It’s crazy, if you think about it.  The God of the universe - the creator of nitrogen and pine needles, galaxies, and E-minor - loves us with a radical, unconditional, self-sacrificing love.  And what is our typical response?  We go to church, sing songs, and try not to cuss.  Whether you’ve verbalized it or not… we all know that something is wrong.  -Francis Chan, from the back cover of Crazy Love

... which, by chance, just happens to be our next book study.  We’ll start this Sunday, Jan 3 at 8:30PM, covering chapters 1 and 2.  Hope to see you there.  If you miss the first night, or need to play catch-up, please don’t let that deter you.  I’d like to see our chat group grow.  Site Guide link for On-line Chat Room Instructions

The following post was written by Todd Harrington, and published on his blog on November 2nd, 2009 (reference link to his blog and article).  I met Todd on my trip to Swaziland.  He is a pastor at a church in Birmingham, Alabama.  Members of their church are supporting a carepoint in Swaziland in the Nsoko region.  His article shares insightful perspectives about our role in doing good works Christ has planned for us.

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Haggai 2:21-22 “I am about to shake up everything, to turn everything upside down and start over from top to bottom——I will take you as a signet ring, the sign of my presence and authority. I’ve looked over the field and chosen you for this work.”

Ephesians 2:10 “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

We have the responsibility and the privilege to be a part of a great shake up! We have the invitation to live and play in God’s kingdom which is a great shake up! This kingdom is topsy turvey and it is subversive. In this kingdom the first will be last! The weak will be strong! The wronged will forgive! People will pray for their enemies! What seems obvious is made unclear in this new shake up! You are and I are invited to join in the work of this kingdom. According to Ephesians, this is what we were created for. We were created to join in the work of God here and now in this world. We are created to care for the orphans, the widows, the poor, the disenfranchised, the marginalized, the lost, and the needy. If you and I are not, then we are not fulfilling our ultimate purpose. We are to be about a great shake up! This shake up is beyond us, greater than us, and one that we can not accomplish….we simply join in the work and serve well, serve thankfully, and serve until the end…...knowing that we have played our small role in this great shake up!
“A FUTURE NOT OUR OWN”

Poem by Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador;
He was assassinated for speaking Up for God’s kingdom and justice in 1980

It helps, now and then, to step back and take a long view.
The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts, it is beyond our vision.

We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction of the magnificent enterprise that is God’s work. Nothing we do is complete, which is another way of saying that the kingdom always lies beyond us.

No statement says all that could be said. No prayer fully expresses our faith. No confession brings perfection…..No set of goals and objectives includes everything.

This is what we are about:
We plant seeds that one day will grow. We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise. We lay foundations that will need further development. We provide yeast that produces effects beyond our capabilities.

We can not do everything and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that. This enables us to Do something, and to do it very well. It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning
a step along the way
an opportunity for God’s Grace to enter and do the rest.

We may never see the end results….
We are prophets of a future that is not our own.

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“Khisimusi lomuhle” (sounds like: giseemoosee lahmoolah) is how to say “Merry Christmas” in the language of Swaziland, Siswati.  On October 24, 2009 in Swaziland, our team traveled to Mahlabaneni Carepoint to participate in a Christmas party with nearly 200 kids.  I want to share with you a group of young boys I met around the ages of 10-12 years old.

Several of them spoke English well enough to carry on conversation with me.  I felt a real connection with them, and it seemed they had the same with me.  I was able to encourage them with actions and words.  They were so open and eager to allow me to do that.

In this picture, you can see my hand on one of the boy’s chest in a gesture of acknowledgment and reassurance that I think he is alright!  At the same time, he is holding my hand in a gesture of acceptance and appreciation which touched me in return.

I met these boys as I was standing on the outer edge of the shade provided by the open shelter where the Discipleship team was giving a Christmas program for the children and adults in attendance.  They came up to me with smiles and a chair which I accepted.  Then they gathered around my chair, and we began to get to know each other.  We shared about our families, and I learned about some of their needs and struggles. 

The young man in the yellow shirt is named, Siyabonga.  He seemed to be the leader of this group of boys, but also seemed to have the biggest needs.  He did not have shoes like the others and his shirt has several holes and tears.  He mentioned that he would like to have a pair of soccer shoes size 6.  He also mentioned he would prefer to have shoes so he could go to school without feeling uncomfortable.  He has to live with his grandmother during the week so he can walk to school.  During the weekends he goes home to be with his father.  I asked him if I could pray for him and his needs, and he agreed.  We thanked God for the day, that He is the provider, and that He knows Siyabonga’s needs and requests.  I told him I have seen God answer prayers, and I believe God answers his prayers.  I hope I get to hear how this young boy’s needs and requests are met.  I wanted to run and get him what he requested, but logistically could not get this done on the trip.  On this Christmas Day, Siyabonga’s requests are still on my heart.  I hope he has what he needs today, but I hope to find out his status through letters.  And I just want to get to know him and his friends better.

My wife and I love this video.  Please listen to this young man of 11 years (in the olive green collar shirt) sing verses from the well known 23rd Psalm.  He wanted to show me he could sing well, and chose this song.  Of course some of his friends joined in and added some great supporting musical lines.  I feel these words have significant meaning considering the poverty in Swaziland in this region near Big Bend.

The Lord is My Shepard - I Shall Not Want from KnownToMe on Vimeo.

