Desiring God's Presence

As the time draws closer to moving and beginning the new church in the Bay Area, I have been thinking more and more about what I envision for this ministry.  A book that has been helpful in terms of my personal preparation for the future church plant is a book entitled “The Irresistible Church” by Will Cordeiro.  Contrary to its cover, the book isn’t about how the church can make itself irresistible to people, but how the church makes itself irresistible to God.  In other words, how do we become a church that God can’t help but bless and put His favor on?  After all, if God is blessing his church and his favor rests on us, then people will naturally be attracted to us and we’ll see lives being saved and transformed.  

In this book, the first trait of “The Irresistible Church” is the one that hungers after the presence of God. In the modern church, we are far more interested in what God can do for us as opposed to God being with us. However as we grow spiritually, we come to understand that there is a big difference between asking for the blessings of God and desiring His presence.  We start to learn how to discern the difference between seeking the face of God and merely seeking his hand.

Moses was someone who learned this lesson well.  One of my favorite dialogues out of the Old Testament is when God tells Moses that He will make a way for the Israelites to capture the promised land but would not accompany them there because of the incident with the golden calf.  In reply, Moses says to the Lord, "If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here."  It's evident how desperate Moses was for God's continued presence in his life.  In fact, living in the barren desert with God was infinitely more attractive than going to a land filled with milk and honey without God.  For Moses, the love that he found in God's presence was the greatest priority in his life and everything else was essentially meaningless without this ongoing fellowship with God.  My prayer is that we would have this type of hunger as we begin the church, that people would know that God is with us, and that they would come together to seek His presence.

The Abundant Life

I just recently went away on a personal retreat up at the Oaks Christian Conference Center near Lake Hughes, just to spend some alone time with the Lord and to hear from Him.  Like most retreat centers, they have a  trail that leads up to a cross which I decided to hike on the last morning.   As the cross came into full view against the beautiful morning sky, I just felt the Lord impress on my heart the shortness of life and the need to live each day to its fullest.  Living life in the utter realization of our mortality and the hope of our resurrection is the most effective means of following Christ because He lived with that sense of urgency and future perspective.  To live life to the fullest just because you are going to die is not necessarily a Christian virtue.  In fact, it is something that is no different than the world's philosophy of life.  To live  life to its utmost because Christ awaits us on the other side is the most Christian reason to live.  The notion of "carpe diem" means nothing to the believer unless there is a resurrection from the dead and someone who will evaluate the content of our lives.  I hope each of us will live everyday knowing that to live is Christ and to die is gain.

Location, Location, Location!

One of the most difficult decisions regarding the planting of the new AMI church in the Bay Area has been the question of where to begin.  I feel confident that God has called me and my family to Northern California but narrowing down the specific location of our ministry has been an on-going matter of prayer.  We have entertained thoughts ranging from Mountain View to San Francisco and everywhere in between including East Palo Alto (although everyone seemed very fearful of this option).  All I can say is that I have been as open as possible to the Holy Spirit's leading regarding this very important matter but with the realization that there are many competing voices when it comes down to hearing from the Lord.

As Christians, we are guided first and foremost by the objective truth of Scripture but we are also led by our subjective interpretation of circumstance, intuition, and what we believe we have heard from God's Spirit.  In decisions like this, no one can be 100% sure that they have heard from God accurately but at the same time there is no benefit to constantly questioning every decision that has to be made. Many times like Abraham, we simply have to obey God's command to go and worry about the details later.

When we first made the decision to move up to the Bay Area, it was with the purpose of reaching the city of San Francisco. Those convictions have remained the same and I pray that this is the Lord's doing.  I sense that God is getting ready to do something in this great city and I hope to be a part of that.  In the weeks and months to come,  I pray that the Lord will clarify His vision for this new church and bring the right people together for this exciting work.

Humble Beginnings

Last week, we had our very first prayer meeting for the church plant that is planned for the Fall of 2012.  There were ten of us in attendance including 6 month old Nathan (who fell asleep in the middle of the meeting but still needs to be counted since he represents 10% of our present congregation).  At this point in time, we have no name for the church, no location, no mission statement, and no idea how God is going to work in the midst of us.  Yet for all of these uncertainties, I can't help but believe that this is exactly where God wants us.  At the end of the meeting, the Spirit reminded me that unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain (Psalm 127:1).

Humility and complete dependence on God are very difficult lessons to learn but it is so essential for our spiritual growth and maturity.  If there is a lesson that I have learned repeatedly as a pastor and church planter it is the danger of trying to go ahead of God and make plans based on our own initiative and strategies.  In order to avoid this pitfall, prayer and waiting patiently for the Lord's response is an absolute necessity.  I want to make sure that we are hearing from the Spirit of the Lord clearly on matters pertaining to the new church and not doing things merely on a whim.

