Hope Community Blog

Prayer and action

The year we started Hope Community, my friend Yding Xing invited

me to China. Air fares were low. He wanted me to see his land and

offered to make it into a kind of missionary expedition. When I

explained I had no contacts with the church in China, Yding assured

me that he would gather up several groups who’d at least be willing to

hear me preach. When I reminded Yding that I don’t speak Mandarin,

or any Chinese dialect, he assured me that he’d be my translator. When

I pointed out that he was not a Christ-follower, Yding assured me that he would translate accurately.

I declined Yding’s gracious invitation. When I reported this exchange to my church planting mentor, he scolded me for a missed opportunity. Still, how could I have been away from our church its first year? I didn’t even take a vacation that year!

In 2005 I went on a World Vision Pastor’s Vision Trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). As a result of that trip Hope Community is a partner with World Vision DRC, sponsoring children, providing financial support, and co-sponsoring in October 2008 Step Into Africa at Colorado State University. But that trip was purely a come-and-see journey. While I became well acquainted with the work of many dedicated Christians, the only thing excepted of me was to be a witness.

Just last week it occurred to me that the Vision Trip, as good as it was, in fact was God’s second best.

Since I was called into the pastoral ministry at age seventeen, I’d prayed for unique opportunities to tell the story of Jesus. However, I failed to take advantage of the unique opportunity to proclaim Jesus in China, with good reasons. Yet the fact remains, I didn’t act on my prayers. How is my world different, how is Yding’s world different because I failed to act on my prayers?

Prayer is not another word for passive. Throughout the Bible prayer led to action. Do you act on your prayers?

04.27.2008 comment

silence in prayer

If iPhones and iPods had been around when David was composing his Psalms we might have far fewer today. One reason the Bible contains 150 Psalms is because David spent years herding sheep … alone … much of the time in silence. Silence afforded space and time for David to receive from God.

You are daily assaulted by noise and information overload, your time subjected to the tyranny of the urgent. Worse, many people are conditioned to avoid silence; layering life with tunes, talk, and television. Surrounded by noise, you shouldn’t be surprised to discover your connection with your heavenly Father damaged or broken.

It is usually only in silence that God’s voice can be heard—or even recognized.

Be quiet. Be still. Make space for God, to receive from Him. He has much to offer you. Practicing silence makes space for God. He desires to commune with you, but God won’t intrude on your life. He desires to empower you, but God won’t empower those disconnected from Him. Peace and refreshing and visions and revelations are available to those who prepare to receive from God.

You have access to everything necessary to receive from God. The question is … will you make time and space to receive? Will you silence your world and listen?

04.20.2008 comment

prayer as conversation ... and more

Prayer is the most powerful force in our world. Jesus claimed mountains can be moved by prayer. So why does so little happen when we pray? Unlike the customer, the person praying is not always right. Before your prayers will be more effective you need to understand three crucial truths

about prayer.

First, prayer is an on-going, never ending conversation between you and your loving heavenly Father. Prayer isn’t a spiritual drive-thru, it isn’t a catalogue order form. Just as some men talk with women with the goal of getting sexual needs met, so some people talk with God with the goal of getting personal needs met. God will not be used!

Second, prayer is communion between you and your Creator. Jesus taught that God Himself moves in with those who obey Jesus’ teaching. When you pray God begins to invade every aspect, every nook and corner of your life. Scary! Prayer is intimacy, brutal honesty, refreshing, repentance, invigorating, humbling revelation, ecstasy, suffering, indescribable joy and so, so much more. Prayer takes you out of this world and into the kingdom of God, takes you away from what you know and into unfathomable mystery.

Third, via prayer you connect with God. Through prayer you receive His power, are refreshed by His love, and acquire an ever increasing desire to abandon your priorities and reflect His glory. Through prayer God can move your mountains. Through prayer God might ask you to pick up your cross and follow Jesus as He brings glory to the Father—

04.13.2008 comment

most powerful force in the world

Have you watched video of an atomic explosion? Have you witnessed the results of a volcano. Did you see pictures of the Indian Ocean tsunami? These are powerful forces. Where do you look for power?

