bobyoungresources.com – Page 28 – missions, ministry, and spiritual living

Ten Things to Keep in Mind in 2013

The items I mention in today’s blog are easy for me to remember. They provide a checklist to keep life on track: 1+3+3+3=10. Perhaps you will also find them helpful.

Keep God at the center of life: seek His will, live out His purpose in my life

Make time for God
Make time for family
Make time for friends

Know how to to serve
Know how to work
Know how to rest

Make good use of me: use my mind and my creativity to God’s glory
Make good use of my life: use my time to God’s glory
Make good use of my “stuff”: use my material blessings to God’s glory

A Big Need, a Small Cost!

How would you like to have to go outside to get from your kitchen and living area to your bedroom?
If you were living at an elevation of 10300 feet? (Think always pretty chilly if not downright cold!)
Where there is no heat in the rooms?
If you were living above the church building where you serve as evangelist?

Such is the situation for the preacher and his wife in Tuquerres in southern Colombia. The church assembles on the first floor, and the second and third floors provide living space. The problem is that the living space is in three separate sections and you have to go outside to go from one part to another. The living situation is much less than desirable, but thanks be to God, this young couple is helping stabilize and grow the church. The local church has grown from a handful to 25-30 persons. The need is apparent, but the small local church cannot handle this financial need alone.
The area that is currently unroofed can be covered (thus providing protected movement between the three sections), plus an interior bathroom added to the church building, plus the auditorium area walled off from the foyer to help avoid outside drafts, all for about $3000.
If you can help with even a small part of this, you can make out checks to Church of Christ–Bob Young Missions, marked for “Bob Young-Tuquerres”, and mail to PO Box 1004, McAlester, OK 74502. You can contact me for more information.

It’s Sunday Again: God Is Beyond our Expectations and Understandings

God is active in this world in ways we do not understand and cannot explain. God’s ways are mysterious, often invisible except in retrospect. We can see where God has been, we can see evidence of his work, but the present activity is difficult to discern with certainty.
Faith is depending on the God who will do above and beyond, abundantly, all that we can ask or imagine. This is not only a statement of God’s power, it is an affirmation that God works in and through and around us–when we cannot understand, when we have prayed too small because of dwarfed expectations, when we have planned too meagerly because of lack of vision, and when we have expected too little because we humanly cannot see the way God will fulfill our hopes.
Some dislike the word miracle–reacting to abuses and false teaching in the religious world. A frequent use of the word miracle in everyday speech is to describe something beyond understanding. In this everyday use of the word, the God who is beyond our expectations and understandings will be constantly surprising us, impressing us, reminding us. Let us depend on him more fully, and in faith pray constantly for that which we cannot see nor even hope for.
God is working in our world, doing beyond our understanding. Let us worship him today in all of his glory and splendor, majesty and sovereignty. Let us not get hung up on how we will describe this supernatural working of God.
My beloved professor, Dr. Raymond Kelcy, was fond of saying: “God has not ceased working miracles, but he has taken the initiative out of the hands of men.” Today we will worship the God who is beyond us yet among us and within us!

Just Thinking…about Others

It’s that time of year! Our hearts are more inclined to turn to the needs of others at this season. We have multiplied opportunities for giving to the poor and needy. We also find joy in giving to those we love and those who dearest to us.

Question! As you consider the needs of other people, what worries you most? What do you see first? What do you think about first? Physical needs? Spiritual needs? Eternity?
Look around you. Whom do you see? Neighbors, the person who checks you out at the gocery store or the mall, the person who strikes up a conversation in the check out line, the mail delivery person…. Whom do you see? What do you see?

Look across the seas and around the world. As you consider the needs of others, what worries you most? What do you see as the primary need? THE question in mission work is, What do we go to do? Caring for children, providing education, medical care, food, Christmas boxes, goats and chickens, shelter and clothing…the list is almost endless, and all of these possibilities are good things that make us more like Jesus as we compassionately help the poor. But as we consider the things that worry us most and why we go and why we send others, ultimately the answer must be that we go to make a difference for eternity.

At this holiday season, as you give to others and are perhaps more generous than normal, may I encourage you also to be generous in sharing the message of Jesus. Jesus is the hope of the world and the only source of eternal salvation!

It’s Sunday Again: The Church Demonstrates Its True Nature

In the midst of all that is written or spoken about the church, often overlooked is the truth that the church must be defined to a large extent by its practice of assembling. The Greek word which is translated church over 100 times in the New Testament is also translated assembly three times when the context is a secular assembly. Think with me!

Some have observed that, literally or etymologically, the word means “called out”; these have therefore focused on a change of identity or state–Christians are called out of the world into Christ. We must be careful lest we miss the collective nature of the noun. Plato uses the same word when he writes about the jury of the residents of Athens who will try Socrates. The jurors did not cease being what they were (residents of Athens), but rather because of that identity they were called apart and called together for a special task. Christians are called out of the world, yet are in the world. Christians are called out of individualism into shared existence. Note that the “called out” nature of a Christian cannot be applied singularly. I cannot become church by myself. Being a Christian is more than the truth that I am “called out”. Assembly is a collective noun. Church is a collective noun, and is thus something I am with others, something I cannot be without others.

The New Testament has many descriptions of the church, but those are not my subject today. If the meaning of the word church is assembly, then the church demonstrates and lives out its nature when it assembles. Because church is assembly, those who are part of the church assemble. Those who do not assemble are not part of the church (assembly). If I do not assemble with the church, I am not part of the assembly (church). We have made the church an organization and institution to such an extent that we have defined participation in the church by baptism or membership on a list or other things. But the truth is that the church’s nature is best seen when it assembles. I am church when I assemble. I am part of the church when the body is not assembled because of the fact that when the church does assemble I am present. (The challenges of our world and society, illness and work conflicts and “providential hindrances” I will leave for another day.)

