Meditations

Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” Mark 10:21

“The Master said to him, with a particular tenderness: you lack one thing. Only one! With what expectancy must the young man have waited for the Master’s answer! Without a doubt, it was the most important one he was to have in his whole life. “Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and come follow me.” It was an invitation to give himself entirely to the Lord. The young man had not expected this. God’s plans do not always coincide with ours, with those we forge in our imagination, in our dreams. God’s plans, in one way or another, always demand detachment from everything that enchains. If we are to follow Christ, our soul must be free. That young man’s wealth constituted one big hindrance to his accepting Jesus’ demand, the greatest demand of his life.”

Francis Fernandez in In Conversation with God: Meditations for Each Day of the Year, volume 3 (London: Scepter, 1990) 419.

As the Lausanne Congress wraps up, each of us as participants has been called to commit to collaboration with God and each other. This collaboration aims to give ourselves “entirely” to the Lord in service with each other.

What about you? If the Lord looked compassionately into your eyes, what would He say? For many of us, Jesus might proclaim: One thing you lack.

Some, like the rich young man, we must set aside the security of money to find a security more reliable in God. For others, we must set aside our comfort or our fears, our plans or our agenda.

God wants us all to “detach from everything” that enchains us. We must do this not because we are some ascetic treating God’s good gifts as bad. We do this because we want to attach to Him, the highest good for us.

You don’t have to be at the Lausanne Congress to make this commitment. Pause today, consider any attachments that you may have. Of these Jesus says, “One thing you lack.”

Surrender them to God. Collaborate fully with His plans and purposes which are always for your good and for His glory. This is the pathway to giving yourself entirely to the Lord.

For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. Romans 8:13

“When we live in the present, we give our attention to real things and to real people. This means that we mortify our fancy and waste no time on inopportune and fruitless recollections. Imagination can withdraw us into another world, far away from the only world designed to be the scene of our sanctification. Very often our imagination can occasion a squandering of precious time, and make us miss many real opportunities of doing good. Lack of inner mortification, of our imagination and of our curiosity, is one of the great enemies of our sanctification.”

Francis Fernandez in In Conversation with God: Meditations for Each Day of the Year, volume 3 (London: Scepter, 1990) 419.

Mortification marks the pathway to life. The Koreans have shown the way. In less than a century they went from destitute poor to economic superpower.

They moved from Godless society to God-fearing people.

Yet, in a powerful presentation of the history of the church on Thursday night in Seoul Incheon, they repented of “fancy and waste”.

The prosperity has inebriated the church making her materialistic and selfish.

It marked a powerful admission and challenged everyone in the audience to join them in confession, fasting, and prayer. Too often we squander both time or resources.

We miss opportunities to do good because we have not practiced mortification.

In today’s Scripture, we see the you (singular) tense of the King James Version as a message to all of us. Each of us must die to the flesh to find the path of life.

How does this idea speak to you. It reminds me daily to keep in step with the Spirit.

When we do, we do not fulfill the desires of the flesh, and best of all, we do not miss any opportunities to do good. Let us mortify the flesh friends. Put it to death.

So that the life of Christ, as evident in the Korean church, might prevail us.

The alternative is not mediocrity. It’s death, fruitlessness, the squandering time and money, and slavery to fancy and waste. From all these, deliver us, O God.

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:34

“Let us have a firm and general determination to serve God wholeheartedly, all our life long. Let us not ask to know any more than that there is a tomorrow about which we need not be unduly concerned. Let our concern be, rather, for the good we can do today. ‘Tomorrow’ will soon become ‘today’ and then we will give it our attention. We need to gather our provision of manna for today, and no more. We should never doubt that God will send another shower of manna on the following day, and the next one, and the next one, as long as the days of our pilgrimage will last.”

Francis de Sales in Letters, Fragments 131, 766.

Each of us reading this post has awakened to a new day. We rose from our beds refreshed (hopefully). God’s faithfulness remains new to us each morning.

So why, like the children of Israel in the Old Testament, do we try to store up for tomorrow rather than do good with what God supplies today?

