asian american baptist church

Pneumanity

2007-08-13T15:59:00.000-05:00

A common criticism of our faith is that it is old. It holds to outdated ideas and outdated values and those who hold onto this old belief system do not have a significant place in today's world. The Christian faith is old but that is not a legitimate cause for dismissal. In fact, one of its defining characteristics is its embrace of the New Humanity, or, as some have coined it, the Pneumanity.

Last night in our ~~community group~~ LifeShare™ group we had a great discussion. (If you want more information on how to join one, please contact Pastor Alvin). This past Sunday, Pastor Michael exhorted us to embrace several distinctly Christian values; he told us that these were characteristic of the New Humanity. One of the things we talked about was what this New Humanity was and what it looked like.

The world of the early church was split into two ethnic groups: the Jews and the Gentiles. In Ephesians, Paul addresses this distinction. Read all about it in Ephesians 2:11-22. Looking especially at verses 14 and 15:

For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himeself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace

This passage is pretty dense but I want to point out a couple of things. Paul is addressing the church; in this specific instance he is addressing Gentiles (see verse 11) but this passage has application for both Jews and Gentiles. The categories of Jew and Gentile may be unfamiliar and perhaps even insignificant to you, but, really, Paul is talking about any kind of category we might have for anyone at church: male and female, asian and non-asian, old and young, rich and poor...

These categories can be in conflict with one another; in the case of the Jews and the Gentiles this was so. The Jews had a sense of superiority because the traditions and beliefs of Christianity had grown out of a Jewish context; the Gentiles came from mainstream culture and did not carry a lot of the cultural stigma that Jews were often burdened with. These two groups were often at odds with one another. The Gentile Christians often felt that the Jewish culture was being forced upon them; the Jewish Christians often saw the Gentiles as uncommitted in their pursuit of holy living and there was the real threat of their culture being subsumed by the surrounding culture.

In all of this conflict we see that the picture of the church is something completely different. It it isn't the Gentiles being forced to be like the Jews. Nor is it the Jews losing their cultural identity to the mainstream Gentile culture. Instead the church is the New Humanity. This New Humanity is focused on bringing glory to God the Father, through the work of God the Son, empowered by God the Spirit.

The letter to the Ephesians gives us a picture of what this New Humanity is and what this New Humanity does. It should be noted that this New Humanity did not come out of human effort but it is something divine, it has all the fingerprints of God on it. So the call that Paul gives to all of us to be filled by the Holy Spirit should not come as a surprise to us. The Holy Spirit breathes on us, fills us, empowers us. It is by His strength and His enablement that we are able to be this New Humanity; the Greek root for Spirit is pneuma and thus we get the phrase Pneumanity.

Being a follower of Christ is something old; the history of the people of God began with the creation of the first man. But it requires something new. It requires new life. It requires a new spirit. This newness is embodied in this Pneumanity. In my own personal life journey, I find it a challenge to deal with the tension between living as the Pneumanity and dealing with my old self. And so, out of all the awesome, new things that we as the Pneumanity are given, the thing that I am most thankful for is that we are given a new hope.

LifeShare Groups

2007-03-25T21:47:00.000-05:00

It's amazing to see people connect. And I mean really connect. Not just hang out once in awhile and get along pretty well. But rather, reach a level of familiarity and comfortability where they experience a deep, genuine, powerful connection where the Spirit of God works to transform lives as a result of spiritual relationships. It's amazing to see life change take place in a community of believers. And so often, that is exactly the place where it happens.

That's what LifeShare groups seek to do. To get people connected to people. Meeting regularly to fellowship, to pray together, to keep each other accountable, to share life together. And through this, they find themselves being transformed together.

And then, as a group grows deeper in their relationships, their once inward-facing and nurturing faith begins to turn outward. God has worked in us, so now how can we respond by being a tangible expression of deep faith towards others outside of our group? As the group grows - in numbers and in depth and in faith - they begin to share life to others. They bring what God has been doing in them... to those outside of them, and they find themselves working together towards blessing the community. And here, by community, we mean inside the church but also (and very much so) outside the church.

LifeShare groups will meet 3 weeks out of every month. The value behind this is that we must spend time together if we're going to grow together.

LifeShare groups, initially, will be organized geographically, to the best that we can. We want to do what we can to make it easy for people to get to their groups. Imagine only having to drive for a few minutes to get to your LifeShare group, especially after fighting 45 minutes of traffic earlier in the day. It's like Staples... that was easy.

LifeShare groups will accommodate parents with children. We will work to arrange childcare at your LifeShare group location so that, parents, you can come and be nurtured and challenged in your faith along with other adults... and someone will watch your kids during that important time that you spend with your LifeShare group.

Look for LifeShare groups to preview in April and launch in May. Interested in joining one? Pick up the card in the lobby at church, fill it out, and return it to Alvin.

I firmly believe that God uses connecting to transform lives. When we get together with others, and we allow God to use our relationships as a way to encourage us and challenge us in our faith, we begin to connect with those around us. And then we experience life transformation. And then we respond by blessing the community.

God has, through His Son, shared life with us. We, in community, share life with each other. And then we, as a community, share life with those outside of us.

Deep Relationship Barriers

2007-02-27T10:39:00.000-06:00

If you've heard some of the buzz going around AABC in recent weeks, it is that a new small groups ministry will be launching near the end of March. We're sensing that people feel the need to connect well with one another, to be nurtured and challenged in the context of a small group of close relationships. We're praying for, training for, and aiming for spiritually-transforming life-changing relationships.

