God Speaks in the Valleys

God speaks mostly clearly and most meaningfully to me in the valleys and the tough times. I think this is true for most people. That God speaks most powerfully in their dark times, not when they are on top of the mountain. 

Why though? 

Perhps becuase when we are on top of the mountain we are so consumed with ourselves and the thrill of the moment, the thrill of the accomplishment that we look to self, success, status or some other idol in our life and not God. 

And when we are in the valley we are most desperate to hear God speak, becuase all of our other idols that we serve have let us down and left us. And we are most desperate for God. 

It's funny though, when we are in the valley how we seek to get out of it as soon as possible rather than be open to what God is speaking to us or doing in us. 

Embrace the valleys.... 

Dark Night of the Soul

Dark Night of the Soul

I've never read the book, but I've experienced this before and feel like I'm coming out of one again.

It's described as a time when you have no desire to do any spiritual exercises that bring you closer to God. Like prayer, reading of scripture, spending time with God. Many people's dark night starts from different reasons or becuase of different hurts, maybe something happened to them, maybe they experienced burnout.

Mine was a hurt from ministry that made me bitter, angry and withdraw from God. I ran from God  and couldn't bring myself back. The interesting thing is that during this time in my heart I still felt like I needed to get back on track, to get un- stuck I kept telling myself tomorrow i'll get back on track tomorrow I'll start praying again, tomorrow I'll spend time with God. And I knew i needed too and I knew that God was speaking that to my heart.

But I kept running , for about 2 weeks. I would listen to worship music to try to get me back in the right mood. But nothing did. I don't know why I couldn't shake the thoughts of wanting to get back and re connected with God. I think part of it was becuase I really wanted to. But I think the other part was perhaps that I believed it was up to me to get back to God, to get myself out of this dark night, to break out of this rut on my own and the only way I could think of was by doing, acting, doing spiritual stuff to get back to God. That it was up to me.

When I read about the dark night of the soul I read an interesting thing. It said something about when we are unable to to outward things that get us closer to God such as prayer, time with God and reading scripture it seems really dark. But what happens on the inside is perhaps worth it. It purges us of religious duty and thinking. This makes sense in some ways and in others I'm not so sure.

But let me share this. This is the one thing I know for sure. The only thing that was capable of breaking the darkness I was in was the power and light of Christ. I did not break out of my dark night on my own. But Christ broke into my dark night. He encouraged me, He spoke truth into my life, He had already broken this dark night on the cross. I have a victor, he is victorious, almighty warrior fighting for me. His name is Jesus.

So while I am still coming out of my dark night, I know one thing for sure, it was Christ who brought me out, not my own efforts. It all comes back to Jesus. He never stops loving, even when we run away, even when we avoid Him, still speaks. When we can't help ourselves out of darkness he breaks into our darkness. His love never fails, it never gives up on me.

The power of Christ is what is powerful, not my own will to love God, but Gods love for me first.

Religion can not save, it only keeps us in our darkness. There is no hope without Christ. Without God loving first

Spiritual and Physical Poverty

This past weekend this quote was on my mind "The spiritual poverty of the Western World is much greater than the physical poverty of our people” - Mother Teresa 

 I was thinking about this in 2 contexts:
-Saturday I watched the movie Blue Like Jazz, in which I heard this quote for the first time. And I began to think about the spiritual emptiness here in America
-Sunday my church had a presentation about the needs of Africa. And I began to think about the needs of the world

So this quote was on my mind and I began to compare and contrast the needs of America and the needs of the rest of the world. Thinking about that quote and thinking about the spiritual poverty in America and the physical poverty and needs of the world at the same time really put things in perspective.
It gave me a better perspective of both needs, the needs of the world and the needs of people right here in America.

Mother Teresa went on to say: “You, in the West, have millions of people who suffer such terrible loneliness and emptiness. They feel unloved and unwanted. These people are not hungry in the physical sense, but they are in another way. They know they need something more than money, yet they don't know what it is.“What they are missing, really, is a living relationship with God.”