When Jesus walked this earth almost everyone wanted to hang out with Him. Rich men wanted His validation. Other people’s disciples abandoned their teachers to follow Jesus. Politicians wanted

to meet Him (although Jesus didn’t give them time). Revolutionaries wanted to join Him. Blind men followed Jesus, so did a prostitute right into the home of a religious leader where she washed Jesus’ feet with her tears. A spiritual teacher met Him at night because that was the only time Jesus was available. Tourists from Greece approached a disciple with the request, “Sir, we’d like to see Jesus.”

While almost everyone wanted to be with Jesus, with whom did He want to hang out?

Regardless of His popularity or how many people wanted a piece of Him, Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. For Jesus, prayer was power. He didn’t rely upon anyone or anything in this world.

If you rely on anything or anyone in this world, ultimately you’ll find yourself disappointed. Not because everyone and everything is against you, but because nothing in this world can provide what you’re looking for. This world is broken, decaying from the inside out. Jesus came to save the world. But the power that will rescue this world can’t be found in the world, it will not be found in us—even all of us together.

The most powerful force can only be found in a parallel reality the Bible calls the kingdom of God. Jesus claimed that most powerful force is accessible to you. To access that power follow Jesus’ example … get away by yourself and pray—

04.06.2008 comment

what Jesus really taught

People like inside information, want to be in-the-know. A lot of us are attracted to secret knowledge. Secrets sell!

The book (and movie), The Secret, claims there exists a secret law of attraction: you can attract to yourself—the universe can provide whatever you focus upon. Such claims are a logical byproduct of the kind of name-it-and-claim-it religion popularized by many churches. This book has been a best seller for months. The Gnostic Gospels are ancient texts that record supposedly hidden, repressed truths about Jesus. These books, or more accurately books about these books, are big sellers, too.

People want to get beyond talking points, want the truth behind the message. So, classical Christianity smells suspicious to our cynical culture. While too many Christian teachers peddle secret truths, biblical Christianity has always laid all its cards on the table—beginning with the authors of the New Testament; beginning, in fact, with Jesus.

Matthew (and Luke, in a shorter version) record Jesus’ teaching … all of it. Christ withheld no secrets for only the initiated, there exists no hidden wisdom for insiders. In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells His followers everything they need to know to live on earth as citizens of heaven. This is not easy stuff; He wouldn’t win many elections. I don’t want to obey Christ’s command, “Do not resist an evil person! If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also.” Yet, the only way this world will change is when people stop living the way we want to and begin living like children of God.

Discover what Jesus taught. Read the Sermon on the Mount. Biblical Christianity has no secrets. Jesus offers you only sacrifice, humility, service, ... and out-of-this-world love. Oh, and one more thing—eternal life!

03.30.2008 comment

words of healing, words of hope

Can words bring healing? Can words bring hope into your life? Is it conceivable that a single conversation could free anyone from the failure and shame haunting them?

In Jesus’ hour of greatest need, when His life was on the line, at that moment Peter denied he was Jesus’ follower—denied even knowing Him! Three days later Jesus has risen from the dead. What might the conqueror of death do with the man who denied Him? Peter may have thought he’d be lucky to escape being damned immediately to hell.

What did Jesus do with the man who denied Him?

Made breakfast for him, of course; camp breakfast on the shore of a lake. Then Jesus began a little conversation with Peter, asking, “Do you truly love me more than these?” He didn’t interrogate Peter, didn’t even counsel him. Jesus simply offered Peter the opportunity to proclaim his love for his Lord. In fact, Jesus maneuvered Peter three times into confessing his love. And each confession brought another wave of healing, each denial covered by a confession of love. Jesus was anxious to forgive Peter.