In recent weeks, the small group leaders have been gathering and talking about some of the external barriers that we have to forming deep relationships with one another. There is no doubt that we all have internal barriers too (feelings of insecurity, a desire to maintain an image without letting others see the real you, unaddressed sin issues in your life about which you don't particularly care to have someone else challenge you), but I'm a firm believer that the Spirit of God at work in people's lives as they connect together, as they actually just sit down to talk and pray and share life together regularly, can lead to tremendous life-change, especially in the area of some of those internal barriers.

Still, it's those external barriers that just keep us from even getting in the door to start those relationships. These are the barriers that cause people to say, "Oh, I really want to spend some time with and get to know ________ but I just don't think I'll be able to because..." What are some of these external barriers that the small group leaders have come up with?

Lack of Time - We are busy, busy people. Perhaps that is just the nature of life in a fallen world. But for many of us, the solution may simply come down to cutting out of our schedules those things which we can do without so that we can make time for those things which we cannot afford to be without.

For most of us, we cannot not work, so that's why we make time each week to be at our jobs. We cannot not sleep (at least, not for long), so that's why we make time each night to be in our beds. And I would propose that we cannot not be in relationship with God, and we cannot not be in relationship with others. But are we willing to cut out the other things in our life which we can do without to make time for these non-negotiables? That may mean cutting out certain entertainment, aimless web surfing, shopping, or just marinating on the couch - by the way, the national average shows that, over the span of a 65-year life, a person spends 9 entire years of life watching television.

In regards to lack of time there is nothing that I or the small group leaders can do besides pray that AABC would see being in life-changing relationship as vital to their lives and so make the time for it. Pray with us in regards to this for the people of our church.

Too Far To Drive - While we can do nothing about lack of time as an external barrier to relationships, every other barrier we feel we can make an honest attempt at addressing. So, for the average AABC'er who doesn't want to come home from a 45-minute commute just to drive another 45 minutes to get to their small group, we'll be aiming to arrange our small groups based on the neighborhood in which you live. Did you know that a heavy majority of AABC'ers have 5-7 other AABC'ers that live within a 2-mile radius of their own homes?

Childcare - YES. Even for the parents of young children, YES, you too need to be in life-changing relationships with others. You probably feel this need more than others feel it for you. So we'll be working out a system so that individuals in a small group can rotate taking care of the small group members' children for each meeting time. Or perhaps small group X can rotate individuals to take care of the kids in small group Y (and vice-versa) so that nobody would ever need to miss their own small group meeting.

I'll even throw this in there for you... if this barrier is that much of an issue, and none of the above solutions work... I'll even come and babysit your children so that your small group can meet. (That's an offer, not a threat)

We (I and the small group leaders) are pouring our lives into this ministry... because it's worth it. Because life-change happens when the Spirit of God works in the community, and community only happens when people are in relationship with one another. It is in community that people are prayed for, sin is tackled, deep hurts are cared for, love is shown, others can be welcomed, lives are changed, and God is glorified. Pray for it. Be a part of it.

Blessed with New Faces

2007-02-15T13:23:00.000-06:00

In recent weeks, it seems that we've been seeing quite a few new faces at AABC. On Sunday mornings, we've seen lots of new visitors—families that have heard about AABC through friends, young adults that have just moved into town, students that are new to the DFW area. And we praise God for a Super Bowl Party at the Tien's on February 4th, during which we got to meet a handful of international students (or former students) of UT Dallas, partnering with UTD's ISI Ministry. And then we even made a new friend who was a walk-on for AABC's Tuesday night flag football team.

It's a blessing to see new faces and meet new people, but it often runs counter to our initial inclinations to initiate meaningful conversation and interaction with these new folks. Here, I've found, are a few good tips...

Don't be uncomfortable! I find that any awkwardness or uncomfortableness that I feel when meeting someone new is easily sensed by the person I'm meeting... and it makes them feel uncomfortable too. Ask the question, "What am I uncomfortable about?" If it has to do with being preoccupied with how this person perceives me—often we desire to maintain some sort of image for other people—then this preoccupation with self may be something that needs to be prayed about and sacrificed to God. If it has something to do with not wanting to get to know another person by listening or learning about them—it's often easier to stick to the friends that we have and not have to invest in other people—then we need to pray for God to continue opening our eyes to His abundant love in order that we might overflow with that same love to those around.

Ask good questions! One of the things I admire about our Missions Pastoral Intern (Avery) is that he often asks such good questions of people. After moving past the initial "So, where did you and your family move from?" types of questions, I can imagine Avery asking questions like, "Have the children in your family been finding it difficult to move far away from their friends and adjust to a new school?" Too often, I simply run through my list of simple questions (What kind of work are you in? How did you hear about our church? Did you know that we have Sunday School classes after service today?) and then let the conversation drift off into oblivion. It sure helps to listen intently to how this new person is responding to my initial questions so that I can know how best to continue the conversation.

Which leads us naturally to the next tip... Listen! I was told not too long ago that so often in conversations, communication breaks down because the participants are too busy thinking of the next thing to say rather than actually listening to what is currently being said. Slow down, and don't feel like you have to be so quick to respond. Make sure that your first priority is to listen well.

Show more than friendliness. Show love. Sometimes we think that all we need to do is just convince visitors that the people at our church are friendly. But we need to go so much further than friendly. Friendly is easy, but Jesus was more than just friendly. Jesus was loving. How, then, can go beyond friendliness and actually show visitors that we love them? For starters, we can take genuine interest in the lives of those we meet. Friendliness means being willing to carry on a conversation for 3 minutes. Showing love means demonstrating genuine care and concern for the person you're talking with, and even looking for ways that you or the church can meet this person's needs.