Think! Assembly is collective. I cannot be church in isolation. I cannot assemble by myself. I certainly can never be an assembly by myself. I cannot be part of something (assembly, church) in which I never participate. If I am not present, I am not assembled and I am not a part of the assembly. The actions of the assembly are communicative. The church admonishes itself, sings to itself, prays collectively (not individually), hears the Word together, shares (a communicative verb), and fellowships (another communicative verb). The church is united (one), not only because of its mutual acceptance of truth, but because of its mutual, reciprocal speaking and edifying and sharing.

Those who seldom or never attend are not part of the church, regardless of whether they have officially jumped through some hoop in the past. In the practice of assembling, the church demonstrates its nature, and goes forth empowered by its renewing experience of the presence of Christ in this world (seen through others). It’s Sunday Again: as the church assembles, we will know with renewed confidence who we are and what is our nature, and we will go forth from assembly recommitted as disciples of Jesus our Lord.

Calling an elephant a horse…

Calling an elephant a horse does not make it so! Memorable words of wisdom.

Yesterday’s breaking news! The U.S. Supreme Court is going to hear two cases related to marriage. Short summary: they are going to try to decide if something that is not marriage should be called marriage. The question? Should certain unions be called marriage and receive legal recognition and benefits.

Marriage was instituted by God and is defined by God. God created human beings in his image, male and female. Marriage is the basic building block of society. Marriage is older than nations. The nature of marriage is inherent in the word which derives from the concept of husband and wife. (The Spanish word, marido, husband, has a parallel etymology.)
We must recognize that there are cultural aspects of marriage. How is the consensual contract validated and recognized by the society? These must not be confused with the inherent nature of marriage.

I return to our point of beginning. Calling something marriage does not make it so!

Blessed to be a Blessing

The old song says it well, “Count your many blessings, name them one by one….”

Today I am especially aware that God is marvelously blessing me. These are only a few of a much longer list, but for these I am especially grateful today.

One other thing I know today–I am blessed to be a blessing! May my life bless others as I receive the blessings of God again and again, full measure and overflowing.

Reflecting Jesus

Paul wrote to the Corinthians that we Christians, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into his image with increasing glory (2 Corinthians 3:18). We are transformed into his image; we become more and more like him. This is a change in our identity, a change in who we. We in our new nature and new identity are a reflection of who Jesus is. What does it mean to live as a reflection? How are we the reflection of Christ’s life and work?

First, remember that Christ became like us, fully participating with us in the human experience (Philippians 2:5-11). The gospel story is that of God in man’s image that man might be in God’s image. Jesus became human to such extent that he experienced death, then he showed his power and mastery over death in his resurrection. How do we participate in his death, resurrection, and ascension? How are our lives a reflection of Jesus?

We participate in his death through baptism (Romans 6:1-6). This involves death to the old man, death to sin–death to the old way of living. We become like him, imitating him. We also become participants in the new covenant, and Christ becomes the first fruits of our hope. In the Lord’s Supper, we remember Christ’s death and anticipate his return.

We participate in his burial and resurrection in baptism (Romans 6:1-6). In our baptism we mirror his burial, confident that the previous life is no more. From our baptism, we participate in Christ’s resurrection in new life. In our new way of life, we reflect Christ’s resurrection, confident that we shall also participate in the heavenly resurrection (1 Corinthians 15). Because Christ has returned to heaven, we also have that hope. His resurrection is the first fruits through which we confidently wait.

We participate in Christ’s exaltation. We become like him, sharing the divine nature (2 Peter 1:3-4). We shall reign with him.

Christ sacrificed his physical body, so that we might in the church be his spiritual body. Christians, being part of the church, are Christ’s body, that which he saves (Eph. 5:23). Therefore, because there is no salvation outside of Christ (Acts 4:13), there is no salvation outside the body, the church. We participate in the work of Christ as we live sacrificial lives so that others might know him and be saved.

An Encouraging Mission Weekend

The events surrounding the board meeting and graduation at Baxter could hardly have gone better. Eleven graduates were sent forth to make a difference in the world–the total number of graduates in the 49 years of Baxter’s history is well over 500. These graduates continue to make a difference all across Latin America.
The dedication of the roofed amphitheater on campus was a special occasion. The opportunity to honor Armando Pacheco obviously touched the hearts of those present. The amphitheater was filled and overflowing Sunday morning, even after the addition of more seating as part of the renovation. Most likely there were well over 1000 people present.
The board meeting was cordial and much was accomplished. While the number of North American guests was down, the spirit and camaraderie were high. Those who take the time and make the sacrifice to be in Honduras to share the weekend of Baxter graduation are always touched and encouraged. This year was no different. Thanks be to our marvelous God who empowers his people to do his will!

It’s Sunday Again: The gate of heaven

Today I will assemble with the spiritual family on Baxter’s campus. Perhaps as many as 1000 Christians will gather to worship, representing different countries of Latin America and various states of the United States, and representing many different congregations. Gathering together in the amphitheater, now covered with a permanent roof, we will sing and pray, in the Supper we will remember Christ’s sacrifice and promise to return, and we will share Scripture. The first Culto Unido in the covered amphitheater will be a memorable occasion.

When Jacob pillowed his head and saw clearly that God was present in the place where he was, he called it Bethel, proclaiming it the house of God and gate of heaven (Genesis 28). God does not dwell in temples made with hands, and he does not dwell in a special way in the amphitheater or any other place designated for worship. But is it not true that the presence of God in our communion and worship ushers us to the very gate of heaven?

May you today in worship know the presence of God, and may you have time to contemplate that this awe-ful encounter with the Almighty does indeed bring us to the very portal of heaven!