Over the last few weeks as I have been journeying deeper into the Father’s heart. I’ve come to realize that I really enjoy the freedom to pursue God whenever and wherever I choose. I’ve been able to give this pursuit to experience the depths of the Father’s love my undivided focus. Now, if I had a wife and kids I probably wouldn’t have been able to devote so much time to this quest because as Paul discerningly explains: my family and the responsibility of leading and caring for them would take up a good portion of my time (1 Corinthians 7:32ff). Spending time with other people’s families has reminded me of this reality. So, long story short, I am learning to embrace the blessing of singleness. Does this mean that God has blessed me with singleness? Maybe.
To be honest, I’ve been avoiding this question for at least the last three years because I was afraid of the answer. On the one hand, I’ve burned with passion and on the other hand, I’ve feared being alone. But as my relationship with God has deepened and matured many of my youthful passions have exhausted themselves and I’ve become more comfortable with being alone because I’ve become more confident in my identity in Christ. Sure, there is still a loneliness in my heart, but over the years the Lord has become more and more my portion which has quelled this loneliness. I have come to cherish and even be satisfied with our time together by allowing His love to be enough for me.
On deeper reflection, I really do spend most of my day being actively in love with Jesus. Rarely, is there a moment in the day that I don’t feel the Holy Spirit’s presence. From the time I wake up, He is on my heart. In the shower, He is in my thoughts. Whenever I eat, I am thankful for His faithful provisions in my life. When I exercise, He is there cheering and pushing me forward. Anytime I am outside, I stand amazed at the intricacies of creation and again He is in my thoughts. Work plays a big part in my worship to God because He builds Christlike character in me through it while giving me the opportunity to be salt and light to people. And, it is when I am around people that His presence is so very near to me because I feel His deep love for those with whom I am in relationship with. Then, at the end of the day, He is there again helping me take off the day’s burdens so that I may rest in Him.
Jesus has slowly become my all and all. My whole life now revolves around Him and to be honest: I’m not sure I want that to change. Does this mean that God has blessed me with singleness? I’m afraid to say yes, but the more I reflect on this the more I see that He has. So, maybe it’s time I accepted and pressed into this, instead of running from it. Even as I type this, I get this sense that I am surrendering into gain and not loss (though it feels like loss right now). If you’re reading this pray for me: pray that I would grieve well and that I would embrace the joy of surrender in the coming weeks. Peace to you and yours.
I’ve just spent the last couple days reading “Here and Now: Living in the Spirit” by Henri J.M. Nouwen. I literally could not put the book down. It kept me captivated page after page because the author’s words were so saturated with the love and grace of God. My heart drank deeply of his gentle words which allowed me to soak in the love tub of Jesus. What I encountered continually while reading was the sweet conviction of the Holy Spirit, His kind hand of love pulling ever so gently at my heart. Something that I hadn’t felt for some time now. The combination of seminary + ministry has gotten me moving at breakneck speeds which was in an of itself an amazing journey (I wouldn’t change any of it). But, to be able to slow down and take a deep long drink of living water without worrying about a deadline or a meeting has been so refreshing. It was like Jesus breathing life into me all over again. Thank You, Sweet Savior.
Page after page I encountered a humility that made me all the more aware of my own hardness of heart and the realization that I have much to learn about love. My pride has led me down the path of exalting myself in the way I exercised my gifts and talents. What I’ve learned because of this is that when this happens love disappears. Sure truth still got proclaimed. But the truth was given with an insensitive heavy hand, instead of with a patient understanding that wraps the truth in love in order to heal and not accuse or condemn. I am thankful for Henri’s words that have helped to refocus and ground me: “It is not proving ourselves to be better than others but confessing to be just like others that is the way to healing and reconciliation” (99). There is strength in these words because they speak of unity. They seek to embrace the prayer of Jesus for our oneness (John 17:20-23).
I’ve come to realize that to love is a journey that demands patience, endurance, hard work, hope and trust. I’ve also realized that it is a lifelong journey. I do have a lot to learn about love, but, I am in good company. “To pray is to listen to that voice of love….the One who is with us wants only one thing: to give us love” (20). Henri’s book has brought me back to my Christian mystic roots where prayer is about communing with Jesus through the Holy Spirit. His words have reminded me that prayer is a time where our heavenly Father actively loves on His children.
Music plays a big part in how my heart sings to the Lord in worship. I love to sing and dance for the Lord. I am always so amazed at the diversity of cultures and peoples in the world. Of course, all cultures and peoples need to be redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. But, I imagine heaven to be one huge celebration around the throne of God where the Lamb sits. God loves celebration. When I read Revelation 7:9, 10: “After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: ’Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.’” What comes to mind is celebration. Celebration from every culture and language in reverence and worship to the Lamb of God.
