the one where God doesn't need your help

God doesn’t need our help.

He didn’t create us because He was lonely.

He’s not sitting up in heaven right now wondering what to do, and just hoping humans will come to the rescue.

He did leave the job of proclaiming the Gospel to the church… but this does not mean He needs us. In fact, we need Him in that process.

When Jesus was betrayed, his disciples took out knives to fight people with swords, and Jesus rebuked them. He could call angels… and let’s face it, He didn’t need the angels either!

So, why are we so persistant in trying to help Jesus out these days?

The Gospel message is not enough… we need to package it to make it more appealing. We need to market Jesus to make Him more attractive.

The Word of God is not enough, people won’t come to Church… unless, we make the seats comfortable and the building look grand. We need entertaining videos and colorful powerpoint slideshows.

Didn’t we see this in the Bible. David wants to make God a great big temple- but He is fine in a tent.

People will never follow God’s Word… unless we can paint pretty pictures for them… we can make clever slogans  ….we can appeal to their fleshly desires…  we make it simple…

We don’t expect people to change, we don’t expect God to work.

Even more so, we see it how we pray. We pray to give God a break, make it easy for Him to answer our prayers. We don’t pray specific, we don’t pray big. And even if we do ask for something, we cover it up with making a “good feeling” just as good as actual healing. We don’t want to corner God.

We’re afraid to ask for actual conversions- because we can’t control that.

Wait, are we only supposed to pray for things we can control?

True, sometimes we’re the answer to our prayers- but not most of the time, and certainly not all the time. If we’re praying in a way that we can answer our prayer requests- are we really praying to God?

We need to pray in a way that only God can answer. We need to pray in a way & act in a way, that if God doesn’t show up- we’re in “SUaR”  ( a whole lot of trouble).

What really got me thinking about this was K-Love. And not in a good way K-Love. I like the music, but I can’t listen to the station anymore. You say the right things with your lips, but your heart is far from God.

Their recent fund-raising(which has been extremely ridiculous before) got to a new low.

DJ 1: “How much money do you think we can raise in the next ½ hr?”

DJ 2: “I think we can get ___ much in” (can’t remember the exact amount)

DJ 1: No. No that’s too much. I know God is big, but he can’t do that much.

DJ 2: Let’s prove DJ 1 wrong. Let’s show him how big God is.

Are you kidding me?

You’re not trusting God- You’re trusting your deceitful, conniving words to work for you.

But don’t we all do something like this?

Instead of praying for someone to come to salvation, we pray for an opportunity.

- sometimes an opportunity is a big deal. In fact, I’d love an opportunity these days, and I am praying for it… but I want to pray bigger. I can make an opportunity, I don’t need God for that. What I do need God for is: boldness, courage… and for Him to work in the person I’m talking with

Instead of giving sacrificially, we make a budget, then give some money… but only while we still have a job.

Or instead of raising support, and trusting God will continue to provide, we raise more than is needed, so we always have a buffer.

And instead of just sharing the Gospel or challenging our brother, and letting God work thru that… we wait for the perfect time to speak up… we wait til we feel comfortable… we try to come up with the perfect anaology… we use methods from the latest book… we try to use entertainment.

Don’t get me wrong. We can & should use insights to the culture and people around us. We need to be wise about our decisions and actions. We need to pray in humility.

But we don’t need to help God.

He doesn’t need our help. He is powerful & able enough.

And quite frankly, our “help” can get in the way of God’s work… and steals from His glory… which He doesn’t like.

Let’s stop trying to help God, and just join Him in what He’s doing, walk by faith and not lean on our own understanding.

The thing about raising support

i don't really like raising support. It's awkward.
i tend to avoid awkwardness at all costs.
i mean, a lot of us do. That is why guys don't ask their friends out on dates and girls usually don't say yes. It's why we avoid dating in the office-place. It's why guy's don't initiate with other guys. It's why we avoid eye-contact while singing worship songs. It's why we use the bathroom at home and not at a friend's place. It's why we're careful about what subjects we talk about.

And everything about support-raising is awkward. The phone is always awkward. Talking about money is always awkward. Asking people for help is awkward. Let alone, talking to someone you haven't talked to in a long time or a complete stranger.

