Looking Back

by | Nov 29, 2011 | missions, reflection, thoughts from the past

I was looking over at my other (private) blog last night, and I found an interesting post that I decided to share here. It’s poorly written and a little cryptic, I apologize for that. I hope you will enjoy it anyway, and perhaps even find it encouraging.

Written June 2010. 
One thing I like about Daily Audio Bible (besides being free) is that Brian usually gives a little teaching about one of the passages. Sometimes they are blah. Sometimes they are insightful. I also love that the readings are always fresh (recorded each day). Okay, end of advertisement!
Sean and I have been praying through several issues over the last few months, including the possibility of moving to a new city in Thailand. Sean wants a new challenge in ministry, a new frontier. I am comfortable here in Chiang Mai close to my friends, with a great support network that I don’t want to leave behind. I never thought I’d come to a point in my life when going even further ‘to the ends of the earth’ would be so hard, would actually make me worry and be a little fearful. To put it in perspective: I’m terrified of returning to the USA or Australia (Oh Lord, Please don’t tell us to do that!). But I surprised myself recently when I said, “Oh Lord, I am so comfortable here. I have all that I need and want. I have friends. Please let me stay!” It’s a strange place to be, for me.

So, to the DAB. Another thing I like about it, is that they have the transcripts on the website, so I don’t have to try to remember what Brian said, I can just copy it over!! he he he!

1 Kings 12:20-13:34
 The prophet was told to do something by God. He obeyed what he was told to do, but he didn’t finish well. He didn’t finish exactly what God had told him to do. God said go and speak out against this altar, against this altar Jeroboam has erected. Don’t eat anything. Don’t drink anything. Don’t go home the way that you came. He almost did it. He went, spoke against the altar, refused the reward of the king, refused to eat or drink, and left on a different way. But another prophet came and lied to him, lied to him and said an angel came and told me you’re supposed to come home with me.

Now, you know, you want to sit up and pay attention to a word like that: You know, somebody says an angel came to me and said thus and so. Well, you gotta at least listen, especially in this context where this guy is another prophet. So the prophet turned from the word that the Lord had given him and went to the other prophet’s home. The word of the Lord then came and said, you know, you’re not going to find yourself dying in the land where you can be buried with your fathers. Well, the original prophet who spoke against the altar leaves and a lion kills him.

It never had to happen. The prophet needed only to obey the voice of the Lord. This is a really good lesson because on the one hand, this other prophet said that God had sent him, but he was lying. Now, we are responsible for the things that we hear from the Lord and we certainly use community, absolutely need community to confirm and to sort of watch our blind spots. When we’ve heard the voice of the Lord and direction we are to head into, we must obey. We must. Until God changes that and it bears witness in our own hearts through the Holy Spirit, well, we can’t just change and deviate from the path. Bad things can happen when you disobey the Lord, not even really out of judgment, just because you’re stepping out of the protection of God’s will for your life. I mean, if we are going to live this thing out, then what we are invited into is full surrender and utter obedience. That takes the guesswork out of just about everything. It is our responsibility to obey period. It is not our responsibility to decide when we might obey. When we might think that it all depends on us, bad things happen, as we well know, when we allow ourselves to take the reins of control and assume the throne of our lives and begin making our own decisions.

This really convicted me to make sure I’m listening to God. That Sean and I are listening to God, together. I believe that we are on the edge of a change, of something new. But I’m struggling with accepting it. God is working in my heart, helping me to trust Him. I don’t know if we will actually move. But I know God is challenging me to have that same willingness that I had when I was young, that same passion that drove me to No Compromise, to seek after Him and not let anyone (not even my Pastor or a ‘Lover’) steer me from the course He had set me on.

Amazingly, June 15 has a contrasting story about obedience, from Acts. An angel appears to Cornelius and then appears to Peter to confirm what Peter is about to hear.

Acts 10:1-23
Yesterday, we were talking about how when we have a directive from the Lord, certainly we have community that helps us confirm, that helps us understand and process, certainly. But once we are clear on what God is saying, well, if somebody comes along and says, hey, an angel came to tell me to tell you such and such when we’ve already been confirmed in our heart what God is speaking, if we deviate, then we are in disobedience and we just take ourselves out in the process.

The contrast is in Peter’s life today. Peter is about to learn a very big lesson, a huge lesson in the New Testament and that is regarding the gentiles and what is clean and what is unclean and how Christ opened the way of salvation to all mankind. Now, Cornelius actually sees an angel and sends for Peter at the direction of the angel. So these guys could have just shown up and said, “An angel told our boss to come get you.” The thing is the Lord had already awakened that in Peter’s heart. He already told him, “Look, there are some guys here looking for you. Go with them at once. I have sent them. I’m in this.” So Peter can move forward with full confidence and go with the men to a Roman centurion that he doesn’t know at all because the Holy Spirit has already spoken it.

So there is a great contrast here. But beyond just a great contrast, there is the importance of obeying the voice of the Holy Spirit as he guides and directs us in our lives. We get to have this interaction…  God didn’t send the Holy Spirit at the day of Pentecost to guide into all truth and then just pull it back. The Holy Spirit guides our lives; and as the Holy Spirit guides our lives and we understand and know God more and more, we can walk confidently even when the Holy Spirit is being counter-intuitive. I mean, on the face of things, Peter probably should not have left with an unknown band of people claiming to be guided by a Roman centurion. It is probably not the most healthy move. But the Holy Spirit had already confirmed this in Peter’s heart, the same Holy Spirit that dwells within us.

I know that God is speaking to me about listening and following (obeying) His direction, cause I also got an email from a friend yesterday and God had revealed to her in prayer what I am talking about here! Amazing! So, we are waiting on God to hear from Him wait we are to do, where we are to go, how we are to do it and when. And I don’t feel so guilty about being so behind in my bible ‘reading’ anymore, cause I can see how God has orchestrated it all to fit together so that I get His message loud and clear! 😉 

Todays Update!

image credit

It’s interesting to read this again, considering where we are today.

We are in the States, preparing to run another missionary training school. Remember that comment about being terrified of returning to the States?? I just have to laugh!! I know that God wants us here and I’m at peace. I’m glad we are here for this season. It’s exciting to be training and discipling new missionaries.

We have moved all our worldly possessions from Chiang Mai to Phitsanulok – and I’m very excited about that change!! God is doing some great things there, and I’m thankful that He’s letting us be a part of it. Chiang Mai is a beautiful city, with all the modern conveniences. It’s so easy to get comfortable.

It’s time to be inconvenienced and uncomfortable again!!!

As a Disciple of Christ, I am called to follow in His footsteps. Where ever He goes, I follow. Listening and obeying is an absolute MUST. Sometimes it takes a while for my heart and mind to catch up with what Jesus is saying, but thankfully He is always patient and gracious to give me time to figure out that Following in His Footsteps is the best what to go.