The answer is clear. Our attention is in the wrong place. If our focus is not on what is in front of us, we miss the places God wants us to dispense generosity.

What is right in front of you today? It might be a child or grandchild. How can you be generous to that young soul? It may be person seeking advice. How can you assist them?

Let our giving today (and every day) relate to the people and the opportunities in front of us remembering that God will supply a shower of manna for each successive day.

As I interact with people from literally all over the world at L4, I am trying to give myself and my attention to them. Join me in doing this wherever you are.

People were bringing little children to Jesus for Him to place His hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, He was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” And He took the children in His arms, placed His hands on them and blessed them. Mark 10:13-16

“Spiritual childhood is not spiritual immaturity or foolishness or softness; it is a sane and robust way which, due to its ‘difficult easiness’, the soul must embark upon and then continue, led by the hand of God.”

Josemaría Escrivá (1902-1975) in The Way (Strongsville: Scepter, 1992) 855.

The spiritual journey is one of “difficult easiness” thanks to the gracious and welcoming posture of our Lord Jesus Christ toward us.

But notice that Jesus was indignant toward the disciples. That’s a strong word. He’s indignant toward anyone and everyone who tries to hinder children from coming to Him.

This especially pertains to vulnerable children. This implies that as we mature, Jesus wants us to take a gracious and welcoming posture, not a hard one, toward younger souls.

When I think of a little child, one word comes to mind: dependent. My two granddaughters are dependent on their parents. They run to them, find security, and depend on their care.

As we get older, this becomes a “difficult easiness” for us. We gravitate toward independence in our flesh. Thats the difficult part. The easiness part relates to resting in His care.

Where do you find yourself today? I ask because the generous life requires us to resist the proclivity of our flesh and lean into this “difficult easiness” with confidence in His care.

If you find this challenging, then look at children. Watch them. Become like them.

The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! Matthew 6:22-23

“God lets Himself be seen by those who are able to see Him because they have the eyes of their soul open. Everyone has eyes, but the eyes of some are blinded as it were in the darkness and they cannot see the light of the sun. But the light of the sun does not cease to shine simply because these sightless ones fail to see it; rather is this darkness due to their own inability to see.”

Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli as cited by Francis Fernandez in In Conversation with God: Meditations for Each Day of the Year, volume 3 (London: Scepter, 1990) 379.

As I look for God in the sea of people at this Lausanne Congress, I see Him in the faces of His servants from places like Côte d’Ivoire, Pakistan, and Ghana.

I see His glory radiate from their countenances, His kindness from their words, and His goodness from their actions. These are not sightless people.

They have the eyes of their soul open. This fills them with faith to live, give, serve, and love generously. So, at this huge event, I have simply prayed for God to open my eyes.

His light is shining on the darkness of our days. If I miss it, Eugenio would say, it is not because the light is not shining but because of my sightlessness.

May God grant everyone reading this healthy eyes and clear vision, because, as Jesus makes clear in today’s Scripture, that impacts everything else.

Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits. Psalm 103:2

“His Majesty desires and loves courageous souls… Do not let your soul and spirit shrink, for you may lose many benefits… Do not let your soul hide in a corner, because then instead of striving for sanctity you will simply come up with other imperfections and many more of them.”

Teresa of Ávila in The Life of Saint Teresa of Avila by Herself 13.2-3.

The header photo above gives you my view at L4, the The Fourth Lausanne Congress in Seoul, South Korea. It’s a joy to participate in meetings with more than 5,000 influential Christian workers.

My small table is a slice of heaven. I am sitting with three men and two women from Saudi Arabia, Poland, India, Lebanon, and USA. Delegates at the event represent more than 200 nations.

Each one of these participants has a choice, as well as you, reading this somewhere around the world, has a choice today after reading this post.  You can choose to strive for sanctity with courage or you can let your soul hide in a corner.

Today, with David the Psalmist, I want to remind you of the benefits that come to us when we strive for sanctity. When we set ourselves apart and aim to live every single minute of every day for God.

Rather than make a list, soak in the entire Psalm today. Enjoy Psalm 103. And strive for sanctity with courage.