Let's look to love those who walk through our doors on a Sunday morning, or join us for a get-together at a home, or come out to play football or volleyball with us. You'll run into a few more this coming Sunday, and then next week, and the week after. We are blessed by the opportunity to show love and care for new people. May we be faithful stewards of this blessing.

Grace and Entitlement

2007-01-30T12:05:00.000-06:00

As I write this blog, I am also waiting on the phone with a software development company. I've either been on hold, listening to pleasant music, or have been transfered back and forth between various customer service representatives or technical support representatives.

It's times like these - it really is - when I think upon God's grace in my life. I believe that so often our temptation is to conduct ourselves, especially around those with whom we have little to no personal relationship (i.e. customer service representatives, bank tellers, grocery checkers, waitresses), as if we were entitled to their serving us excellently and without error. Yes, some may argue that the money that we pay entitles us to demand good service. But perhaps more often than not, our Western, affluent, immediate-gratification society draws us towards becoming demanding people who believe we're entitled to have others serve us (even if we're paying for it).

And, by us, I mean even we who profess faith in Jesus Christ as God's gracious provision of salvation to sinful and undeserving mankind. Yes, even we who have embraced grace - and by doing so we are essentially saying that we deserve none of God's abundant blessings - even we find ourselves becoming demanding of others, asserting our sinful sense of entitlement.

When we recognize that we are saved by God's grace, that we are entitled to and deserving of nothing aside from the righteous judgment of a holy God, this ought to change how we deal with others. Believers, if you are grace-based in your salvation, then you ought also to be grace-based in your relations.

And as a result, God's grace demonstrated towards me prompts me to show that same grace to the man who cuts my grass, or the woman who handles my vehicle registration, or the guy who makes my coffee, or the girl who puts me on hold.

Do you make demands as one who feels entitled to do so? Or do you show grace as one who deserves nothing but has received everything in Christ?

⁶You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. ⁸But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:6-8, NIV)

Scandalous

2007-01-24T09:54:00.000-06:00

In recent weeks, we've been hearing the word "scandalous" used quite a few times in the pulpit. We've referred to the Incarnation (God the Son coming down as man to be a light among darkness and reveal the Father to the world) as scandalous. We've referred to Jesus' encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well as a scandalous rescue.

And it's true - the entire message of the Gospel, and the entire work of Jesus Christ... is scandalous. But, are we clear on what the word scandalous means? I think that, in this day age, when we hear the word scandalous or scandal, our minds automatically think of an event that is ethically or morally questionable. We think of a politician's sex scandal, or of an athlete's doping scandal.

But scandal or scandalous, which we usually see translated in Scripture as "stumbling block" (e.g. 1 Cor 2:3) doesn't necessarily connote moral compromise. Sometimes, it can be taken to mean shocking or absurd or even disgraceful... but without the moral compromise. We understand the entrance of the Son of God into this world in human flesh as shocking. Why would God choose to do such a thing? To some, it even seems absurd. God would never do such a thing... that's ridiculous. And, for the sinless Son of God to be crucified upon a cross and subject to disgrace in this world for the sake of sinners... that is scandalous.

So grace, after all, is scandalous. But not scandalous in the way that we would associate with a promiscuous celebrity or a corrupt politician. Scandalous in a way such that we are left asking, "God, why would You, the almighty Creator of the universe who is righteous and sovereign, take any notice of me? Why would You not spare your Son but instead choose to give Him up for sinners? God, why would you show such grace and mercy to those undeserving and to those unable ever to repay?"

Scandalous. Shocking. Absurd. Ridiculous. Nonsensical. Some just cannot get past the foolishness of the Gospel - it's a stumbling block, a scandal that one is unable to apprehend. Others embrace the Gospel in all its foolishness and find their lives transformed by the Holy Spirit's awakening to the sweetness of the Savior.

What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? (Ps. 8:4)

For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. (1 Cor. 1:21-24)

And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood. Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore. For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come. (Heb. 13:12-14)

Non-negotiables

2007-01-16T13:15:00.000-06:00

A few days ago, I heard a brother share about his desire to maintain right priorities in life. More than just trying to balance all that he has going on in life, he wanted to prioritize what he had going on. And since hearing that, this has been on my mind.

A few weeks ago, I heard a professor and his wife (both formerly missionaries living overseas) share about how, when they moved back to the States, they made an intentional decision each year to allow each child in their family to participate in one activity (e.g. voice lessons, soccer, dance). They said that they did this in order to teach their children how to choose, how to make decisions, knowing that limitations in life (time, resources, opportunity) make it such that we can never have it all. And since hearing that, this has been on my mind too.

We live in a time and a culture of abundance - of choices, of options, of opportunities. And so the temptation is to choose as many of them as we can, as much as we can while maintaining balance. But my fear - for myself and for those around me - is that we might lose sight of the priorities, of the non-negotiables - in the midst of the abundant choices. One author writes:

... Jesus was never to be caught short on time. Because He knew His sense of mission, because He was spiritually sharpened by moments alone with the Father, and because He knew who the men were that would perpetuate His mission long after He ascended into heaven, it was never difficult for Him to say a firm NO to invitations and demands which might have looked good or acceptable to us.1

How do we find what those non-negotiable priorities ought to be in our lives? Are we asking God to reveal those things to us as we seek Him in prayer and study His Word? Are we willing to realign our lives according to those things once God reveals them to us? Will God honor our efforts to sift away the good things in life in order to make room for the absolute best?

"Then Jesus said to his disciples, 'If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.'" (Mt 16:24-25)

1 MacDonald, Gordon. Ordering Your Private World. 77-78.

When You've Been Away For That Long...