Most of the time i see support-raising (or MPD) as a necessary nuisance.
It's important.
i need people to pray for me.
And i need people to support us financially - or i don't eat, i don't have a place to live and i can't fly overseas.
We need partners, because we need the body of Christ and we need community.

Still, i wish there was a better way.


Well, that's not true. What i wish for is: An easier way.


Having people support us is a good way, it is God's way.
The body of Christ is supposed to support one another. We give to others also. And we partner with those who give.

Talking with people about what God is doing, sharing our needs, communicating - that's great. People need to know. People can be encouraged. People can be challenged.


So, when i say a better way, what i mean is an easier way. And my way wouldn't be better. It may feel easier, but it probably wouldn't be as effective- and certainly wouldn't be as good.


The time of support-raising feels useless. i would rather be out doing ministry.
But the reality is: this is a ministry. We get to challenge people to give: to give to God's work, to give to needy nations, to give sacrificially, to give joyfully, to give for God's sake and not for themselves, to give for the glory of God.
(i really need to learn how to convey this again and have this attitude).
It is a ministry because we challenge people out of their comfort zones. And we challenege them to follow God and to give to God.
It is also a ministry because we can make people aware of God's work in the nations and what God is doing and exalt God.
It is also a ministry because we can encourage people of God's faithfulness and power and provision.
It is also a ministry because we can make people aware of the needs of the lost and challenege them to reach out to others

This is an important ministry we have. i need to learn to embrace it. i need to learn to challenge.


It is also a blessing. A blessing to me and a blessing to the people i share with.
i was encouraged yesterday by a response of a friend who responded with "Thanks for asking about support!"
During my initial support-raising process i actually did have a few people thank me for the opportunity to give and support me.
This is a blessing for them. This is an opportunity for them to give to the Lord. It is an opportunity for them to be part of God's work. It's an opportunity to use their gifts. It blesses them as it does us.

And it is a blessing for us to be encouraged by how God uses people in our lives. It is a blessing to see God provide. A blessing to see God's faithfulness, sovereignty and power. And we are blessed by the kind words of encouragement, the love, the prayers and the faithfulness of people behind us. What a blessing indeed!

And it is a blessing because this is where God us right now! He knows exactly what we need. (to help us grow, to help us see Him). He is using everything to work in our lives. He is sovereign & He is taking care of us.

He certainly is teaching me, renewing me & reminding me of things i forogot. i am learning dependence and faith and seeing God even more.

Thank God for His blessing & leading on our lives.

It shows us the Gospel doesn't it? People give up, so we can go out. People sacrifice, so we can live.


MPD is a blessing, a ministry, an opportunity!

The thing about pregnancy and dependency

Pregnancy teaches us a lot.
Of course it may be easier to see as i'm not the one experiencing it.

It certainly teaches us dependence.

For one, the experience is painful and uncomfortable. Soo needs to pray to ask God to help her thru the difficult time.
i can do nothing about her pain. i want to comfort her, i want to help her, i even often wish i was the one going thru it so she didn't have to. Sure there are a few things i can do to ease the pain, but there is nothing i can do to take away the pain or discomfort completely. i give her a massage, i get her food, i do some chores - mostly i pray.

More than that we can't do anything to control the health of the baby. There is a baby inside Soo, but we can't see it, we can't hold it, we just wait.
Yes, there are eating & lifestyle habits that help. But there are no guarantees. Miscarriages happen to 1 out of every 4 expectant mothers. Some can't even conceive. We want to control how things will turn out. We want to make sure everything will be good. But we still have to wait on the Lord

More than a healthy child we want a child who knows the Lord, who loves Jesus. And again this is outside of our control. We can't force our children to believe in Christ. We can teach them the Bible, take them to church, be an example, love them, give them grace, etc etc. In the end it is up to God.
We are praying for the salvation of our child. We are pleading with God. We are utterly dependent on Him!

And so is true in all of life. As much as i think i am in control or somethings are up to me or i can handle a problem or how hard i work will determine results - in fact i am dependent on God. In ministry, in my work, in marriage, in friendships/relationships, in my spiritual growth: in all aspects... i need to depend on Him lean on Him, pray to Him and trust Him in all things and for all things. He is God and i am not.