Amazing Love
by Charles Wesley, 1708-1788

And can it be that I should gain
an interest in the Savior’s blood?
Died He for me who caused His pain …
for me who Him to death pursued!
Amazing love! How can it be
that Thou, my God, should die for me?

‘Tis mystery all: the Immortal dies!
Who can explore his strange design?
In vain the firstborn seraph tries
to sound the depths of love divine.
‘Tis mercy all! Let earth adore,
let angel minds inquire no more.

He left His Father’s throne above …
so free, so infinite His grace!
Emptied Himself of all but love,
and bled for Adam’s helpless race.
‘Tis mercy all, immense and free …
for O my God, it found out me!

Long my imprisoned spirit lay,
fast bound in sin and nature’s night.
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray,
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light!
My chains fell off, my heart was free …
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.

No condemnation now I dread.
Jesus, and all in Him, is mine.
Alive in Him, my living Head,
and clothed in righteousness divine.
Bold I approach the eternal throne,
and claim the crown through Christ my own!

You think I’d have it down by now
Been practicin’ for thirty years
I should have walked a thousand miles
So what am I still doin’ here
Reachin’ out for that same old piece of forbidden fruit
I slip and fall and I knock my halo loose
Somebody tell me what’s a boy supposed to do?

I get so clumsy
I get so foolish
I get so stupid
And then I feel so useless
But You’re sayin’ You love me
And You’re still gonna hold me
And that You wanna be near me
‘Cause You’re makin’ me holy
You’re still makin’ me holy, yeah

I’m gonna get it right this time
I’ll be strong and I’ll make You proud
I’ve prayed that prayer a thousand times
But the rooster crows and my tears roll down (again)
Then You remind me You made me from the dust
And I can never, no never, be good enough
And that You’re not gonna let that come between us

I get so clumsy
I get so foolish
I get so stupid
And then I feel so useless
But You’re sayin’ You love me
And You’re still gonna hold me
And that You wanna be near me
‘Cause You’re makin’ me holy
You’re still makin’ me holy, yeah

From where I stand
Your holiness is up so high I can never reach it
My only hope is to fall on Jesus

I get so clumsy
I get so foolish
I get so stupid
And then I feel so useless
But You’re sayin’ You love me
And You’re still gonna hold me
And that You wanna be near me
‘Cause You’re makin’ me holy
You’re still makin’ me holy, yeah

– Chris Rice

I’m hesitant to write yet another post about China and the earthquake … but the following email, which I just received from Melody, a friend living 80km from the epicenter, is quite amazing:

Thank you Lance, for your concern and the prayers from your church. I am ok, so is my family. Chengdu wasn’t affected much by the earthquake because of its unique geographical features, no building is crashed here. But the rest of my hometown was damaged severly. Lots of pretty mountainous areas disappeared together with their people. The pandas are doing ok though.

Yes, all chinese people are pulling together because of this tragedy. And we have never felt so much love among us. Which is quite comforting. Lots of people are willing to sacrifice for others. Many school teachers died saving students, P.L.A. soldiers kept on saving others when some of them lost all their family members, all the taxi drivers in town drove out of the city to the dangerous places to help transport injured people for free … even beggers are helping, some of them donating all those small bills they have.

The earthquake destroyed our homes and families, but God will use it to create a strong bond of love among us. I can tell how much He loves Sichuan’s people.

Melody

It was really good to finally hear that Melody and her family are safe. Even more, it was awesome to hear her describe the upside to the earthquake. As devastating as it was, this disaster came at a time when the passion and fervor of the Chinese people is at its peak. Centuries of repressed emotion, terrible pain, and delayed gratification have been coming to the surface all year … and now, the quake has essentially provided lots of chances for love and compassion, things that the hearts in China so desperately need.

I’m convinced … disaster always has opportunity stapled to it. And I, for one, am eager to see what’s going to happen over there!

The way I see it, my body has three purposes.

1. To highlight my Creator. I was made in His image, and I’m His workmanship … I reflect His creativity and passion, and my body, in general, is beautiful. Not that a skinny, hairy, goofy-looking fella like me is particularly “attractive” … but I’ve definitely got some amazing stuff in me (mitochondria, passions, an immune system, a spirit that connects with Eternity, loads of snot, etc). And it’s right for me to look at another one of His creations and see something beautiful or lovely … anyone who says otherwise simply doesn’t understand how to worship (and probably has a pretty unhealthy self-image to boot).
2. To temporarily house me. This body is a flimsy tent, a container that is designed to fall apart. As I go through this mortal life, it breaks down … and I shouldn’t be surprised when sickness, injury, disease, and death all have their way with it (or with the bodies of the people I love). In fact, when that stuff happens it once again highlights our Creator! Nope, I wasn’t meant to live in this body forever … but I was meant to groan for freedom from it, for the Eternity that has started in my heart and will continue when I die. In the meantime, however, I should take care of my body … it’s His temple. To pursue His kingdom, I need to be healthy and alive and able to give!
   