2007-01-08T11:04:00.000-06:00

... it's easy to stay away for just a little while longer.

I've found this to be the case in 3 respects: posting to this blog, maintaining relationships with others, and pursuing God.

It's been over a month since this blog has seen a new post. On the one hand, we're busy people. Christmas season was at hand. There was a lot going on. But then, even as things slowed down, I noticed that the longer I neglected writing a new post, the harder it would be to finally do it. The thoughts and the guilt... If I post now, it will only accentuate the simple truth that I haven't posted in over a month. or.... Maybe the blog hasn't been missed all that much anyways. Would it really hurt to wait another week or two? or... What if I blog today but then next week don't have time again... why start it up now if I might neglect it again in a few weeks?

And all of a sudden, I'm no longer talking about just posting to this blog (even though it applies). I've found similar neglect, guilt-ridden thoughts, self-consciousness, and even lazyness... as it applies to relationships with people. That family member I haven't called or e-mailed for months now. That good friend that went through some rough times but I had never gotten around to checking up on. That brother or sister who went on a missions trip (or still remains on the mission field since) months ago. Today would be a great day to check in, to catch up. But again, the thoughts and the guilt... If I call them today, I'm sure they'll notice that I haven't called in so long. or... How will I know that I'll be able to keep up with them in a few weeks? Maybe I shouldn't bother...

Pursuing our relationship with God... is the same way. The longer you stay away, the easier it becomes to stay that way. We think to ourselves... If I really seek God today, then I'm going to have to face the truth that I haven't sought Him for all too long already.

Seek Him today. As we're reminded by the Psalmist to come and worship our God, we're encouraged, "Today, if you hear His voice..." that we do not harden our hearts to it. (Ps 95:6-9). We're simply called to pursue God, to seek Him... today. Rest in Him and enjoy Him as He welcomes you back after an extended absence. Don't worry about whether you may fail in pursuing Him tomorrow. When tomorrow becomes today, seek Him and pursue Him today.

When you've been away for that long, it's tempting to stay away. Come on back... today... whether you're posting to a blog, deepening relationships, or pursuing God.

The End for Which God Created the World

2006-12-04T11:22:00.000-06:00

On Sunday, Michael mentioned a treatise by Jonathan Edwards entitled, "The End for Which God Created the World." We wanted to provide some helpful references here on the blog in case you would like to read this treatise yourself. There are a few different places on the Internet to find Edwards' work.

In 1998, John Piper wrote a book entitled, "God's Passion for His Glory." In the second part of his book, he provides the text of Edwards' treatise, along with helpful explanation. This is especially helpful as Edwards' mid-18th-Century writing style may be difficult to digest for modern readers. If you would like to read Edwards' work through Piper's book, these may be the steps to take:

Visit DesiringGod.org to find the online excerpt of Piper's "God's Passion for His Glory."
Read the Introduction to Part II, starting with Page 20 of the PDF file. This gives helpful notes on how to read Edwards' treatise as well as a clarification of the terms used.
Then read all of Chapter 1 of Part II in Piper's book. This is the actual text of Edwards' "The End for Which God Created the World," along with helpful notes from Piper.

Reading Jonathan Edwards is not easy, in part because we are no longer used to this style of writing today; but Edwards' thoughts are profound and compelling.

When 13 People Get Together

2006-12-04T10:55:00.000-06:00

We've never called our Sunday night south-zone prayer meetings a "small group." For more than a year now, we've simply gotten together to pray for the needs of the church and to pray for each other. But regardless of what you call it, it's clear to me that community is taking place here.

Last night, a gathering of 13 brothers and sisters in Christ - friends - got together to enjoy a quick meal of leftovers, and then to sit around a room with a roaring fireplace to share and pray. In the span of just over an hour, we sang one hymn together, heard about concerns for loved ones and co-workers, rallied around those with specific fears or needs, and were encouraged about how this time of year presents a unique opportunity to share with those around us about thankfulness and about Jesus Christ.

And then we prayed. And that was it.

Never before in my life until now have I ever witnessed or experienced how simple and how refreshing and how God-honorhing it was - like last night - to see a handful of believers get together, care for each other, build community, and pray. I'd encourage you to witness it firsthand too.

Pastoral Team Forum - Question 1

2006-11-27T13:35:00.000-06:00

In our recent series, Wise Lives: Pursuing Skillful Living in the Proverbs, our pastoral team decided that it may be beneficial to hold a Pastoral Team Forum during the sermon time on one Sunday morning, in order to answer questions about the spiritual life. What I'll attempt to do here, over the next few blog entries, is to touch upon the questions that the Pastoral Team covered during our November 26th forum.

The first question was this: What do we mean when we talk about a "spiritual person"?

To answer this question, first we want to be clear on what we don't mean when we talk about a spiritual person. Too often we equate being "spiritual" with some sort of a role, as if the being "spiritual" is only reserved for deacons or pastors or missionaries. This leads some - perhaps men and women who are successful and hard-working in the marketplace - to think that, if they really want to be "spiritual," they have to quit their jobs, attend a seminary, and go into vocational ministry. But we want to move away from the notion that only certain roles in life or kinds of people can pursue spirituality.

Secondly, we want to recognize that the spiritual life does not look the same for all people, but rather it can be expressed in many different ways for different people. So then, being "spiritual" does not necessarily mean that you have to sell everything and live in a monastery, or that you have to move to Calcutta to work with the indigent, or even that you have to be up at four in the morning each day to pray for four hours before your workday begins. To be a "spiritual person" may look different for different people.

