Why Haiti? Or Better Yet, Why Not Austin?

Another incredibly moving sermon from God -- conveyed through Matt, of course (see podcast from 1/12/08 titled "Following the Message, Not the Messanger"). Today we listened to a powerful message at the Austin Stone, one aimed to help give possible causes of the recent earthquake in Haiti. Recently, there has been press coverage of church leaders proclaiming 'the cause' of this devastating occurrence -- for example, that "God caused the earthquake because of Haiti's sin." Matt was quick to point out the arrogance of such a proclamation -- for a human to profess that they know God's mind is a bold move. However, we do know that God has, in the past, used natural disasters because of human sin. The most well-known of these incidents is the story of Noah and the Ark. When God sees the state of the earth in Genesis, He says, "Look! I am about to cover the earth with a flood that will destroy living thing that breathes. Everything on earth will die" (verse 17). In other words, what the pastor stated to be known fact is of course a possibility, but is it the reason? We cannot know.

Another troubling explanation that has arisen from the media is one which is best illustrated through a Twitter message that quickly was "retweeted" by followers. The "tweet" read something along the lines of "The earthquake was just a natural disaster; the little boy being saved was an act of God", referencing the 7-year old Haitian boy would was pulled from the rubble after being trapped for eight days. The problem with this message? The crucial element missing in this assumption that God causes only good things to occur, is that this notion is untrue, and to believe this would be sacrilegious. On November 22nd, 2009, Matt preached a message about our God being both Elohim and Yahweh, and to only worship the forgiving, loving, tender God would be an act of idolatry, as that is not who our God is. In the book of Job, the wife of Job asks "'I thought your God was good!'" (2:10), to which Job replied "'You talk like a foolish woman. Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad?'" (42:11). For more on suffering well, listen to the Austin Stone podcast from 4/27/09, in which Matt preaches over Isaiah 45:5-7.

After firmly disproving the two statements about why the earthquake occurred in Haiti, Matt moved on to give three "take-aways" that help to explain why God would have caused this natural catastrophe. God uses disasters to force us to turn our gaze inward, upward and outward.

Instead of focusing on the question of "Why Haiti?", we should instead dwell more on the question of "Why not Austin?" The earthquake should produce in us a judgement of our own sin as opposed to making brash statements such as "God caused the earthquake in Haiti because of their sins." In Luke chapter 13, Jesus finds out that Pilate had murdered people in Galilee as they were offering sacrifices at the Temple. Jesus then asks "'Do you think those Galileans were worse sinners than all of the other people from Galilee?...Not at all! And you will perish too, unless you repent of your sins and turn to God'" (2-3). God's grace allows us to be alive today; therefore, we must respond to the news of the earthquake with humility and not self-righteousness.

The second result which God intended is for us to turn our gaze upward to Him alone. When Job's friends refuse to believe his innocence, claiming that the hardships which Job faced could result only from his sin, Job persistently attempts to protest his innocence. In chapter 38, the Lord "answered Job from the whirlwind" asking "Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorant words?...Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell me, if you know so much" (1,4). In chapter 42, Job responds to the Lord, saying "'I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes'" (5). It was only after Job had endured many difficult times that he was able to truly see God in a new light.

Not only does God cause us to gaze inward at our own sin and upward to Him, but we are also forced to look outward at the suffering in the world. A line in one of my favorite worship songs titled "Hosanna" says "Break my heart for what breaks Yours." This lyric summarizes the last purpose very well -- sometimes God uses drastic measures in order to open our eyes to suffering that is occurring in the world. Matt quoted one of our worship leaders, saying that "Haiti was a humanitarian disaster before the earthquake ever happened" -- but did we know, or worse, did we care before? James 1:27 reads, "Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you." The generous outpouring of monetary and food donations to the poor, broken people of Haiti is a very real sign that God has opened up peoples' eyes all across the world.

After such a hard-hitting message, it was hard not to get emotional during closing worship as pictures of Haitis flashed across the display screens. I want so badly to be able to go to Haiti for a spring break mission trip, but I have been searching for opportunities online and most sources say that financial donations are much more in need than manual labor right now. Regardless, there are many ways to provide to the Haiti relief effort. It is also crucial to remember that there are many people in need in the local community.