Oddly, the day after the meeting which happened to be February 1st, I began my quiet times in the book of Numbers.  The first chapter states that on the first day of the 2nd month, God spoke to Moses regarding the names of those who would assist him in leading the new nation of Israel.  For you biblical historians, I know that the Jewish calendar is different than our modern calendar but it certainly caught my attention.  I realized that Moses waited to hear from God before he selected those men who would help lead the people.  In the same way, I hope that we will be humble enough to wait for the the Lord to speak before we make any decision that will impact the life our new church.

If you are reading this blog and would like to join us for our next prayer meeting the first week of March, please email me at markchun@gmail.com.

The Eternal Design

Recently, I have been really getting into pictures from the Hubble telescope.  I know that it seems a bit random especially since this telescope has been around for over twenty years but these images have stirred my thoughts about the purpose of man in the universe.   Why did God create us to occupy one tiny speck of dust in a universe that now spans 14 billion light years and is continuing to expand?  Why create something so grand when man can only appreciate so little?  As I thought about these things, it dawned on me that God has made the universe with eternity in mind.  That one day, we will stand beside him as he spread his arms towards the stars and proclaims that he has made all of this for us to study, explore, and enjoy for the rest of time itself.

I am a huge sci-fi junkie and the thought of space travel and moving faster than the speed of light doesn't seem like a mere fantasy. I believe that man, given time, is capable of doing anything that the mind can imagine.  In this life, we are hemmed in by our sin and the death that it brings but once those obstacles are removed, there is a limitless universe that awaits us.  In all that we do for the Lord, my prayer is that our dreams will remain grand, as grand as the universe he has created for us.

Psalm 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.

Freedom in Truth

Earlier this week I was deeply saddened to hear with my own ears that Joel Osteen believes that Mormons are believers in Christ just like himself.  For many years, I have tried to stay away from all the negative statements regarding the ministry at Lakewood Church because I didn't want to believe that the largest church in the United States (45,000 members with a viewership of 10 million for their TV broadcast) could be so far from the truth.  I just happened to be watching the CBS morning show when this interview caught my attention and I was left completely stunned by what was said.

Some years ago as a relatively new believer, I had an opportunity to go on a mission trip to Utah and visit the center of Mormonism in Salt Lake City.  It was clear then and clear now that we are not separated by some minor doctrinal issues but that there are fundamental differences that makes these two faiths incompatible.  To mislead people into believing that the gap between Christianity and Mormonism is minor is either the height of ignorance or the grossest deception.  In issuing this statement, Joel Osteen invalidated the ministry of all the Christians in Utah who are trying to uphold the truth of Scripture and reach out to people who are lost in a lie.

In the end, all of this points to a Christianity that is failing here in America.   We have traded authentic transformation and genuine salvation for a smile and positive thinking.  The success of churches like Lakewood, the growth of the emergent church, and the popularity of the prosperity gospel, all are indications that we have veered off the right path.  The quest for joy and happiness cannot bypass and overlook what is true.  How can we have real joy when our lives are still captive to the false desires of this world?  More than ever, we are called to seek a truth, a truth that will set us free.

Extraordinary Prayer

One of the on-going battles that I have with my 5 year old daughter is the fact that she just doesn't like to pray or at least doesn't like to be told when to pray.  I feel like most children are more obedient or more willing to humor their parents but Carissa won't even go through the motions.   Sometimes I'll ask her if she has prayed for her meal and she will reply, "Yes, in my mind."  Then I'll ask, "What did you pray for?", to which she will quickly answer, "You don't need to know, Dad."  What can I possibly say to this and so I have resigned myself to the fact that my daughter will pray when and if she wants. 

Amazingly, every once in a while I will catch Carissa in our walk-in closet (where my wife likes to pray) and I'll hear her little voice lifting up the needs of our family. Each time I find her praying in private, it really warms my heart and I can't help wonder if God feels the same way towards us every time He catches us praying in that secret place. Perhaps this is why He commands that the majority of our prayers should be in our rooms, behind shut doors, where we can reach out to Him from the depths of our hearts. I am quite aware that starting a new church takes a considerable investment of prayer but at the same time it can't be forced or come out of mere religious duty. True prayer comes when God stirs our passions to reach out for Him in a real and sincere manner. I hope that the bedrock of our endeavors to begin this ministry will be forged out of prayers that are authentic and genuine.

P.S  We will be having our first prayer meeting January 31 in San Mateo.  Please let me know if you would like to join us!

Our Future Prayer Warrior!