I would like to say “Khisimusi lomuhle” to you young men.  I know you can’t hear me or most likely read this post, but I really enjoyed meeting all of you.  You have a place in my heart, and I pray for you.  I know life is too hard for you, and I hope to see conditions improve.  It was a special time for me to hang out, shake hands, put arms around each others shoulders, share troubles, pray, sing and have fun together.  I hope I can see you on my next trip.

The David Platt video I posted raised some good questions… questions I have been trying to work out for some time.  I’m going to post my thoughts here.  Please understand that I am not making myself out as having a solid grasp of this.  I just think we will benefit from trying to figure this out.  We might just do it, and if we don’t… I still think we’ll grow from the effort.

The question is:  In the video I posted last week, David Platt emphasizes the important place our actions, specifically caring for the poor, have in our salvation.  He also emphasized that his message was not one of salvation by works, but that a true faith in God will transform our hearts such that our works are evidence of our faith.

So… how does that work?  Here are some seemingly conflicting scriptures:

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. - Ephesians 2:4-10

You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.  -James 2:20-24

If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. Anyone who rejected the Law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge his people.” It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.  –Hebrews 10:26-31

Here’s my perspective:  God’s word does not contradict itself.  So both have to be accurate and fit together – probably with a synergy that makes them even more meaningful together than alone.  The error that so many fall into is “taking sides” and rejecting one concept in favor of another when the truth is in both… it has to be, right?

So, how do these fit together?  Here’s what I think.  Salvation is 100%, completely by grace through faith and 0% by works… or else the Ephesians passage above (and many others) are false.  But faith that does not transform us (or at least begin a process of transformation in us) into the image of Jesus and thus result in works as evidence of that transformation is, as James said, useless.  That does not mean the works earn the salvation.  It means that if there is no evidence of a real love and desire to please God that changes our lives and actions, that there was never any real faith to begin with.

But how much “works” are needed?  If we ask that, I think we’ve missed the point.  To put a measure on works is to imply that we can earn salvation by those works.  What about the thief on the cross?  Some of us don’t have the chance, for a variety of reasons, to give a lot of evidence of our transformation.  But the point David Platt was trying to make (again my opinion only) is that his audience (and for my part, I’ll add myself to that group) does not have that excuse.  We have means similar to the rich man in the parable of Lazarus and the rich man, and there must be evidence of transformation (works) in our lives or our faith is useless - I know… faith and useless used together will make me some enemies.  But just as the Ephesians passage above must be accurate and true, so must the James passage. 

Finally, what about Dr. Platt’s insistence on giving to the poor as THE type of works that are required as evidence of transformation?  It seems to me that as the wealthiest nation on earth, and given God’s explicit instructions throughout His word about supporting the poor, and the second of what Jesus said are the two most important commandments – loving our neighbors as ourselves – it seems that, for most of us, that sacrificing material things to provide basic needs for orphans, widows, and the poor should be a big part of the evidence or our transformation.

What do you think?  I really do want to know if you think I’ve got it all wrong… and why.  Even if I don’t come around to agreement (but I might), I will thoughtfully consider and read scriptural support for other perspectives and I am confident that process alone will be of great benefit to me.  I ask that you do the same if what I write does not sit right with you.

Don is downloading the profiles now. We will be preparing them and getting them out to you! More details to come.

The children range in age from 2-16 years.  We cannot wait to meet them on paper (and in person). 

Speaking of that, REMINDER, we will have a Swaziland travel meeting Tuesday night December 22nd at First Christian Church from 6:30-8:00pm near the Play Area.  Please come if you would like to hear more about travel to Swaziland anytime in the future!  A trip is being planned for fall 2010.  Plus, we just might have some of these profiles prepared by tomorrow night’s meeting.

For all of you chatters, the topic this Sunday at 8:30 in our chat room is the David Platt video I posted Wednesday.  I’m not sure where it will lead us, but we’ll just dive in and talk about it.  If you’ve not yet joined one of our chats and would like to, please do not hesitate.  Log in as a member (become a member first if not yet a member), and you’ll see the chat room on the drop-down menu under “Member” on the right.  You may need to adjust your browser’s security settings so try it ahead of time an contact one of us if you have any problems.

This site is drawing lots of views and I am very encouraged that people care about these things, but we really desire more participation.  That doesn’t mean you have to give money or fit any specific mold.  We’d just like to get to know you and what you are thinking.  Here’s an informal survey to start the process:

What are we doing that is of value to you?

How have we disappointed you, and how can we “fix” anything that brings disappointment or offense?

What are we not doing that you would like to see us do?

Is there anything specific you would like to do to get more involved?  (Off-the-wall ideas are encouraged, doesn’t have to be the things we are already doing.)

This video is over an hour long, and you really need to listen to the whole thing, including the closing minutes, to get the full message.  This is powerful and (in my opinion) critically important for all to hear.  Christians, non-believers, whatever the category… crtical stuff here that I beleive we really, really, can not afford to miss.  Please make the time to watch it.

It may take 10-20 second after clicking the play button for the video to start.  If it freezes off and on during the video, it can be viewed more easliy at this link:

http://www.vimeo.com/5833626

The Gospel Demands Radical Giving - David Platt from Together for Adoption on Vimeo.

Challenging stuff… but as David Platt says in the video, “Jesus’ words are our authority… Jesus’ glory is our goal”.  I only ask you to consider what he has to say in light of looking at Jesus and His words in that light.