I pray that this message touches your heart like it did mine. If you want to listen to the sermon, subscribe to the Austin Stone podcast on iTunes and get the message from 1/31/10.

In His name,
Ailee

Better Standoffish than Adulterer

It feels so good to be back in the beautiful city of Austin and to be able to physically go to the Austin Stone and listen to Matt preach in person. Not to mention the fact that worshipping with hundreds of others beats belting it out in my bedroom alone (although one of those two options saves me from side glances and stares!!)  It is true that the Lord has blessed us all abundantly -- unfortunately, a good singing voice was not in my pre-planned package.

Today's sermon was from the book of Genesis. In verse 15, Moses writes that "The Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it." This basic statement describes the purpose that was laid out for man, given as a reward and not as a punishment for sin, as Adam was still alone on the earth at this point. Verse 18 says "Then the Lord God said, 'It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.'" Matt stated that this verse is commonly preached to demonstrate the importance of community, but there are many more implications. The word "helper" describes the purpose of God's creating Eve - to help Adam fulfill the calling that the Lord has put in his life. Many people may dislike the use of the word "helper," as it tends to imply that women are solely a "sidekick" or that we are on a lower level than men. In reality, "helper" carries a very strong, positive connotation. Other "helpers" that are mentioned throughout the Bible include the Holy Spirit and God the Father. Psalm 121 reads "I lift up my eyes to the hills— where does my Help come from? My Help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth" (verses 1 & 2).

After establishing the purpose of man and woman's relationship together, Matt then addresses a very serious issue -- adultery (referring to sex outside of marriage, not just in affairs). Apparently, 90% of affairs are birthed out of the workplace -- a staggering and sobering statistic, especially since most couples both hold work positions in our society. Knowing the purpose that God's had for our relationships, this fact makes sense. When man and woman labor together for a common cause, they are in essence simulating something that God designed for husband and wife. This does not mean that all coed work environments must necessarily be a breeding ground for adultery -- there are ways to avoid this sin. The most simplistic of these is to flee from sexual immorality, something that is so prevalent in our society today. Take for example, the Britney Spears song "3," in which she sings "Livin' in sin is the new thing." This clearly demonstrates the tolerance that our culture has for immorality -- as sad as that is.

Matt lists some simple rules that he follows in order to avoid any tension in the workplace. The first one that he mentions is to never be alone with a coworker of the opposite sex, in his case his administrative assistant. The second is to keep their conversation at a very surface level, as any more intimate or personal topics should be kept between her and her husband. Matt then quotes his mentor -- "It is better to be thought of as a little standoffish than as an adulterer." I love this quote. It is so true -- sometimes being kind and thoughtful can be misinterpreted as deeper feelings, which can act as a trigger for sinful thoughts and desires.

One important thing to keep in mind in a relationship is to guard one's heart, in order to protect oneself from Satan, who will do anything to lure us towards sin. Proverbs 4:20-27 speaks of this, with verse 23 which reads "Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life." In order for a relationship to persevere through all hardships and trials, the foundation cannot be built on physical attraction of longing for companionship, but instead must be a mutual calling to live a life dedicated to God. Men need to look for a woman who loves Jesus Christ more than she loves him, and women need to look for a man who loves the Lord more than anyone else on the earth. In Proverbs 31:10, the Bible says, "Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is more precious than rubies..." and in verse 30-31, "Charm is deceptive and beauty does not last. But a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised."

Matt closes the sermon by telling the singles and college students to fix our eyes on Jesus and run with all we've got - occasionally looking to the left and right to see if there is anyone running beside you.

I really loved this message, and it has caused me to dwell on some issues -- one of which being the platonic friendships that I have with close guy friends. I can be a very outgoing person, and I fear that my personality is sometimes misconstrued or interpreted differently. My good friend Andrew constantly laughs at me for my frequent use of the adjective "perfect." I also think that it is important to remember boundaries and what is appropriate behavior for friendships. While I know that I would never cross the line, I still think that Matt's tactics are a great set of guidelines to follow.