Essentially, however, we believe that a spiritual person is one who is living out life as God originally intended - that is, they are living and doing all things for His glory. Each of us was created by God to reflect His glory in this world. So then, when the world looks at you, a believer in Jesus Christ, they ought to see how your life is a reflection of the worth of God, in His beauty and goodness and moral perfection. They see your life point upwards towards Him.

And this can be done whether you're a pastor or a paramedic, whether you're a missionary or in the military. Do you conduct yourself as a student in such a way that God is glorified? How about as an accountant? How about as a son, or daughter, or mother, or father, or brother, or sister? How about as a neighbor, or as a driver, or as a member of the community? How about in the way that you spend your money, or in the goals that you pursue, or in the relationships that you have - are these all done in such a way that God is glorified? That's how we are to pursue being a "spiritual person."

In regards to this topic, there is one article that I would highly recommend, written by John Piper, entitled, "How to Drink Orange Juice to the Glory of God".

Through the work that Jesus Christ has done on the cross, the Father has reconciled to Himself all who place their faith in His Son. For that reason, we now have an opportunity, which we did not have before coming to Christ, to glorify God in anything and everything that we do. It is when we pursue this that we begin pursuing the spiritual life.

Grateful

2006-11-19T01:04:00.000-06:00

We praise God for a wonderful Thanksgiving Banquet on Saturday evening. As a church, we are so grateful to God for the many people who gave of their time, their hands, and their gifts in order for us to have an enjoyable evening of relaxing fellowship around a table filled with great food. We were blessed to see so many new faces and to be given the opportunity, as a community of believers, to testify of God's grace and goodness in our lives and in the life of our church.

The testimony part of Thanksgiving Banquet is done now. But the long-lasting relationships that we strive to see as a result of our Thanksgiving Banquet... this continues with you and all of us as we seek to demonstrate God's love through the sharing of lives with our friends, families, co-workers, neighbors, and community. May this be a challenge to you, even in the coming week, to continue fostering deep friendships with people outside of AABC, for the glory of God.

May God be praised and pleased by all that has taken place and by all that will result from our Thanksgiving Banquet!

Building Bridges with New Faces

2006-11-14T10:24:00.000-06:00

Thanksgiving Banquet is 4 days away. Have you been praying hard for this upcoming outreach event (and, by praying hard, we mean praying consistently and intentionally)? Prayer in preparation is vital for this event, in which we desire to be a testimony - to our friends, neighbors, co-workers, and community - of God's goodness in our lives and in the life of our church, and also we desire to build long-lasting relationships with those who come and join us on this relaxing evening of food and thanksgiving.

If you're like me, you may have some hesitation or anxiety when it comes to meeting new people and seeing new faces at church for the first time. Questions may run through your mind... Do I have to talk to this person, or should I just let whoever brought him/her talk to this person tonight? How do I keep a conversation going without sounding fake? What in the world am I supposed to talk about? These are questions that face us - not only during Thanksgiving Banquet, but even on Sunday mornings when a newcomer walks through our doors.

Perhaps the first question we ought to be asking ourselves when meeting someone new is this: What would it look like for me to show the genuine love of Christ to this person as an overflow of the love that Christ has shown to me? So then, rather than being concerned with What do I talk about? or How do I make conversation without sounding artificial?, we are concerned not with how we look, but how we love. Instead of trying to sustain an awkward conversation, we can show genuine interest in people, learn about them, let them tell their story, and hear about their needs.

Every person at AABC who brings a friend to church for the first time is hoping deep inside that others at AABC will come alongside and build relationships with this friend too. Don't leave your brothers and sisters to reach out on their own. Partner with them, support them, and show love with them.

As you endeavor to show love to people you're meeting for the first time, you might find it easier to do so through finding and building bridges - common interests and common ideas. If you find that you and this new friend love Korean food, set up a time for your family and theirs to go out to Korean food together! If you and this new friend love flag football, invite them to join you on Sunday afternoon for football! If you and this new friend both have concerns about your children adjusting to a new school or a new class, get together for coffee to chat!

Show love - love goes beyond the sharing of polite conversation to the sharing of lives. Build bridges - find common interests or ideas upon which you can build relationships.

If you're bringing a friend to church, lean on your community to support you. And if you're part of the community, support your friend-bringing brothers and sisters by showing love with them.

Creation, Cremation, and the Body

2006-11-10T14:38:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago, my wife and I attended the memorial service for my wife's maternal grandmother. It was the first memorial service I'd attended in more than 5 years. But along with this, we also witnessed, along with the family, the cremation of her body. This was new to me, and while the death of loved ones always provokes in us thoughts and questions about the fragility of life, this particular occasion sparked in me a new question: Is cremation biblical?

Perhaps one or two Sundays afterwards, the pastoral team at AABC received a question through the tear-off portion of the bulletin asking about 1) whether cremation is biblical and 2) whether being cremated would prevent a person from going to heaven. These are good questions to tackle.

First, however, we should recognize that these are two separate questions. The second one is slightly easier, so we'll tackle that one first. We should be clear that even if cremation was not biblical, that would not preclude a genuine believer from eternal life. When a person places their faith in Jesus Christ as the only sufficient substitute for the punishment that they deserved for their sins, the blood of Jesus Christ covers all of their sins. For this same reason, even though many view suicide as a sinful act, even suicide would not keep a genuine believer from eternal life in heaven. Cremation, if it were sinful, ought to be viewed the same way.

