January 2012

Why do I have to suffer Lord?

The often asked question is “Why do I have to suffer anyway?” The reality is given the prevalence of sin we most likely will all experience some measure of suffering in our lives. This reality forces us to ask the right question, “How can I accept and somehow rejoice in my suffering, specially when I find the reason for it to be senseless?”

Tim Keller answers this in page 209 of the KIng’s Cross:

“It may seem senseless to as Jesus’ suffering seemed to his disciples. But the cross tells you what the reason isn’t. It can’t be that God doesn’t love you. It can’t be that he has no plan for you. It can’t be that he has abandoned you. Jesus was abandoned, and paid for our sins, so that God the Father would never abandon you. The cross proves that he loves you and understands what it means to suffer. It also demonstrates that God can be working in your life even when it seems like there is no rhyme or reason to what is happening.”

While I don’t believe that God is the author of suffering I agree with C.S. Lewis  when he wrote : “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pain; it is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” – that God uses pain and suffering to communicate with us. In some ways it is also His way of giving us an opportunity to have a relationship with Him.

“For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God.” 1Peter 2:19

Tung Chung Hong Kong

Since last year our Asian leadership team has been helping our Every Nation Hong Kong Church. The picture above shows the Tung Chung congregation’s core members. This babe of a church was started with some of the cast and crew of Hong Kong Disneyland. Extreme left is Pastor David Russell who leads the church. Marie and I visited with our friends, pastor Bernhard Wewege and his wife Colleen  from Christchurch New Zealand. The video below shows the worship service that is held Monday evenings at the apartment of some of the members.

I just love watching churches grow from infancy like this into their destiny.

“Your beginnings will seem humble, so prosperous will your future be.” Job 8:7

Old or New

Duration: 00:36:12 | File size: 30.47 MB | Download MP3

In our “Thrive” series, we’ll know more about the lasting effects of what Jesus did on the cross: a life of victory over our sin and living a full life according to God’s ways.

Why people crave Lady Gaga

Third in a four part post on Tim Keller’s book King’s Cross:

“Christina Kelly was a successful editor of young women’s magazines; over a period of several years she was on staff of Elle Girl, YM, Jane, and Sassy. Some years back she wrote a confessional piece in which she asked: Why do we crave celebrities? ‘Here’s my theory. to be human is to feel inconsequential. So we worship celebrities and we seek to look like them. All the great things they have done we identify with in order to escape our own inconsequential lives. But is’s so dumb. With this stream of perfectly airbrushed, implanted, liposuctioned stars, you would have to be an absolute powerhouse of self-esteem already not feel totally inferior before them. So we worship them because we feel inconsequential, but doing it makes us feel even worse. We make them stars, but then their fame makes us feel insignificant. I am a part of the whole process as an editor. No wonder I feel soiled at the end of the day.’

But Christina Kelly says the celebrities themselves are incredibly unsuccessful in dealing with their sense of inconsequentiality through their beauty, while the rest of us feel worse because we can’t even come close to them.”

Just a vicious cycle of one person living off another’s needs and wants. Both unable to fulfill each other. At the end of the day significance can only come from no one but God. We will only feel valuable to the degree that we understand that God who is supremely the most valuable so valued us that He gave us what most valuable to Him – Jesus.

Lord, teach me to always see my value from understanding how valuable You are. That my value comes as I realize that You so valued me You allowed Jesus to die for me. Its the only real way for me not be deceived.

“Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!” Luke 12:24

Law or Spirit

Duration: 00:35:51 | File size: 25.94 MB | Download MP3

In our “Thrive” series, we’ll know more about the lasting effects of what Jesus did on the cross: a life of victory over our sin and living a full life according to God’s ways.

Campus Ministry in Hong Kong

This is my first trip to Hing Kong this year. Picture above is from pastor Sam Ng of Every Nation church in  Hong Kong. Sam is the one kneeling extreme left wearing a red t-shirt. He has had major inroads in Lingnan University – one of the lodest universities in Hong Kong. This event is his way of engaging the students on campus.