I long to be fully united with all my brothers and sisters. When everything that separates and divides us will be forever removed and we will all worship God together as one. So, when I heard Richard Twiss say: “no one language could ever capture the fullness of who God is or no one music style could ever echo the sounds of heaven.” This stirred something inside of me. His words made the Holy Spirit leap within me with joy. I long to sing and dance before the throne of God where people from every nation and tribe will lead us in worship to God, our Creator, Savior and Redeemer. This song “Hina Na Ho” by Susan Aglukark I believe reflects a glimmer of this. It also makes me happy to see all the children singing, dancing and celebrating their Native American and Inuit heritages. I believe in heaven people will know and love all cultures and languages as much as their own, where celebration becomes not about style, but solely about Jesus. The joy it must bring the Father when His redeemed children come together as one to sing, dance and celebrate in their many diversities around His throne as they praise Him for all of eternity. I can’t wait. Come Lord Jesus Come!
This song touched my heart in exactly the way that I needed. I love when the Holy Spirit leads me serendipitously to a person, a book, a website, in this case a song (at a website) because He knows just what I need to draw me into the presence of God and what needs to happen in order to tenderize my heart towards Jesus. The lyrics of this song released the words that were trapped in my heart – they helped give wings to the longing in my heart to be near my Lord and King. Listening and singing these words (repeatedly) have brought sweet conviction to me by reminding me that to not share and lavish people with God’s amazingly perfect love is truly tragic. I wept when this revelation washed over me, breaking my heart all over again for Jesus. He is so good to me. I can feel the smoldering embers beginning to stir within my heart, igniting within me a renewed passion to love and chase after my Savior and to love people with wild abandon.
I am so grateful for all the members of the Body of Christ that use their gifts and talents to edify the People of God while in worship to King Jesus.
I am going to take a slight detour from the current direction of this blog (I will revisit it at a later date) because I feel like I need to set aside the systematic approach to Scripture and spend the next season just enjoying being a child of God. To spend time basking in the the unconditional love of the Father. It’s funny, I’ve always identified myself with the wayward younger son who runs away in the parable of the “Prodigal Son” (Luke 15). But, after finishing seminary and being involved in ministry these past years, I’ve now in many ways assumed the role of the dutiful older son. I am sadden to have to confess this, but I’ve slowly begun to make God’s love conditional. To put it plainly, I’ve begun to love people for what they do and not for who they are. In my heart I’ve begun to love people only when they are obedient to God. Forgive me Lord.
Maybe it’s because I’ve spent the last four years rigorously studying the Word of God. Maybe it’s because I’ve spent the last four years laboring tirelessly for the Church. It’s probably a combination of both, but regardless, this hardness of heart that wants to tame and restrain the wild, unrelenting, overgenerous, foolishly extravangant, unconditional love that God lavishes on sinners and saints alike is unacceptable and sinful. I trust God is definitely not done with me and I have faith that this is part of my sanctification. So, I am going to spend the next couple months soaking in God’s unconditional love as His beloved child. I’m not going to get overly technical in my blogging and I’m going to scale down on my service to the Body of Christ (the work will get done with or without me). I am grateful that God has mercifully intervened when He has and that His grace is always extended to me, even when I am unawares. A Scripture passage that comforts me is Isaiah 49:15: “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!”
Thank you Lord. This song is my prayer. Captivate me Lord Jesus. Captivate me.
In the drug culture world, there is a significant time of the day, 4:20 pm which is known globally as the universal time to get high. At 4:20 people all across the Earth either by themselves or together get high on marijuana (or other drugs). The 420 Prayer Movement is committed to praying for people who struggle with drug addiction by interceding for them at 4:20 pm
More specifically, we pray:
1) That the Kingdom of God would break into their lives in power (1 Corinthians 4:20).
2) That they would leave their current lifestyle, in order to follow Jesus (Matthew 4:20).
3) That the Holy Spirit would transform their hearts into the good soil that hears and accepts God's Word and bears abundant good fruit (Mark 4:20).
Join the 420 Prayer Movement today and begin prayerfully interceding for those struggling with drug addiction.
It's really easy to join, just set your cell phone alarm to 4:20 pm and when it goes off, begin praying the three verses. Now, if you presonally know people struggling with drug addiction then I suggest you pray specifically for them by name. Remember, drug addiction is messy and untangling a person's heart from the drug lifestyle is a process. So, the importance in covering those struggling with consistent faithful prayer is crucial to their freedom.
Gerry Ching is a disciple of Jesus who is passionate about bringing the hope and light of the Gospel to the hopelessly drug addicted for the redemption and restoration of their lives.