3. To give her pleasure. Let’s face it … most men are just plain ugly. But if my Smeagol-looking self is somehow sexy to the one I love, then she can have all of me. If she wants me bald, I’ll get bald. If she wants me buff, I’ll get buff. I’ll wear the clothes she thinks are attractive, shave or grow a beard as she desires, get really skinny or put on the pounds, and pierce or tattoo myself to high heaven … if it pleases her. And I’ll do everything that I can to learn to serve her physically and sexually with my body … ’cause God designed us to fit together.

Wouldn’t you agree?

How do you explain, how do you describe
A love that goes from east to west
And runs as deep as it is wide
You know all our hopes, Lord, You know all our fears
And words cannot express the love we feel
But we long for You to hear

So listen to our hearts, hear our spirits sing
A song of praise that flows from those You have redeemed
We will use the words we know
To tell You what an awesome God You are
But words are not enough to tell You of our love
So listen to our hearts

If words could fall like rain from these lips of mine
And if I had a thousand years
Lord, I would still run out of time
If you listen to my heart, every beat will say
“Thank You for the life, thank You for the truth
Thank You for the way.”

So listen to our hearts, hear our spirits sing
A song of praise that flows from those You have redeemed
We will use the words we know
To tell You what an awesome God You are
But words are not enough to tell You of our love
So listen to our hearts

– Geoff Moore

Dear Prayer Partners,

More than 100 hours have now passed since the earthquake struck. Though in disaster relief the first 72 hours is given as the optimum survival time, still today more than 100 were brought out of the rubble of collapsed buildings alive. The search for missing goes on.

The extent of the Sichuan earthquake tragedy continues to unfold. The government is already looking into the possibility that substandard construction is the cause of such a large number of schools collapsing. The official count of those killed is 29,000; however, the government has mentioned 50,000 deaths. Some remote areas are still not reached. Adding to the tragedy is the deadly dilemma that dams in the area may break, drowning rescuers and any remaining survivors.

Then there are the injured and homeless. Dr. Matthew Koh, President of MSI, reports from Mianyang that 10,000 are being housed in the local stadium. Outlying counties are still without electricity. We will be buying power generators for use in the counties. Water is in desperately short supply with some fighting for it when bottled water was being distributed. Crowded, unsanitary conditions are now becoming the breeding ground for epidemics.

Matthew and his small advance team of 4 arrived in Mianyang, a city of 5 million, on the 15th. Here more than 18,000 were reported missing. Doors were opened in a miraculous way as MSI was welcomed to work with the Mianyang Central Hospital. From there they were taken to 2 outlying counties to help with their county hospital. Originally, the team wanted to go to the Qiang minority area but the scene there is one of total devastation - only dead bodies.

Based in 3 centers, our medical teams will live in tents they are bringing in. Their work will proceed in 3 stages of service: 1. surgical; 2. internal medicine; and 3. post-trauma counseling. Later, people with skills in administration and management will be needed to train local leaders.

Following the advance team, a second team of 7 from Taiwan, lead by Dr. Chen from 2 Christian hospitals, and 10 more from Yunnan, lead by Dr. Russell Zinn reached Chengdu today. Dr. Leung Chung Ying will lead a medical team of 8 from Hong Kong tomorrow. Another team from Taiwan will go in on May 21. Dr. Philemon Choi from Breakthrough in Hong Kong will lead a team of experienced counselors to begin their important work in counseling and in training local people in post-trauma counseling.

It is marvelous to see how the Lord is providing for this mission of mercy. Dragon Air has offered free tickets and excess baggage allowances for all our teams flying in with medical supplies from Hong Kong. The Public Health officials in Chengdu and Mianyang have also provided free transportation. Contributions continue to be received from prayer partners and friends around the world.

Please stand in prayer with China and her leaders at this critical time of deep distress. Remember the missing, the injured, the thousands who have lost children, husbands, wives and other loved ones. With China’s one child policy, just think what it must mean to a family to lose their only son or daughter!

It is thrilling to see how Chinese Christians from other provinces in China are responding in an outpouring of love in this great relief effort. Pray that their Good Samaritan concern will alleviate suffering, bring comfort, and result in the advance the gospel. How can we not stand with them?

“I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”
– Matthew 25:34-40

Your brother in His service,
Jim

“If ten men are carrying a log — nine of them on the little end and one on the heavy end — and you want to help, on which end will you lift?”

