Thoughts on Next

I have just returned from four days in Baltimore, Maryland at Sovereign Grace's Next conference.  The worship was powerful, with three different bands performing wonderful songs.  Hundreds of Christians packed together with hands raised, singing their hearts out.  The testimonies of the people who stood up to tell their story of how Jesus Christ sought them out, were gut wrenching.  The deep, rich messages delivered by some of the greatest teachers of our time should be mandatory listening for all Christians.

Yet, there was much to that could be found lacking in paying such a large amount of money for the conference.  The bands rocked out with rows of speakers that were deafening, and made it appear more like a concert than a worship service.  People jumped and danced around, caught up in the music and the emotions of the moment.  In a room of that size, you were forced to watch the speakers on the overhead projectors, which means you might as well just stayed home and downloaded the video and gotten just as much out of it.

So, what was so different about this conference that continues to so deeply impact people year after year.  It is because the Spirit of God was there.  Alone, the music would be only music.  The people would have been play acting hypocrites.  The speakers would perhaps been impressive, but most of it would have been over-the-head and their would defiantly been no lasting change in any life.  When the Spirit of Christ is present, everything changes and there is a passion instilled in your heart like no other.   This revelation came to mind strangely enough when I played ultimate frisby with some of the other young people attending.  I admit I was expecting the usual gentle, peace loving church kids.  What a thrill when I started getting knocked down, beat up, and exhausted.  These people's passion for knowing God translated into everything they did, whether it was a competitive spirit or the thoughtfulness of tipping the maid and giving their extra food to the homeless.

This has left me to wonder how many time in my own church do we focus on the style of worship, the method of preaching, the opportunity to fellowship with friends.  Somehow it seems we loose focus on Jesus Christ Himself and the power of His Spirit, and so when the teaching or music does not meet our standards, or the fellowship is not all that great, we become disenchanted.  Or more commonly, we just walk away from the Sunday meeting with the feeling that something is missing.

This is why I loved everything about the conference.  My prayer would be that every Sunday morning, God would dwell with in such a way that, as Sinclair Ferguson put it, "our hearts would be strangely warmed".

Online messages from Next conference:

http://www.thisisnext.org/resources/

Is there a Cause?

Is there a cause worthy enough to join or dedicate myself too?  How do I decide to which one I should give my time and money.  It is an issue that has given me thought because I don't want to be a passive, apathetic Christian.  As I look around, there are many worthy causes that are out there.  Pro-life, Pro-family, Pro-Constitution...causes for feeding the hungry, reaching lost people for Christ, the list goes on and on.  In Genesis 11, the people said "Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves; otherwise we shall be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth."  How does this relate to the different causes out there?  Well, first of all because some causes are out to do just that, to be heard and make a name for themselves.  The others fall into the "let us" catagory.  Let us. . . hold a rally, a march, a protest, a whatever.  In otherwords, they are saying our power and ability to do good is in being heard, finding the stength in numbers, and that the most vocal side wins.  I believe this was the mistake that was the downfall of the people at Babel.  God is the one who calls people to do His work, He is our stength to do good and make a difference, and He always wins!  Joining a cause is only a good idea if it recognizes this truth.

Notes from The Truth Project

Here follows some of the points, summary of notes, and personal thoughts from Dr. Del Tackett's teaching this past weekend at The Truth Project training conference:

-We live in a culture of tolerance which says that if I don't tell you that you are wrong, then you don't tell me that I am wrong.

-We tend to turn away from God when what they see about the nature of God doesn't match with their own desires.

-A right knowledge of the truths about God will lead a person to either repentance and transformation, or depression and despair.  This is why many people don't want to hear about the truth and others are checking out of life.

-When transformation is the result of the knowledge of the truth, our true selves and our culture are exposed, and it creates people who are world-changers.