Words of healing.

Then, Jesus went beyond healing His disciple. He gave Peter hope. Three times Jesus entrusted to Peter the responsibility of caring for Jesus’ followers. Three times Jesus communicated to Peter: I’m counting on you. Three times Jesus assured Peter that he was trustworthy. Jesus had a mission for Peter.

Words of hope.

Jesus’ words of healing, words of hope are for you today. Any failure haunting you pales if compared with Peter’s. All your shame is insignificant if compared to Peter’s shame. Jesus is anxious to forgive, and He has a mission for you. Words of healing, words of hope—

03.23.2008 comment

the human desire for heaven

Sunday pastor Fred Muyimba spoke to Hope Community, reporting on the good Kingdom work in Uganda, in central Africa. His testimony was simple and powerful. Fred was a blessing to us. And, his testimony brought to mind an international truth …

The universal human desire for some better reality.

A recent song popularized by the commercial for Apple’s new MacBook Air demonstrates that the human desire for some better place remains strong. The music video used in the Apple commercial, “New Soul” by Yael Naim, presents the story of a young woman excited to settle into her new apartment, creatively decorating it with the appearance of a tranquil natural space. While hanging portraits on her apartment wall, a portal unexpectedly opens to a beautiful, peaceful lake. Her apartment walls then fall away to reveal her afloat on that idyllic lake, where she’s joyously welcomed by celebrating locals. If you doubt this music video reveals the timeless, human desire for heaven, watch to the end. (Check out the lyrics, too.)

Jesus invites you to give Him your hand, with the promise He will take you far away to His Father’s house. Jesus’ resurrection from death demonstrates that His is no empty promise. There’s power behind His promise. Power enough to raise the dead—more than enough power to take you by the hand and take you far away into the kingdom of heaven—

03.09.2008 comment

water cooler conversation

Do you settle for safe, mundane conversations? As a provocative conversationalist Jesus saw things most people didn’t see, and responded to things others ignored. He was, of course, the master at transitioning conversations away from the mundane and onto eternal issues (read story below). If you settle for safe conversations you’ll seldom be energized by the kind of living water Jesus promised. When you do leap out of your conversational comfort zone you’ll splash around in springs of bracing, living water.

You’ve met someone like her; hard-working, underprivileged, failed marriage, with little hope. She no longer rises early; not that she’s lazy, she’s just isn’t wanted. Her man doesn’t even want her in the mornings. Most women go to the village well at morning and dusk—for socializing and water. She draws her daily water supply in a single midday trek, and so avoids their harsh looks and harsh words.

On this day there’s a man at the well, Jewish by his clothing. He’s alone, tired and sweaty, not hard to look at. Jews seldom travel through her village, and never stop. So what’s he doing at the well? Just ignore him, she thinks; avert your eyes. Everyone who know her avoids her which is shy she avoids everyone. But there’s no avoiding this Jew, he’s sitting right next to the well.

With her own rope she lowers the first of her two water jars into the well. Inhaling the moist air rising out of the well, she enjoys the sound of the dripping water far below and the splashing, gurgling of her water jar.

“Will you give me a drink?”

Who is he talking to? What’s he really after? She’d like to say, Back off, buster! But it’s not her place to correct any man, so she responds subserviently. “You’re a Jew and I am a Samaritan … a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” She knows self-respecting Jews don’t use dishes Samaritans use, so he’s obviously no self-respecting Jew and therefore more dangerous to the shred of honor she has left.

“If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would given you living water.”

She’s never heard that God gives gifts. The God she knows makes demands—demands she’s utterly failed to fulfill. But never mind. How can this wayward, forward, clueless Jew access the water? “Sir, you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? Are you greater than our ancestor Jacob who gave us this well?”

“Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."