1 Praise the Lord, my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
2 Praise the Lord, my soul,
and forget not all his benefits—
3 who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
5 who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

6 The Lord works righteousness
and justice for all the oppressed.

7 He made known his ways to Moses,
his deeds to the people of Israel:
8 The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.
9 He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;
10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

13 As a father has compassion on his children,
so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;
14 for he knows how we are formed,
he remembers that we are dust.
15 The life of mortals is like grass,
they flourish like a flower of the field;
16 the wind blows over it and it is gone,
and its place remembers it no more.
17 But from everlasting to everlasting
the Lord’s love is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness with their children’s children—
18 with those who keep his covenant
and remember to obey his precepts.

19 The Lord has established his throne in heaven,
and his kingdom rules over all.

20 Praise the Lord, you his angels,
you mighty ones who do his bidding,
who obey his word.
21 Praise the Lord, all his heavenly hosts,
you his servants who do his will.
22 Praise the Lord, all his works
everywhere in his dominion.

Praise the Lord, my soul.

You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. 2 Corinthians 9:11

“Generosity always leads people closer to God. On countless occasions this is the greatest favor we can do our friends – encourage and foster their generosity. This virtue enlarges their heart and rejuvenates them, making them younger, more capable of love.”

Francis Fernandez in In Conversation with God: Meditations for Each Day of the Year, volume 3 (London: Scepter, 1990) 373-374.

Happy Birthday to my brother, David, today. His generosity leads people closer to God. And click here if you want to view my preaching from yesterday.

And I preached at Greenhill Church today (Sunday). It really inspired people, thank the LORD. I was weary when I woke up but I feel rejuvenated. When I empty myself to encourage others, by God’s grace I am enriched. I hope you experience this too.

Now our team will participate in the Lausanne 4 through next Saturday. What is Lausanne 4?

In the words of Michael Oh, Global Executive Director / CEO of Lausanne: “Lausanne 4 is a multi-year, global, polycentric process facilitated by the platform of Lausanne, towards catalytic collaboration of the global church, for the discipling of all nations and the shaping of the world in 2050.”

In plain terms, it is a invitation-only gathering of key Christian workers aimed at collaboration for the discipling of all nations. We (7 of 14 GTP staff invited) have come to listen, learn, pray, and discern our part in God’s bigger picture as it unfolds in the world.

To give you some history, Lausanne 1 convened in Lausanne, Switzerland, led by Billy Graham and John R. W. Stott, to inspiring Christians to work together. Lausanne 2 happened in 1989 in Manila, Philippines emphasized taking the whole gospel to the whole world. Lausanne 3 gathered in 2010 in Cape Town, South Africa to address emerging challenges and opportunities.

Gatherings like this do not happen very often. This is one of those kairos moments. Please mark your calendar to pray for our team this week as we interaction with 5,000+ delegates onsite from nearly every nation. I am sure if you do this, God will enrich you in every way, and we will experience the blessing and impact of your prayers.

Not that I desire your gifts; what I desire is that more be credited to your account. Philippians 4:17

“In a society which sets no bounds to its conspicuous consumption, we frequently see apostolic works and the people who have dedicated their entire lives to them deprived of the means to continue, often subjected to privations, and re-organizations, and constantly questioned as to whether they should not cease their activities and close down. The greatness of soul our Lord asks of His own will lead us not only to be very generous with our own time and economic means, but also to assist others to feel moved themselves to help, according to their means, for the good of their fellow man.”

Francis Fernandez in In Conversation with God: Meditations for Each Day of the Year, volume 3 (London: Scepter, 1990) 372.

Thanks for your prayers.

I had the privilege of preaching at Sarang Church today, one of the largest churches in the world with more than 100,000 members. Today’s service launched a Special Global Leaders Convention. I served as the first of ten speakers.

My talk aimed at the youth. Specifically the church commissioned 7,000 youth as prayer warriors. So my message came from Mark 6:30-44 challenging the youth to be like the boy who gave Jesus what he had, 5 loaves and 2 fish.

I also showed the Palmful of Maize video with Korean subtitles. It impacted many people deeply.

