let’s keep praying for haiti

Over one week after the earthquake, emergency aid still has not reached many people.  More than 1 million people have lost their homes. Pray that people would receive food, water and basic shelter.

Pray for strength and perseverance for the emergency response workers, deployed from around the world, as they are working long hours in very difficult conditions.

Many people are still awaiting medical treatment and care and supplies are limited.  Please pray for people at King’s Hospital who are having broken bones set and surgeries done with little or no anesthesia.  Pray that medical supplies would get into the hands of doctors at King’s Hospital and others across Port au Prince.

Pray for peace and security.  As days pass and people are still waiting to receive basic supplies, the level of violence is increasing.  At least one emergency worker is reported to have been attacked.  Praise the Lord that our staff are still experiencing relative peace and security. Continue to lift them up in prayer.

Pray for the churches in Haiti, that they would find their strength in Christ in order to comfort their community in the face of great loss.  Many churches have lost their pastors and leaders. Pray for them as they mourn. Pray the global church would continue to support the Haitian church in prayers, with their resources and financial support.

Praise God for the compassion of His Church worldwide in the aftermath of this terrible catastrophe.

what does the bible say about tithing?

Tithing and giving are meant to be a joyful expression of worship and reliance on God.  Unfortunately, many people struggle with this issue.  Tithing can easily become a form of legalism in some churches, and in others, it can be used to promote the prosperity gospel (i.e. give to God and he’ll pay you back double…).  And of course there are many examples of churches and church leaders who have mishandled their ministry’s finances which can cast a cloud of doubt over people who are on the fence about giving. Be that as it may, the Bible has much to say about tithing and giving.

The New Testament actually doesn’t mention the word tithe anywhere. 

you are rich!

It’s so easy to believe that having more money or success will make us happy.  The illusion of contentment is that if we could just get a little more (fill in the blank) we would be satisfied.  When it comes to wealth and money, we often gauge how much we have or don’t have by looking up at those who have more than us.  This makes us feel poor and ungrateful.  But have you ever considered that you are actually rich?  Yes, there are many people who have more money than you, but how many people on earth have LESS than you?  One resource I recommend checking out is The Global Rich List at www.globalrichlist.com.  If you simply plug in your annual income, the website will let you know how you rank in the global scheme of things… and I bet you’ll be surprised where you stand.

So now that you’re rich, what will you do with all that money???

the story of stuff

We finished our teaching series on Philippians yesterday and spent a good part of the time reflecting on contentment and generosity.  In particular, we learned about tithing from the OT and grace giving in the NT.  So this week I plan to post some follow up thoughts on the issue.  I know for many at our church, we haven’t received much teaching on this area of discipleship. Also, if there are any questions about giving, tithing, generosity and the such, feel free to post your questions in the comments section of any post.  I’ll do my best to answer it.

Anyway, here is a cool video called “The Story of Stuff.”  A friend shared this with me a few years ago, and I think it’s well done and makes you think twice about where your “stuff” comes from and what impact it makes around the world.  You can learn more at the website: www.storyofstuff.com.

prayers for Haiti

By now everyone is well aware of what’s happened in Haiti.  Let’s join our prayers (and monetary resources) for help, rescue and relief from the devastation.

• An estimated 3 million people have been impacted by Tuesday’s massive quake, centered on the capital Port-au-Prince and the surrounding area;
• Thousands have been killed or injured, and many remain trapped in the rubble of collapsed buildings;
• In Port-au-Prince, Haitians are traumatized and grief-stricken, wandering the streets in a daze.  Last night, many slept out in the debris-filled streets of the capital.

The Next 72 Hours

• The next 72 hours will be critical for rescue and relief teams working at the scene to pull people alive from the rubble and treat serious injuries;
• Most urgently needed right now: water, food, medical care, blankets and shelter.

Haiti’s Churches

• In the days ahead, Haiti’s churches will be at the center of relief and recovery efforts.  Please pray for your brothers and sisters in Haiti as they respond to the despair around them;
• Right now, the situation is dark – but the light shines brightest in the darkness.  Pray that the light of Christ will shine through and give hope to those who’ve lost all hope.

stay thirsty my friends

Just came across a new bible reading plan for those of you interested in reading more scripture in 2010.  My iPhone bible app designed by LifeChurch.tv (www.youversion.com) has a list of reading plans.  One of the plans listed is called B90X, which sounds like the popular workout program P90X (they recently changed the name of this plan to “Bible in 90 Days”).  This plan helps you read through the bible in 90 days.  Don’t know about you, but I love these types of reading regimens.  Not only do they give you a goal to pursue, but you can also track how far you’ve progressed.  What kind of reading plans do you like to use?

in the flesh

Cornerstone canceled its Sunday gathering last weekend due to the snow.  Here is the message that would have been preached had we gathered together:

Christmas is the annual celebration of the birth of Jesus.  That’s obvious to everyone.  Furthermore, that Jesus was a human is pretty self-evident.  Much of the controversy  that surrounds the person of Jesus has more to do with his deity than his humanity.  In any case, his humanity cannot be overestimated since it pertains to the salvation of those who believe in him.  The problem with humanity is that there is a gap between us and God.  And because God is far superior to humans, God cannot be known by unaided human reason.  If God is to be known, God must take some initiative to make himself known to humanity.  But there’s also another gap, a gap created by human sin.  Humans cannot by their own moral effort counter their sin in order to elevate themselves to the level of God.  If there is to be a relationship between the two, they have to be united in some other way.  And this is where Christmas comes in.  The birth of Jesus and the incarnation is what united deity and humanity in one person.  Jesus’ intercessory ministry depends upon his humanity.  If he was truly one of us, experiencing all human temptations and trials, then he is able to understand and empathize with us in our struggles as humans.  On the other hand, if he was not human, or only incompletely human, he cannot really intercede as a priest on behalf of those whom he represents.

Primal: a book review

Just got done reading Primal, Mark Batterson’s new book about rediscovering what the Christian faith was meant to be in all its fullness.  In a world of relativism and casual commitments, Mark writes deeply and poignantly to invite followers of Jesus to renew their minds about what it means to know God.  In one of his chapters called “The Island of the Colorblind” Mark reflects on the lost wonder of miracles.  He writes:

There are miracles all around us all the time, but we lack the perceptual capacity to perceive them. We are in the presence of God, but we are unaware of it.  We are surrounded by the glory of God but can’t see it.” (p.59)

Instead of complicating what it means to be a disciple, Mark simplifies it in his book.  I can almost hear him preaching this on a Sunday with conviction and passion.  The primary premise of Mark’s book comes from Jesus’ call to “love one another.”  Commitment to the great commandment to love one another is what unleashes compassion, wonder, curiosity and power.  I think this is a great book to start the new year with and definitely recommend it to anyone who needs to encouragement and inspiration to follow after Jesus.  It’d also make a great resource of small groups and book reading groups.

You can find this book at Amazon or at the publisher’s website here.  And thanks to the folks at Random House who sent me a free copy to read and review.

humility…

Kenodoxia is a Greek compound word made up of kenos (“empty, vain”) and doxa (“glory, honor”).  Thus, as one word it means “vanity, conceit, excessive ambition.”  Paul uses this word in his letter to the Philippians as he exhorts them to watch out for “selfish ambition and vain conceit.”  It was a word used to describe those who thought too highly of themselves, not those who appeared to have grounds for “glory,” but those whose “glory” was altogether baseless.  Simply, kenodoxia is the opposite of humility, the ability to think of others above yourself. 

learning to lead

This has been one of the most challenging years for me as a pastor.  Even as many of the things that I do have become more familiar and more natural than before, I’ve been confronted with the reminder that my leadership abilities need to adapt and grow.  I’ve learned more about leadership this year than in any year before.  Three books that have helped me most recently in growing as a leader are The Emotionally Healthy Church, In the Name of Jesus, and Good to Great. In The Emotionally Healthy Church, Peter Scazzero challenges church leaders to look beneath the surface to understand that there is always more than meets the eye.  He draws important links between emotional health, relational depth, and spiritual maturity, and how they are important principals that can lead churches to wholeness and maturity.  What I enjoyed most about this book was the degree of transparency Peter used from his own life and experiences to share what he has learned over the years.  He calls his leadership paradigm a change from the perfect, the powerful, and the big to the imperfect, the weak, and the small.

we need inspiration

Who doesn’t need a little inspiration from time to time?  I know, I know, inspiration can only take you so far.  It needs to be followed by determination, commitment and discipline.  But we still need to be inspired every now and then.  We all do.  Inspiration leads us to create beauty and magnificence.  It also helps us get out of bed in the morning too.  I came across this video that combines 40 inspirational speeches in 2 minutes.  I enjoyed it and I hope you do too!

“outlast” someone today

Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.” We live in a convenience oriented world.  It is no wonder that we are self-serving and self-absorbed.  The disciples wanted spiritual power and authority to make a name for themselves, to prove to others that they were the ones that God had chosen.  But self-glorification and self-assertion were not what Christ had in mind.  Rather, I think he was looking for self-surrender and self-sacrifice.  I’m sure you’ve heard of the “pay it forward” principle.  It’s doing something good for someone else in hoping that they will continue doing good to others.  Eventually that random act of kindness comes back to you and has rippled throughout the world.  Well instead of paying it forward, what if we out-lasted someone today.  To do this, you would let people go ahead of you today, through doors, in traffic, at check out lines, in meal serving lines and so on.  Taking on the call to be a “servant to all” calls us to let others go first.  And make it an ongoing practice to put yourself last in situations without drawing attention to the fact that you are doing it.  We have far too many guests that seek to be served and not enough hosts who live to serve others.  Try to “outlast” someone today and be a servant to all.