She’s incredulous at his claim. Still, she’s curious enough to ask him questions ... exactly what Jesus wants—

02.24.2008 comment

rich, young, successful

Sergey & Larry met in 1995 at Stanford. Together they designed a web crawler, BackRub, that counted clicks on internet links to identify popular web sites. In 1998 they took a flyer and launched their search engine, naming it after the mathematical term for 1 followed by a hundred zeroes: googol. Google was born, and the rest is history.

Sergey & Larry are rich, young, successful—and still friends. Together they bought their own private jet; a Boeing 767-200, which costs $3,000/hour just to fly and requires a 6,000 foot runway. They struck a deal to keep their 767 at an airport operated by NASA and closed to the public, just four miles from Google headquarters.

So not only are they rich and young, they’re powerful—Sergey & Larry are rich young rulers.

Might either of them ever ask, “What must I do to have eternal life?” It was a person like Sergey & Larry who asked Jesus, “What must I do to earn eternal life?” Jesus looked at that rich young ruler and loved him. Whenever Jesus looks at people He loves them, and He’s always looking at people.

“Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.” Because he had great wealth, that rich young ruler went away sad. If Jesus told Sergey or Larry to sell everything they had and come and follow Him, would either of them be able to let go their 767 and their billions?

God is not impressed with Sergey or Larry’s wealth, nor by their party plane. God is not impressed by the Dali Lama’s spirituality, or Bono’s charity. He’s not impressed with Barak Obama or John McCain or even Ron Paul. Only one person impresses God, His Son … Jesus of Nazareth. And the only way to get into God’s good graces, the only way to inherit eternal life, is to follow Jesus.

Here’s the hard part.

To follow Jesus you must be willing abandon every material thing. If you think that’s unreasonable, it isn’t. Consumer Christians often tell each other that Jesus wouldn’t really have required that rich young ruler to give away everything. But why not? Fishermen left their nets to follow Him, and a tax-collector left behind his tax office to follow Jesus.

In fact, the day is coming when every material thing will be taken away from you: the day of your death. If on that day you are a follower of Jesus, He will lead you into the kingdom of heaven and life eternal. If on that day you are not a follower of Jesus, the Bible says you’ll be lost … forever—

02.10.2008 comment

what God has done for you

Geologist Peter Ward and astronomer Donald Brownlee argue the earth exists in a Goldilocks Zone. It has just the right amount of oceans, plate tectonics, oxygen content, heat content, and tilt of axis, to nurture intelligent life. Other astronomer’s believe that in a universe of millions of stars and billions of planets, the odds are that one planet somewhere could support intelligent life. But consider the following:

† The earth’s distance from the sun is just right to allow liquid water—the basis for life as we know it—to form; a little closer to the sun and water could only be gas, a little farther and it could only be solid.

† The moon is just right to stabilize earth’s orbit; without our moon, earth would wobble too much for intelligent life to exist.

† The planet Jupiter’s huge gravitational field serves as earth’s blocker, protecting us from almost all catastrophic asteroid impacts.

† Our planet is located at just the right place in the Milky Way; a little closer to the center and radiation would be too intense for life, a little further from the center and there’d be insufficient higher elements for life.

† Earth itself is just the right size; a little smaller and it’d have insufficient gravity to hold oxygen, but the increased gravity of a little larger earth would have kept poisonous gases from escaping into space.

† If protons were just 1% heavier atoms could not form.

† In fact, if there were just a 0.00001% difference in net positive and negative charges in your body, you’d be ripped to pieces.

Is our earth the result of fortunate chance or might it have been designed? Scientists have assembled long lists of “happy cosmic accidents” that together make life possible. Vera Kistiakowsky, (MIT physicist) writes, “The exquisite order displayed by our scientific understanding of the physical world calls for the divine.”

The apostle Paul claimed, “God did this so that men would seek Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us.” God designed the universe so that you might find Him. And He wants you to known Him not only as the cosmic Designer but as your heavenly Father—

11.26.2007 comment

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