The bigger question before us, however, is whether or not cremation is biblical. We really only have two places in Scripture which refer to the burning of bodies. The first is in 1 Samuel 31:12, where the bodies of King Saul and his sons are burned and their bones buried. This narrative account is simply a description of what happened, saying little to nothing about whether the burning of bodies is right or wrong. The second passage is in Amos 6:10, referring to a time when God will judge Israel, and a man will need to burn the bodies of all the relatives in his house. Likely in this passage, the bodies need to be burned because the judgment upon Israel was in the form of a plague, and burning the bodies would be better for health and cleanliness.

While through the centuries, it seems that burial was the customary method of dealing with dead bodies, there does not seem to be anywhere in the Bible that says that cremation is wrong per se, so long as the body, which God has created, is respected (just as ought to be the case with burial).

More than likely, the issue of cremation arises when we, as believers, consider the promised resurrection of the body that is to come one day. As we see in Romans 8:23 and in 1 Corinthians 15, we look forward to a day when the bodies of those who identify with Jesus Christ will be raised again as He was, and believers will have imperishable bodies to reflect God's glory as He originally intended when He created us.

But some will ask, how will God resurrect my dead body if I've been cremated? Certainly, the cremated remains of a dead body may simply fill a small urn with ash, but let us not forget that even buried bodies undergo tremendous decay. But the ability to be resurrected does not depend on whether your bones are intact or you are in a box or in an urn. No, it depends on the power of God. If our great God, as the almighty Creator of the universe, can create all the universe from nothing and form Adam and Eve from the dust, then I have no doubt that He will be able to piece together (or perhaps re-create entirely) my dead remains - whether buried, cremated, or something else.

So then, while cremation is not unbiblical, but again no single sin can prevent a genuine believer in Jesus Christ from obtaining eternal life, the bottom line for us as believers is that God has promised His children a resurrection - a day is coming when Christ will reign, and there will be no more disease, no more decay, and no more death. And what's more, there will be no more sin, and even better, no more desire to sin... for the affections of our renewed hearts and minds and bodies will finally be given over wholly to the one we have always wanted them to be for... our Lord Jesus Christ.

Praying Hard

2006-11-07T18:55:00.000-06:00

What does it mean when we say that we should pray hard for something? That was a question posed to me earlier this week. Perhaps we throw the term around often... don't forget to pray hard for the people you want to invite to Thanksgiving Banquet... pray hard for your country as we enter election time... pray hard for me tomorrow since I have an exam...

I don't believe praying hard means closing your eyes really tight for real when you pray (on the recent C6 East Asia trip, there were countless times when we prayed hard for a community while walking through it with our eyes open). I don't believe praying hard necessarily means speaking your prayer words with more intensity or passion. So, what does it mean to pray hard?

Pray with consistency and intentionality. For me, to pray hard means to pray consistently concerning a matter and to set out time intentionally to pray. Intentionality in prayer means much more than a half-awake oh-I-almost-forgot-to-pray-about-______ moment before bed and then a quick prayer regarding it.

But it's also not necessarily the case that praying hard will mean that prayer has a better chance of being answered. Ultimately, prayer is an expression of faith and dependence on the Lord as well as a submission to Him that He would do that which most delights Himself. I hope that I'm praying hard for those things which God would be pleased to grant. But if I'm praying hard for those things which God would not be pleased to grant, then I hope that the Spirit of God is moving in me to recognize this, that my heart might be transformed so that I might begin praying hard for the right things.

Preparation for Corporate Worship

2006-11-03T08:19:00.000-06:00

Well, the weekend is coming, and our time of corporate worship together is just about 48 hours away. Perhaps you're wondering why anyone would bother to count down the hours before just another Sunday morning at church? That's because coming to church on a Sunday morning must mean more than rolling out of bed, trudging to the car in the cold, and stumbling into the chair at church half-awake. We both know that. Often times, a good morning at church, in which you're focused on all that's taking place, your time of worship through song is sweet and refreshing, and your fellowship with one another is deep and meaningful... all this takes preparation. And that preparation likely begins on Saturday, if not even on Friday.

What preparation? Well, for starters, be wise about your Saturday evening so that you'll be refreshed and ready to go on Sunday morning. Is there any doubt that showing up on time and focused on Sunday morning will be harder to do if you've been playing video games or surfing the web until about 4:30 in the morning? Your Saturday evening will affect your Sunday morning, so if you want to come early on Sunday morning, you'll have to think about your Saturday evening.

Also, make sure (even today) that you have already begun praying for the weekend ahead - for all of the ministries, for the hearts and lives of the people at AABC, for the pastoral staff. Everything that goes on on a Sunday morning needs the strong prayer support of our church upholding it. Are you praying for your church, praying for your worship leaders, your Sunday School teachers, your pastors, and your brothers and sisters?

Relationally with one another, we can also prepare. There may be broken relationships that need to be mended. In fact, bitterness or tension between individuals may be the one big thing that gnaws at the back of their minds and hinders their Sunday morning experience. These need to be dealt with. Go, be reconciled to your brother or sister.

If you're looking for a way to spur one another on in preparation for a Sunday morning, schedule an early morning breakfast with a friend before (not during!) church. Give each other a wake-up call in the morning, meet up at La Madeleine or Breadwinners at 7am, share with one another, pray for each other and pray for the church together, and then head over to church together. You'll find yourself arriving at church already prepared and already refreshed for corporate worship.

So, are you making your preparations? You've got 48 hours. Looking forward to seeing you soon.

Being Missional

2006-10-28T13:49:00.000-05:00

Earlier this month, the TUFFers had the opportunity to begin a new partnership with an organization which provides transitional housing for immigrants who are victims of domestic abuse or human trafficking. We brought a group of 8 youth and 4 adults to spend a few hours with the residents of this community. We played with the kids outside, helped with a craft (foam door hangers) and served a spaghetti lunch.