I think this is so very true, we have so much here in America, but yet we are such lonely people. We have religion, theology, knowledge and everything, but yet we lack the simplicity of  a living relationship with God so many times.
The people in poverty in the rest of the world have none of the material possessions we have, but yet can seem so much happy in such simplicity.

There are still definitely legitimate needs in the rest of the world, in Africa alone is where 95% of all HIV/AIDS cases are. Having such a simple thing as clean water is still a foreign thing to many people of Africa. The death rate of children in africa is now greater than the birth rate. There are legitimate needs there and we need to step up and help. This continent alone needs so much help. And all the other issues around the world, in India, in South America, Europe, Asia.

But I think when we should more often compare and contrast the spiritual poverty of America to the physical poverty of the world. Because when we do this, I think we see both issues more clearly. Being aware of the physical needs of the world makes me more passionate about the spiritual needs of America. And the spiritual needs of America make me more aware and passionate about the physical needs of the world. 

In the Western World I see so much stuff, so much wealth, so much technology, I see so much. But yet we are so un-grateful and so lonely and empty still
In the rest of the world I see so little stuff and so many needs. But yet so much gratitude, happiness and spiritual wealth at times.

Philly-Area Wide Young Adult Worship Gathering

It has been on my heart now for over 1 year to see an Area wide Worship Gathering for Young Adults and College Students from all over the Philadelphia area. How powerful would that be to see 1) unity throughout the body of Christ across denominational lines 2) hundreds of passionate young adults/college students crying out in worship to God to see their generation and this city of Philadelphia changed by the power of God.

Young Adult ministry is still new and many groups can be on the smaller side. My heart would be that those existing young adult/college groups would take part in this and it would ignite passion and fervor into their local group by coming together with young adults from all around the Philly area. A friend of mine who has been doing youth ministry in Philadelphia for 13 years keeps telling me how there are not many young adult groups or ministries out there in the city.

My prayer is that this monthly gathering would provide a home to young adults seeking a faith community, as well as help start new young adult or college groups or ministries in the area. God has stirred my heart to stop thinking about this, but to make it a reality.

So on Sunday September 11th at 6pm at Calvary Assembly of God in Wyncote (www.thce.org) , it begins. We will be having a special kick-off service with Special Guest Worship form Four24 music. www.four24.com. As well as special music by Justified and BandTastic. And a relevant life-changing message by myself, Young Adult Pastor at Calvary Wyncote.

I can’t wait to see what God starts on Sept 11th and see what happens each 1st Sunday of each month. I’m excited.Flyers, Website and Promo Video coming Soon!

Easter Thoughts and Reflections - All about Surprise

So every major Christian holiday I always have an urge to not just go with the flow and get caught up in saying and thinking the same things that we all do every holiday. I try not to get caught up in the hype and everything, but seek to reflect and ponder and authentically seek contemplate about what happened.

Why? Maybe bc I'm young, I like to go against the grain and i'm just idealistic. Maybe becuae I really do seek and strive after authenticity and dont want something so special to become a mere routine or religious exercise. Maybe a little bit of both.....

Anyway here are my thoughts.....

First... in thinking about the routine and the expected of Easter Sunday at church... I was reminded of the importance of Christians all around the world celebrating the day that Jesus rose from the dead.... Bc as the Apostle Paul says... everything is in vain if Christ did not conquer death..... Everything we do in church would be pointless if not for this one day in history.

So while its easy to think of all the cheesy stuff that goes on on Easter, how routine and commercialzed it can become... even in the church.... We still must not forget the significance of celebrating this day..

Second .... a big theme that stood out to me this Easter was that of "Surprise" in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. Surprise throughout the story of the Bible.

The Mystery that is our salvation - Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.
Why would God chose to work this way to bring salvation. To our logic it makes no sense, to us it would seem folish... But God has chosen the foolish things of this world to shame the wise (1 Cor 1:27)..