-The major obstacles to living significant, world changing lives:

1. Hungering for to live the fake life of this world

2. Natural myopia - not being able to look beyond yourself

3. A persistent sin that is left unaddressed

4. Apathy that come from living for yourself

5. Fear. . . of venerability, of losing face, fear of man.

-We are the most connected generation of people ever through modern technology, yet we are arguably also the loneliest generation, since we have forgotten how to have meaningful relationships and instead live self-centered lives of seeking our own happiness.

-Each of us is born with a hunger for significance that can only be satisfied in God.

-Every time we try to defy the laws of God, the effect is unavoidable.  In the physical realm this effect is immediate, for example trying to defy the law of gravity.  In the social realm, the effect may not be immediate, but it is just as unavoidable.

-A good thing cannot be called good unless it is used the way God intended and designed it.

-Two things are decisive in defining our worldview: how we think about who man is and who who God is.

-According to a poll, 80% of Christians walk away from their faith after attending college. This is due to a lack of having the confidence of a truth based worldview which leads to falling captive to assumptive lies.  

From personal experience, that percentage is significantly higher in the military.  So should we avoid secular institutions in order to protect ourselves and our faith from exposure to the lies and wrong thinking?  No, we should arm ourselves with the truths of God, verify that it is based in the heart and not just a public profession, and expose the blindness of our culture with the truth in a loving and graceful way.  This done is through building real relationships with people, praying with them and for them by name, that God would do His work in them.  By living a selfless life of total submission to God and a willingness to be a stepping stone for others.  By looking at people as prisoners of the world they live in and needing the truths of God to set them free.  Not judging them by the first thoughts that cross our mind when we meet them.  By avoiding all pride that would lead to ungraciousness, haughtiness, and an unwillingness to live our lives in a way that makes God look glorious.  Our goal is not the survival of our selves and our faith, but to live in our world in such a way that God will can take hold of us and use us to storm the gates.  How do we do this?  As Dr. Tackett put it "I have no clue, but God does and there is no higher calling."

The Woods Between the Worlds

In some form or another each of us exists in our own little world, we call them lives.  These worlds are shaped by where we live, what we have done, and the people we know.  Unconciously, varying parameter and laws are set up in our minds to govern our little worlds.  We usually only share these worlds with our friends and family.  Friends are really just people who live in similar worlds, who think as we do, or with whom we share some other "common ground".  While there is a desire in us to know what other people's lives are like, there is also a repushion to anyone or anything that might alter or polute our little world.  There is safety in what is known and familiar.  I belive that someone who lives their whole life from inside their little world has cheated themselves. Sometimes a life alter event breaks us out of our shell and help us see the forest beyond the trees, and we are the better for it.  To see and understand the different worlds other people live in does not require a jouney to a diffent country or culture.  All around us are people and while some may share a similiar world, many other have seen and experienced things we can only dream of in ours.  So, why not do something adventurous the next time I get the chance, and try to step into a world outside of my own.  Who knows, I may learn something new and maybe someday, someone will want to stop by my little boring world.

P.T.S.D.

So here is a touchy subject, the effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder on veterans.  The reason it is touchy is because the ones who can best make levelheaded evaluation on the subject are the ones not suffering from it.  On the other hand, how can someone make any fair evaluation of its effects without having experienced it.  The ones who are vocal about it sometimes have a motive for wanting people to think they are sick, and the ones who really have it are either unaware of it or reluctant to admit it.  It is generally viewed as a sign of weakness, and therefore a source of embarrassment.  I am not the one who should make the call one way or another, but that doesn't keep me from forming my own opinions.  The military changes a person and that is a fact, but how this change affect individuals varies.  Combat aside, whether you have served in the military or not, everyone will be affected to some degree by PTSD.  Life is no bed of roses and traumatic events will occur like it or not.  The ability to handle these difficulties varies by the individual and is not based on how strong or weak their mental and emotional control is.  As researchers look to learn more about PTSD and ways to counteract is affects on people, there are some interesting questions raised.  Would we really want a drug or medicine that removes all effects of life changing events?  What kind of world would we live in where our action and experiences left no impression on our mind or emotions?