What a wonderful day -- and now I've got lots of verses to absorb and let cultivate in my head - I love sermons like that! I pray that the focus of fulfilling God's calling in our lives remains at the forefront of our thoughts.

In His name,
Ailee

Protecting Our Roots

I will be the first to admit that I often struggle with keeping my priorities straight. It is sometimes more appealing to open up Malcolm Gladwell's "Blink" and get absorbed in his humorous anecdotes as opposed to getting out my Bible and reading God's word. This is not a proud confession by any stretch of the imagination. However, after finishing "Protecting Your Roots", an Austin Stone podcast from 3/29/08, I feel more passionate about staying connected to the Lord through one-on-one time.

Matt Carter, the senior pastor at the Austin Stone, tells an interesting story about Sequoia Redwoods which are the world's tallest trees. In recent years, many of these massive have fallen after standing strong for centuries. After close examination, scientists deemed the cause for the collapse of the Redwoods to be the constant foot traffic of sightseers who walk past the giant figures on a regular basis. I find it unbelievable that the simple act of people treading the ground nearby the base of the trees would result in the fall of these enormous trees, which can be up to 250 feet tall.

The tie-in between the story about the trees and the message of the sermon is that without a strong, continuously growing relationship with the Lord, it is likely that the everyday foot traffic which we encounter in our daily happenings will eventually cause damage to our souls, subjecting us to ruinous consequences. In order to protect the root systems of the Sequoia Redwoods, nature conservationists created fences around the base of the trees which prevented individuals from trampling the ground above the roots. Similarly, we must build a defense around our hearts to protect us from Satan's attempts to lure us towards sin.

In John 15:5, Jesus proclaims, "Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me, you can do nothing." This verse is exceptionally powerful, especially in the last few words of the verse in which Jesus reiterates what we already know to be true, that without Him, we can do nothing. We need to have a passion in our lives that drives us to stay emotionally in tune and in love with our Lord and Savior. While attending Church, listening to pastors preach and dissecting podcasts is very well indeed and can be very beneficial, we need to be rely on Jesus for the majority of our spiritual feeding. We need to remember to sit at Gods' feet and be close with Him -- in doing so, we will build a stronger fence around our faith, protecting us from the lure of sinful desires.

I pray that the significance of this seemingly rudimentary message reaches out and grabs you the way that it did to me. So often I feel satisfied by opening up my iTunes and playing a podcast, following along in my Bible and taking notes. But a relationship with Christ is so much more than sermons or messages, it is about connectedness -- something that can only truly blossom and grow when you sit down, pray, and worship the Lord.

"Be still and know that I am God." -- Psalm 46:10

In His name,
Ailee

Singleness -- A Blessing, Not a Disease

Recently, I read this wonderful quote: “Don't settle for the one you can live with, wait for the one you can't live without.” The message seems so simple and obvious, but recently I have had various friends get engaged, and there seems to be a cloud looming above me to jump on the bandwagon and settle down. I was listening to an Austin Stone sermon from 2/8/09 about being single, and I have decided to try to embrace my independence and let God’s will be done in His time. After all, as Matt points out, singleness can be a blessing, although our culture treats it more like a disease.

In 1 Corinthians 7:7-9, Paul writes, “But I wish everyone were single, just as I am. But God gives to some of us the gift of marriage and to others the gift of singleness. So I say to those who aren’t married to widows – it’s better to stay unmarried, just as I am. But if they can’t control themselves, they should go ahead and marry. It’s better to marry than to burn with lust.” Although Paul’s purpose is not to tell people that marriage is a bad thing, he illustrates that being without a partner does not mean that you have to be alone, as we are always with Christ.

The Bible mentions two main blessings of singleness, the first being that it gives us the opportunity to offer undivided, undistracted devotion to the Lord. In 1 Corinthians 7:32-35, Paul writes the following: “I want you to be free from the concerns of this life. An unmarried man can spend his time doing the Lord’s work and thinking how to please him. But a married man has to think about his earthly responsibilities and how to please his wife. His interests are divided. In the same way, a woman who is no longer married or has never been married can be devoted to the Lord and holy in body and in spirit. But a married woman has to think about his earthly responsibilities and how to please her husband. I am saying this for your benefit, not to place restrictions on you. I want you to do whatever will help you serve the Lord best with as few distractions as possible.”