This mystery is the surprise of Hope.. God doing things that totally catch us off guard and surprise us... it makes it that much more beautiful.

Surprises throughout the Passion Narrative

Religious Leaders killed Jesus
-Becuase they were unwilling to accept the surprise of the Messiah coming in such an unexpected way with such an unexpected plan... We always think we have God figured out and have him in our little box, that we totally miss his plans and ways... bc we are not open to surprise.

God takes on human flesh
-why the religious leaders accussed Jesus of blasphemy, becuase they expected a messiah, a representative sent of God, not God Himself to show up.... They couldnt even see the beauty and hope in this surprise bec they were too wrapped up in thier own expectations.

Wheat among tares
-the people expected the Messiah to bring his kingdom to power with a military arm and by force... They missed the beauty of the kingdom showing up by death that would lead to life...
...They missed the beauty that the kingdom of God would grow up among and amidst the other kingdoms of this world...

So this brings me to my reflections upon the traditions and things that happen on Easter Sunday in churches

People who have been out of church for a while come back
Its easy for us to think, what is going on in this person's life, they havent been to church in so long, glad they made it out for easter, maybe they'll get saved today for real...
...But do we forget that Story of Easter... It was the relgious people who killed Jesus... the theives and sinners were the people who actually recognized who Jesus was before His crucifixion....
Surprise

We act like the religious people who killed Jesus
-We want Jesus to be the way we want and expected him to be and when He's not... when He surprises you.. how will you act?

God is moving outside the church as much as inside during Easter
-I expereienced this on Good Friday.. Challenged with the idea if we should cancel our community coffee house becuase of good friday.. We didnt... we stayed open.. and had great intereactions with the people who came out... If I had been stuck in my way of expecting God to only move in the church.. I would have missed interactions and missed seeing God at work outside the church

Wheat among the tares
-The day after Easter Sunday speaks volumes in determining the wheat among the tares... Will your life still celebrate the resurection of JEsus the day after Easter
We sing all about Jesus being Lord of our lives on Easter Sunday... what about Easter Monday...the things that you sung that Jesus can save, heal and restore.... will you now live in such a way?

Stop and let God do something in you, before you can do something for Him

"Be still and know I am God"

We need to let life happen to us more often, and stop trying ot make life happen for us

We wanna do so much for God
-But how about simply wanting and letting Him do something in us and to us

The ministry can get so productivity focused at times
We feel we must make things happen for God
We feel we must keep producing fruit
And this is ALL GOOD

Just like it is good to produce fruit as a Christian, the problem is when we get too wrapped up in producing fruit in and of ourselves. And forget that fruit is simply a by-product of what God is doing in us.

Stop and take time to let God do something in your life and ministry, slow down, if He is not working in you and speaking to you, your no good to those you lead or your ministry.

Plan more white space (empty space) in your calendar. Leave time for God to speak and do something in you.

Learning from the Unexpected

You ever learn from someone you think you have nothing to learn from?

It's humbling, but powerful.

It's humbling for my generation (18-30 year olds) especially.

Recently heard an elderly lady in the faith, a devoted follower of Jesus Pray
"Sometimes I just get happy all by myself when I think about your goodness Lord"
Sounds cheesy,but it was at a time when God spoke to me very specifically that day that I needed to learn and hear from those older in the faith then me.

Humbling for a young guy in ministry with all his idealogies and everything still.

But I think in general my generation needs to learn from those who have gone before us in the faith. While our approaches to church and how ministry is done are worlds apart. And while we have seen the mistakes of those who have gone before us in the church and we don't want to repeat them.

There is something that we can learn from the consistency of those in the Faith, who have been for years and still are following Jesus. Their consistency, dedication, persistence. I hope that can be me. So while that line in that prayer sounded very cheesy, there was a lot of power behind it.

someone who for years has followed Jesus and still can get happy just sitting there thinking about God's goodness to her. There is some power in that and i respect it.