.
Jason is a newcomer to racing this year and will be racing the Beginner class. Jason is the manager at Kirk’s Bikes Shop.
Thad is a seasoned racer who has taken a few years off but is ready to jump back into the Expert class. Thad is a mechanic at Kirk’s Bike Shop.
Ben has been racing for 5 years and will be in the Sport class in 2008. Ben works at Kirk’s Bike Shop
Jeff Frame: Jeff is a seasoned racer looking forward to racing in the Sport class as well. Jeff works at Motion Analysis and Therapy Complex
Jeff Bracket: This is Jeff's first season racing and will start in the beginner category. Jeff is a professor of religious studies at Ball State.
We now have six members and 4 sponsors. Our sponsors are Kirk's Bike Shop, Community Storage, The Heorot and AWC.
Meet the team:
Mark has been racing for 11 years and has won Championships in Indiana and Oklahoma. Mark will be racing in the Clydesdale category
this year.
Jason is a newcomer to racing this year and will be racing the Beginner class. Jason is the manager at Kirk’s Bikes Shop.
Thad is a seasoned racer who has taken a few years off but is ready to jump back into the Expert class. Thad is a mechanic at Kirk’s Bike Shop. 
Ben has been racing for 5 years and will be in the Sport class in 2008. Ben works at Kirk’s Bike Shop Jeff Frame: Jeff is a seasoned racer looking forward to racing in the Sport class as well. Jeff works at Motion Analysis and Therapy Complex
Jeff Bracket: This is Jeff's first season racing and will start in the beginner category. Jeff is a professor of religious studies at Ball State.
Friday, January 11, 2008
Cycling Team
I've been spending much of my time the last few days preparing a proposal for potential Mountain Bike Racing Team sponsors! It's been pretty fun to use my mac to put the thing together. The mac can do so much more creative stuff in much less time than the PC. Anyway, right now we have a 4 person team and plan to have up to ten people. We are going to race the D.IN.O series this year, www.dinoseries.com, made up of 7 races in different Indiana cities. We'll race another 24hr endurance team race and two Xterra triathlons. We estimate our expenses at $4000 which includes entree fees, travel, jerseys and membership fees. We have one "Title" Sponsor and we want one more. Title Sponsors will be the main sponsors to get the most promotion and we are asking for $1000 for such sponsorship. The next level is a "Medium Jersey" Sponsor who will get a medium sized spot on our jersey and the cost is $250 then finally we have the "Small Jersey" Sponsor who will get...you guessed it... a small spot on our jersey. We have space for 2 Medium and 7 Small Sponsors. We want Muncie local businesses to be involved. We are thinking Pub's and Coffee shops would benefit from being advertised to the "off-road" community. So if anyone out there has any leads, let a brother know!
Happy riding,
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