Make All Things New

Saw a couple screaming at each other in a truck on a busy road. She got out the truck in traffic yelling at him. Realized that as bad as it was with him, it was safer than being in the street, so she got back inside…. This world is so broken.

There have been multiple robberies at gunpoint in the neighborhood next to us. People are looking for peace…. This world is so broken.

The Northeast’s largest strip club recently opened just blocks from our church. Many will seek satisfaction in things that don’t satisfy. Many families will be destroyed because of this. How many kids won’t have their daddy tuck them in tonight because they are paying a woman to undress? How many women will feel unwanted because of man’s sin? How many women will falsely feel wanted when it is only to satisfy sinful urges of cowardly men…. This world is so broken.

There’s a guy typing this blog who thinks, even for a second, that because he doesn’t go to these clubs, he is somehow better than the guys that do…. This world is so broken.

There’s a God who created the universe simply by speaking it into existence and Who upholds existence by the Word of His mouth…. This God is so holy.

There’s a God who created man and woman to live in perfect peace and harmony; in shalom. A God who Himself lives in perfect shalom in three persons…. This God is so holy.

There is a God who in his infinite perfection has “eyes too pure to look on evil, and you cannot tolerate wrong.” (Habakkuk 1:13)…. This God is so holy.

There is a God who uses even our own evil to vindicate His great name (Ezekiel 36:22, 23)…. This God is so holy.

There is a God who is so incomprehensibly perfect that even beings created to worship Him must cover their eyes in His presence as not to be struck down by His glory (Isaiah 6:2-3)…. This God is so holy.

There is a Savior who was separated from His Father so that His enemies might be reconciled to Him and each other…. This Gospel is so sufficient.

There is a Savior who gave up shalom so that those in pain might find shalom…. This Gospel is so sufficient.

There is a Savior who went to the places “good people” didn’t, seek the broken, the prostitute, the orphan the widow, the drunkard, to offer them living water that truly satisfies. (John 4:13-14)

There is a Savior who lived a perfect life, died a brutal death and rose again in victory over Satan, Sin and Death…. This Gospel is so sufficient.

There’s a Savior who, even though perfectly righteous, takes your sin as His own and gives His righteousness to those who believe…. This Gospel is so sufficient.

Two months into walking out this calling to minister to the people of NE Philadelphia, I have found a tendency in my heart that scares me. It’s a tendency towards comfort and isolation. It’s a tendency to come home from work, park my car in the garage (yeah, we have a garage in our row home), go inside and close the door.

While it may seem like nothing is wrong with this picture, let me contrast it with how the first few weeks of life in the city were for us.

I would come home and we would go for a walk. We’d take our kids to the local playground each day and meet new people. We would sit outside and talk to our neighbors. We were new to the neighborhood and people knew it, so they talked with us. But now the newness is beginning to fade and routine is starting to set in. O how I must fight against complacency! I need to not listen to the lies: “You’re tired, it’s been a long day.” “You don’t need to go out and meet people, you’ve done enough this week.” On and on they spin.

Truthfully, missional living is not easy. You have to die to yourself and follow Christ. And that is the call to Christians. It is hard but it it joy-filled. Nothing harder, yet nothing greater.

So in my struggle to get myself out of the house the last couple of days, I was encouraged by a letter placed on our door recently. It read:
“Walker Street Block Party”
Yup, that’s right. If I was going to struggle with going to them, God was going to bring them to us. To our block even.

He continues to meet me in my weakness. Not to berate me or cut me down, but to gently encourage me and remind me that I am not the one determining the fate of my neighbors. He doesn’t really need me in Philadelphia to grow His Kingdom. It is a distinct privilege that I get to witness what He is doing in Philly and be used as I am. This just doesn’t seem fair. Why would I get so much when I’ve given so little?

It’s not fair. And that’s why it’s grace. So, would you pray for me to grow in accepting this? Would you pray that I would continue desire to share this with others, especially when I am tired?”

Last night we took our four kids on a Trader Joe’s run at about 8 pm. Our Trader Joe’s is on Market Street in Center City Philadelphia, so it is always an interesting experience.

Last night, while checking out the cereal, a guy asked me if my “Don’t Waste Your Life” T-shirt had anything to do with John Piper.

“You know, John Piper?” I replied.

What followed was about a twenty-minute conversation and a new friendship. He and his wife had just moved to the city as well and are going to another A29 church in Philly. It was a special meeting because I think his wife was having trouble acclimating to city life and was encouraged by Jill’s words to her. Interesting, Jill has been kind of struggling with acclimating to city life and this opportunity to minister to someone was encouraging to her as well!

God is always working a million things in one thing and we are rarely aware of many of them! So while we planned to rush in and out getting what we wanted, God in his great grace, gave us an opportunity to receive something we needed. God wouldn’t let us waste our grocery shopping like that. How merciful is he?

This was a good reminder to not waste even the little experiences. Look for people in need, wait for God to provide for your needs. Don’t waste even the mundane, because God is at work!

I haven’t blogged in sometime now. It wasn’t entirely intentional but it was refreshing. Much has happened since I last posted in June. My tendency is toward trying to write it all out in one long post for fear of being a blog failure. But Christ died for that sin too.

So, I’ll just hit some highlights and post details as I can.

We found renters for our house in South Jersey and found a house in Philly all in one week. So, we’ve been living in the city for a couple of months now.. and loving it. Ella says, “I like living in the city because it is so busy. And I like to be busy.” Sounds a lot like her dad.

Our church, ReaLife Church, has moved into a new building for Sunday worship. It is amazing! We are enjoying how God is working there.

The eldership/pastor training is going well. Recently been thrown further into the mix and I couldn’t be happier. Late night trips to NY to return a church van with my bro, cleaning and setting up facilities, teaching a class for our leaders, preaching, meeting folks in the neighborhood and counseling brothers… all a part of the joy!