The Korean people, much like Americans, live in a context of conspicuous consumption. And in such settings we need to raise our sights higher to aim at assisting others “according to our means.”

The thrust of my message challenged listeners to ask each other, “What do you have? Go and see.” And from there I charged them to “Give God what you have!” If you want to watch it, click here.

And join me in praying that the many people who said the sermon impacted them will assist others according to their means and shift from conspicuous consumption to facilitating transformation.

I delivered this message not because of what I want from them, but because of what I want for them, what I want to see credited to their account. I pray that for all who watch it and all who are reading this.

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 2 Timothy 4:7

“Furthermore, taking on great endeavors for the good of humankind, or alleviating the needs of many people, or to giving glory to God, can occasionally lead to the expenditure of large sums of money, and to putting one’s material goods at the service of those great works. The magnanimous person does that if can, without hesitation and misgivings. Living the virtue of prudence, he evaluates all the circumstances, but not with a fearful or shrinking soul.”

Francis Fernandez in In Conversation with God: Meditations for Each Day of the Year, volume 3 (London: Scepter, 1990) 372.

After a rigorous week in India, I had about 15 hours on Thursday to rest at my hotel. In solitude this reading resonated with me before flying all night and day from Hyderabad to Bangkok to Seoul.

We can only accomplish great endeavors if we bring our energy and resources to the challenges without hesitation. Think of examples of this and the implications of our immediate action in everyday life.

The sports athlete breaks off the line in a race the second the starting gun fires, without hesitation. The professor, recognizing the teachable moment, asks a question that leads a student to transformation, without hesitation.

The mother of a newborn hears what sounds like noise to anyone else and jumps to respond knowing just what her baby needs, without hesitation. The giver sees an opportunity to bless others and responds, without hesitation.

Today marks another ‘without hesitation’ moment. Sarang Church invited me to serve as the opening speaker of the Special Global Leaders Convention. When the invitation came, I responded without hesitation: Yes.

I posted the event poster on my Facebook. I am humbled by the famous people who will speak after me. To prepare, I blocked time in my calendar for solitude with the Father, like Jesus, to discern what the Spirit would have me say. I got a clear message.

But I need your help to deliver it, without hesitation? Make a one-time gift to GTP here to help cover the costs of this around the world trip which has activated the peer accountability group in India and now has me speaking at this strategic convention.

But don’t stop there. Pray for my message targeting children, youth, and adults to engage actively in God’s work. Pray for it to result in mindset change that positions one of the largest churches in the world to play a catalytic role in Christian mission.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:8-9

“Faced with something really worthwhile (noble ideas, apostolic tasks, and God above all), a great soul gives of his own without reserve: money, effort, time. He knows well and understands the words of our Lord. No matter how much he gives, he will receive more. Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be poured into your lap. For the measure you give will be the measure you get back. We should ask ourselves if we give what is ours with generosity. What is more, we should ask whether we give ourselves, whether we follow the path, the specific vocation our Lord asks of each of us, with promptness and sure steps.”

Francis Fernandez in In Conversation with God: Meditations for Each Day of the Year, volume 3 (London: Scepter, 1990) 372.

We did it! We activated NobleRank as the peer accountability group for accrediting churches and ministries in India. Now the real work begins for Arpit and Joycia to help organizations get through the process. God help them.

Our meetings created a large queue. How large? Praise God the governance seminar Monday surfaced the first candidates. Then the IMA (India Missions Association) will have 25-50 agencies apply from their 8 regions.

Don’t miss how significant this. IMA is the largest mission association in the world. It has 317 organizations sending 60,000+ foreign missionaries and serving 300,000+ national missionaries.

We attempted something big for God this week and He worked mightily. We came here at great expense and effort. We gave of ourselves sacrificially to attend meetings and he blessed beyond comprehension.

Personally, I am praising God that He has used our humble efforts to raise the sights of His people to following standards for helping the church flourish in the largest population country in the world, 1.6+ billion people.

The lesson: focus on what is noble regardless of what anyone else is doing. And give generously of yourself and your resources. And do this with confidence that the God of peace is with you.