– William Borden

I love how this quotation, which refers to world missions, implies that church work and missions work are two sides of the same log. And the imagery of nine men struggling to be successful while their solution is so obvious … it’s just poignant.

For today’s installment, I’d like to direct you to one of the most sobering websites I’ve seen in a long time … Dear God. It’s chock-full of letters that people have written to Him … heartfelt declarations and messy questions, brutal challenges and saturated pleadings.

Be warned … these are real people, grown-ups with gritty stories and graphic imagery. But if you’re a mature adult, I’d say that it’s worth spending some time there, browsing the categories and peeking into the hearts of some beautiful people. Who knows … maybe you’ll even find yourself submitting a letter!

“God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness.”

– Genesis 1:4

“God called the dry ground ‘land,’ and the gathered waters he called ’seas.’ And God saw that it was good.”

– Genesis 1:10

“The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.”

– Genesis 1:12

“He also made the stars. God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth, to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good.”

– Genesis 1:17-18

“So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.”

– Genesis 1:21

“God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.”

– Genesis 1:25

“God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.”

– Genesis 1:31

“The LORD God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.’”

– Genesis 2:18

I’m starting something new in my advisory (a group of sixth grade boys that I build into every day) called Tough Stuff. Basically, I asked them yesterday to think about some really hard questions … things that adults don’t like to talk about. Here’s a taste of what they came up with:

Why do people do things when they know it’s bad?
Why Spanish?
I heard that the Bible says music is only for God and worship. Is it true?
Should we be scared of the 2nd coming of the Lord (apocalypse)?
Why did God make animals that can hurt us?
Why would God make other planets and universes and have nothing living there (or at least not that we know of)?
Why do people take the easy way?
Why isn’t cooking in the curriculum?
Why do Islams kill people?
Why do parents and adults always think they know how we feel?
Why did God make us and the earth?
What is an easy way to include people?
Why do movie stars always end up corrupted drugees?
If killing is against the 10 commandments, why are Christians in the army?
Do we absolutely need to do every assignment?
What is laughter and why did God give us it?
Why is this called a Christian school when if you look around it doesn’t seem like it?
This is serious … would getting shot or getting your head cut off be painful? Just wondering.
There’s a girl that I like, and she likes me too, and kids are teasing me. How should I handle it?
Why do adults have power over kids, why can’t we have our own decisions?

So interesting … and sobering. We’re gonna work through these questions, one at a time, for the next two months. And I’m really excited about teaching them, learning from them, and shining light on some dark places. What a sweet opportunity!

Well, my attempt to go to church this morning was intercepted by the sixteen inches of snow in my driveway. Yep, Louie’s stuck.

I expected last week’s mission trip to Monterrey to provide a break from school, a chance to have some fun, and an opportunity to see God do some things in my students’ hearts. I didn’t, however, expect to be changed, especially in such a humbling way.

First, I was reminded of the joy that comes through pain. We worked hard down there … on one day alone we hauled over 3,500 buckets of concrete onto the second story of a new building in 100˚ heat. My injuries ranged from a ripped up hand to a nasty eye injury, and just keeping ahead of twenty four fourteen-year-olds (and a language I hadn’t spoken in years) only sharpened the sensations.

But through it all, I felt alive … gloriously breaking and growing and stretching and bleeding. That kind of joy has been hard to find lately, and I sincerely feel that I need to begin actively seeking out ways to sharpen both my body and my mind through “painful” experiences. The deep sleep, the momentum, the leathered skin … it’s just so good.

I was also reminded about how important it is for me to surround myself (and yoke myself) with those who love to serve, with everything they have. This is something I not only value deeply, but also expect to be doing for the rest of my life. And frankly, I think that it’s bad stewardship for me to be investing a lot in people who don’t have the same mindset or focus … it sucks the life out of me and distracts me from doing what I’ve been created to do!

You might say that my vision was replaced by His, both physically and spiritually. Now comes the challenge of walking it out!

I just read a very insightful New York Times article that looks at evangelicals in an entirely new light.

The article touches on some of the deep prejudices that exist towards people of faith … most of which are completely understandable, given some of the ridiculous stances and statements the church and its spokesmen have made in the last century. It also exposes some of the unique and surprising things that are being done in the name of Christ.

Scorning people for their faith is intrinsically repugnant, and in this case it also betrays a profound misunderstanding of how far evangelicals have moved over the last decade. Today, conservative Christian churches do superb work on poverty, AIDS, sex trafficking, climate change, prison abuses, malaria and genocide in Darfur.

If you have a minute, it’s worth a read!

When I saw this graphic (see it larger), I was pretty surprised. I guess I had never really seen the breakdown of where each denomination is geographically located in our country.

Have you?