The second blessing that accompanies singleness is that it offers a blessing that, according to God’s word, is eternally better than the earthly blessing of children. In Isaiah 56:1-5, it is written that the Lord said to “Be just and fair to all, do what is right and good, for I am coming soon to rescue you and to display my righteousness among you. Blessed are all those who are careful to do this. Blessed are those who honor my Sabbath days of rest and keep themselves from doing wrong. Don’t let foreigners (us) who commit themselves to the Lord say, ‘The Lord will never let me part of His people.’ And don’t let the eunuchs (those who chose to remain single) say, ‘I’m a dried-up tree with no children and no future.’ For this is what the Lord says: ‘I will bless those eunuchs who keep my Sabbath days holy and who choose to do what pleases me and commit their lives to me. I will give them –within the walls of my house – a memorial and a name far greater than sons and daughters could give, for the name I give them is an everlasting one. It will never disappear!” This promise from the Lord is very significant, as carrying on the family name by having offspring was a big deal during this time. For example, in 1 Samuel 24:21, Saul asks King David to “Swear to me that by the Lord that when that happens you will not kill my family and destroy my line of descendants!”

Although I may continue to daydream about my perfect wedding, this sermon really helped me to realize that I need to wholeheartedly accept that God has a wonderful future in store for me (Jeremiah 29:11), and that my singleness is a part of His master plan. Instead of worrying about being lonely, I need to remind myself that I am never alone. Lastly, I need to celebrate the fact that I am more readily able to focus all of my attention on the Lord in this time when I am not distracted by another worldly love.

In His name,
Ailee

By Grace We Have Been Saved

Grace, the unmerited favor of God.

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God." Ephesians 2:8

I just finished listening to an Austin Stone podcast from 12/22/07 which focused on the gift of God's grace, and I feel compelled to share my thoughts and feelings about the sermon. The verse in Ephesians (above) really captures the essence of the message, which discusses how glorious it is that God's calls on us personally in our lives. Matt Carter (the pastor at the Stone) says that there are two ways that we see God call on his people, by invitation and effectually. The latter of the these is when God literally compels us to action by picking us up and moving us in our lives. Matt uses the story of Lot leaving Sodom and Gomorrah from Genesis to describe effectual calling. Although God had sent angels to tell Lot to leave the city, "...Lot still hesitated, [and] the angels seized his hand and the hands of his wife and two daughters and rushed them to safety outside the city, for the Lord was merciful." (Genesis 19:17). Sometimes we ignore God's calling or we are confused about what He is saying to us, but God has a plan for us and He will ensure that this plan comes in to fruition.

Another point which Matt drives in the sermon is that God has abundant compassion on our lives, and He picked us up out of our sins and He sanctified us. We have been called by God in our lives to be righteous, holy people, and it is so important that we do not forget about this calling. Romans 8:28 says "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them." God has had mercy on our lives, and it is by His grace that we were saved. Matt tells a story about a time when he was pulled over by a police officer for an expired registration sticker, and while he definitely deserved the ticket, the officer had mercy on him and let him go with only a warning. He then goes on to explain that this story does not illustrate grace, but instead depicts the officer having mercy on Matt. The difference is that grace is when you receive something that you do not deserve, as opposed to not receiving something that you do deserve. I've been thinking about the differences between the two, mercy and grace.

How often is it that we give to others when they do not deserve it? Before I accepted Jesus Christ into my heart, I was a sinner, dead in my transgressions (Ephesians 2:1). I did absolutely nothing to merit the love and glory of God, and He called me to be a follower of His word nonetheless. I think that it is important for us, as Christians, to display this same love to people in our lives by giving abundantly to others, even those whom we do not think are deserved. With this said, I challenge myself, and others, to try to do something helpful and generous in order to try to display Jesus' love through our lives. In Peter 2:21, the Bible says that "For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps."

I pray that these words penetrate your heart, and that this challenge may mean as much to you as it does to me.

In His name,
Ailee