It was a pretty eye-opening experience for me interacting with this unique group. They consisted of primarily women and children from Africa and Southeast Asia. Though they have experienced so much pain and suffering in their lives, they welcomed us with joy and appreciation. I was touched at the smiles on their faces and laughter of the young girls as they made fun of me.

See, we were playing outside and one of them shouted, "Raise your hand!" So, being a team player, I did. Immediately after doing so, I heard, "Raise your hand if you're a dork!" Ahh, the joy of childhood. I took my lumps happily to contribute to their enjoyment.

Another uniqueness of this partnership is that this organization is not a faith-based organization. The residents and staff are primarily not Christian, so this poses a very strategic opporunity to bring the life and messsage of Jesus Christ to this community. We are not sure yet how or when this will happen, but we trust that God will give us wisdom as we follow Him.

We will be returning for our second visit on November 4. I am looking forward to reconnecting with the residents there and staff. Those kids are so cute...in just one visit they are already starting to take a special place in our hearts.

I hope from these experiences, we in TUFF would develop a greater heart of compassion for the least and the lost. That we would, like the apostle Paul, be obligated to those who do not know the life-giving gospel of Jesus Christ. And, that we would be willing and available to be used by God to go wherever to serve whoever for the name and fame of our Lord and Savior, for His glory.

the Church is big

2006-10-22T19:30:00.000-05:00

Coming together for corporate worship on a Sunday is one of the highlights of my week. And of course, we do try to remind each other consistently that Sunday morning's worship is only an extension of what ought to be a week long of worship. Since we are called by the apostle Paul, "So whether you eat or drink, do it all for the glory of God" (1 Cor 10:31), we recognize that all that we do can be done as worship, whether that's on a Sunday or on any other day, and whether that's in our church building or in our homes or on 635.

But while Sunday mornings are an extension of a larger week of worship, by contrast our church is only an abbreviation, a local expression, of what is the larger Church - that is, the Body of Christ around the world.

These last few days, I've had the opportunity to fellowship, sing praises, and study the Word of God with believers 8,000 miles away from Richardson, Texas. They too are a part of the Body of Christ. I often forget that, and it was refreshing to be reminded once again that there are people all around the world - the Church - who are worshipping the same Lord Jesus Christ as we do. God's Church is big.

Working for the King of Kings

2006-10-15T14:27:00.000-05:00

First, to touch upon a question that has been asked often of me lately: So, chipmunkgeek, are you the only one blogs for the pastoral staff? The answer is... no, not anymore! Bear with us as we are getting started. The rest of the folks are logged in too, and you will be hearing from them soon. Think of me simply as the Zamboni machine that preps the ice so that the skaters can do their thing. They're on their way out. Soon. Don't worry.

Two nights ago, I was introduced to a nice, older couple in Arlington. Family friends. The lady asked me what I do and if I had graduated yet, to which I replied that I currently serve on staff at Asian American Baptist Church. The woman was pleasantly surprised and so encouraging, and she said, "I think that is so wonderful! You are working for the King of Kings! I always pray for our young people, that they will choose to work for the King of Kings too!"

I knew what she meant, but the only way I could think to reply at that moment was, "We all work for the King of Kings!" And I believe it's true. Believers who are doctors are called to work for their Lord Jesus Christ just as much as believers who are pastors. Believers who are accountants serve in the strength of the Holy Spirit just as much as believers who are missionaries. Believers who are high school students are just as much called to learn and study for the glory of God as believers who are seminary students.

Last week, on biblestudytools.net (a great place to go for Bible study helps, by the way), there was a banner ad on the right side, asking in big, bold letters, "Are you called to ministry?" To which I answer, Yes. And he is too. And so is she. We are all called to ministry. Perhaps in different ways, in different roles - but we are all called to it. We are called to bring the hope of the gospel to a world in need of redemption and restoration - all of us, in our respective workplaces, neighborhoods, and families.

So enjoy your week of work ahead, and don't forget who you work for: You are working for the King of Kings.

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men..." (Colossians 3:23)

Devoted to Prayer

2006-10-11T17:47:00.000-05:00

I was studying a passage this morning with a good friend, and we were in Colossians 4. Here in 4:2, Paul commands the Colossian believers: "Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful." And that got me (us) thinking... this is a lot more than Paul simply telling us as believers to pray every so often. He is telling us to be devoted to prayer.

Devoted? In the same way that I might be devoted to a tv show? In the same way that I might be devoted to a person? In the same way that I might be devoted to a sports team?

Yes.

So Paul is calling us, just as we might carve out time and energy in our lives for a tv show or a person or a sports team, to do the same... for prayer. That is, prayer in our lives ought to be so much more than, "Well, since I've got about 10 minutes here at the end of my day, I guess I could pray." Instead, it ought to be, "How can I make sure that I get some good time in prayer today? How should I arrange my schedule so as to make room for a prayer life to which I'm devoted?"

Perhaps we'll never know the statistics on the correlation between the prayerfulness of a community of believers and the spiritual vitality of that community. But I don't doubt that they're directly connected. What might God do in our community if we were a community that was devoted to - not just marginally interested in - prayer? Let's be that kind of community, and let's see where God takes us.

Thanksgiving Banquet - A Springboard

2006-10-09T21:46:00.000-05:00

We are 40 days away from our annual Thanksgiving Banquet (Saturday, November 18th) . As a pastoral staff, we've thought more about what exactly it is that we're trying to do with the TGB - that is, if the TGB is one of our strongest efforts in the year to outreach together as a church to those around us... then how can we make sure that that happens this year, and how can we make sure that those efforts to reach out are sustained through long term relationships?