Before you can actually share the Gospel to young people you need to first give them room to enjoy a relationship with you. The expense is not monetary but time, lots of it. Thanks Sam for your passion for young people.

Picture above is with David Russell (lead pastor) of Every Nation Hong Kong and Sam Ng. Every Nation Hong Kong presently has two sites – one in Tsim Sha Tsui and the other in Tung Chung. Since David is still employed in a ful time capacity I have kept the role of senior pastor since last year which accounts for the frequency of my trips there. Part of the reason for this trip is to strategize and structure the church and campus ministry for the future.

“Listen, my son, and be wise, and set your heart on the right path…” Proverbs 23:19

More on King’s Cross

In page 78 of Tim Keller’s King’s Cross, he writes:

“In her book Creed and Chaos? Sayers said that over the previous century and more, politics had operated on the following basis: What was wrong with human society was not in the human heart. it lay in our social structures, in a lack of education. It was a lack of applying what we know through science. Therefoe, if we could just fill in those gaps, human society would achieve greatness. But modern history is littered with disillusioned people who thought capitalism would make us better or socialism would make us better. The sins of the human heart just express themselves differently in each of these systems. Politics is another outside-in approach that does not change the heart.”

Lord, don’t allow me to be deceived into taking sides over systems, beliefs and practices. Help me to constantly realize that the real issue is sin  in my heart. And only You can hela my sick heart.

“The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” Jeremiah 17:9

Sin or Righteousness

Duration: 00:25:12 | File size: 21.23 MB | Download MP3

In our “Thrive” series, we’ll know more about the lasting effects of what Jesus did on the cross: a life of victory over our sin and living a full life according to God’s ways.

Iloilo’s Men of Excellence

The city of Iloilo is the site of one of the fastest growing Victory church in the Philippines. Tucked away in one of the islands of Panay in the Visayas.

The church was originally pastored by Bong Mabilog (immediate left) who stepped down from full time ministry a few years ago. Bong battled with his wife’s long bout with cancer. Keeping the church and his family intact and coming through strong after she went to be with the Lord.

An amazing man who felt there was a need to turn over the church to fresh leadership while he returned to the world of business. In church circles this type of humility is something you don’t often see. Even rarer is the willingness to fully support the current pastor who is younger than he is. I wish all men were this secure and true to their calling as Christians. An living example of servant leadership.

The man beside Bong is the new pastor of the church pastor Keith Deloria. Picture below shows both men with me at the airport. Lord, thank You for allowing me to witness such humility and be amongst men of excellence. May their tribes increase.

Keith was a part of the campus staff of Victory Fort before he took over the Ilo-ilo church. Inexperienced as a senior pastor but confident that God had a call on his life he humbly took the church. The reason for my visit was to spend time with Keith and his leaders to strategize the church’s future. Under his leadership the church has grown from 400 to over a thousand.

To the intercessors reading this please keep the Ilo-ilo church in your prayers – pastor Keith and his wife Onie. This church is passionately reaching the campuses of Ilo-ilo and I am convinced we will see future leaders come from here in years to come.

“Do all that you have in mind,” his armor-bearer said. “Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul.” 1Samuel 14:7

Malate Leaders’ Convergence

Victory Malate started the year with an early kick-off. My flight from Iloilo landed on time to make a quick change and head for the meeting.

Gathered were Victory Malate’s small group leaders – the room was packed. As usual it was students, singles and young people. God thank You for these disciples that You fervently love. I was asked by pastor Nixon Ng to challenge the people to do, what else – “go and make disciples.”

Pastor Nixon Ng is the senior pastor of Victory Malate, a graduate of Manufacturing Engineering from De La Salle University, prior to going into full time ministry he worked as a professor in the same university. Reached and discipled on campus he is a next generation leader who raises next generation leaders.

Nixon is articulate, analytical a brilliant thinker but always deferential. The many years of working with him has been a joy and pleasure.

“The least of you will become a thousand, the smallest a mighty nation. I am the LORD; in its time I will do this swiftly.” Isaiah 60:22