Long term relationships. That is the key. Perhaps too often we bank an entire year of conversations with co-workers on "Oh, I just wish she would finally agree to come with me to church one Sunday." Bringing co-workers to church is great, but we can't bank all of our outreach efforts on one magical and hopeful Sunday morning. We're learning that effective outreach is going to depend on the building of lasting relationships. The gospel is shared when lives are shared.

And so, the goals of this year's TGB are twofold. First, we desire as a corporate body of believers at AABC to give thanks to God and proclaim His grace and goodness in our lives as a testimony to those around us - our families, our friends, our co-workers, and our community. Second, we desire to build lasting relationships with all who come through our doors in order that the seeds of the gospel might be sown over time, both through proclamation and demonstration.

So then, for these reasons, TGB might look a little bit different this year. Get ready for an evening where you will hear more from each other about why we are thankful to our great God and Savior. Get ready for an evening where you will have ample time to build bridges and forge friendships. Get ready for an evening where yes, the intermediate goal is to bring friends and co-workers to church for the very first time, but the ultimate goal is to use the evening as a springboard into deeper relationships through which the gospel might be shared.

Do you have friends or neighbors or co-workers that you'd like to invite to this evening of thanksgiving? Do you have a word of thanksgiving to God that you'd like to share on this evening? Can you commit to praying every day for 40 days for our TGB outreach?

"Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous deeds among all peoples." (Psalm 96:3)

Firstfruits

2006-10-08T21:59:00.000-05:00

I wish that I had more opportunities to sit in on other Sunday School classes because I hear that they are learning so much. But for now, I will settle for hearing second-hand about all that God is doing in the other rooms. And the best that I can do is focus hard on what God has been teaching me (and us) in our Sunday School class on the Book of Numbers.

Today, among other things, we were talking about the command to the Israelites to give God the firstfruits of their harvest. That is, as soon as the harvest came in... the first portion of it - the very best portion - went to the Lord at the Tabernacle. And likely not only that, but it was not with an attitude of grumbling or discontent that they came to bring their sacrifice. More likely than not, they came in joy and celebration, because the harvest had begun, and the Lord had provided, as He always does. So they come, as a testimony to the nations that neighbored them, proclaiming, "Look how gracious the Lord God has been to us! He deserves from us the very best!"

That led to our discussion about what exactly it is that the Lord gets from us - sometimes it's not the firstfruits, but rather it's the leftovers. Of course, one of the first things we can think about is our money. And I confess that the Lord doesn't get the "firstfruits" of my money, or that at least in my heart I struggle with this. If TXU doesn't get my money, they will shut off our power. If Sprint doesn't get my money, there goes the cell phone. And if SBC (the other SBC) doesn't get my money, there goes the dsl, and there goes this blog.

And so I'm tempted to think at times, if God doesn't really get the firstfruits of my money, but instead just gets the leftovers... what's really going to happen? Perhaps God, in His grace, will allow for nothing punitive to happen. But nonetheless, just as the concepts of the Sabbath and the tithe were instituted in part so that the people of Israel could be a loud and clear testimony to the world around them that God provides for them and that they rely upon Him for all things and not themselves... shouldn't my approach to giving God the firstfruits of my money, my time, my life... proclaim that same testimony to the world around me?

Does God get my very best, or does God get my leftovers? Or in some cases, sadly to say... does God even get my leftovers?

I am reminded of the words of 1 Corinthians 6, that I no longer belong to myself, for I have been bought with a price. And in fact, everything of mine - my firstfruits and my allfruits - belong to the Lord God.

I Need My NPM

2006-10-04T13:05:00.000-05:00

The first and third Sunday night of the month is one of my favorite (no lie!) times of the month. That's when we have NPM downtown. NPM = neighborhood prayer meeting. Yes... the "official" bulletin says that the south-zone NPM meets on the 3rd Sunday of the month. (We also meet on the 1st Sunday too... shhh.....)

Why do I love these times so much? For two reasons. First, when we pray together, I feel like we're gettin' it done. Prayer, like exercise or reading, is one of those things that is hard to start making a regular part of your life... but once you get going on it, you feel like you're gettin' it done when you pray. No boredom. It feels so good to pray for our church and to pray for each other.

Second, when we pray for each other, we get to know each other. The 8 to 10 of us who come together every other week have begun to share our lives with each other, praying for each other's hurts and hopes. We are building friendships through praying together.

Praying together is a spiritual component of friendships that I too often lack. Sometimes, it's awkward to pull a friend aside and say, "Hey, can we pray together about something?" But why are our friendships this way? Perhaps this says something about our prayer lives or our friendships or both.

NPM. Build your prayer life. Build your friendships.

Why Do I Exist? (the blog, that is)

2006-10-02T16:15:00.000-05:00

The question of purpose must always come first. Why does this blog exist?

The purpose is this: we want to communicate. As a pastoral team, we want to share our hearts and our thoughts on all things AABC. And 5 minutes during the "welcome and announcements" time on a Sunday morning just isn't enough. And, sometimes... the sermon isn't the most appropriate time either. And lastly, sometimes you just can't share your heart in a PowerPoint slide announcement that flashes on the screen for 12 seconds.

At times, we receive questions from churchgoers about theological issues or the meaning of a certain Bible passage. This is the place where you can find those questions and our answers.

At other times, we just want to encourage you by sharing about what's on our hearts as we look forward to what God is doing at Asian American Baptist Church.

Our hope is that you would check back often to read up on what the pastoral team has been thinking about and how we want to challenge and encourage you.

May our Lord Jesus Christ be glorified in all things.