Man of God 6th October, 2008
Posted by Scotty in Blessings, Heart, Leadership, Life, Me, Multnomah.1 comment so far
This is a post that has been a long time in the making, but which I have not got round to writing, until today. Allow me to introduce you to one of my profs from Multnomah who has (and is having) a MASSIVE impact on my life. His name… Dr. John Wecks.
The funny thing is, I know that if he knew I was going to write this He would probably get semi-embarrassed at the thought and tell me that I should write about our Saviour–and I grin knowing that writing about him I can’t help but write about the Saviour.
I will never forget my first class with Dr. Wecks. He opened his Bible, held it in one hand, lifted it up in front of him and asked the question “why is the Bible the Word of God”. The class eagerly put forward answers which, though good, fell short of the mark. Each time he rebutted with something to the effect of “other religions say that about their Scriptures. Why is this one the Word of God”. After some agonizing moments trying to find the answer he grinned and said, in the manner that only he can, “Because it is the Word of God”. I sat back in my seat and thanked God for bringing me to Multnomah, and I gently took note of God’s Spirit tapping on my heart, affirming to me that this man spoke with His authority.
When I look at Dr. Wecks I see the kind of man I believe God has called me to be. As I listen to him talk about the Saviour and as I witness how he masterfully teaches God’s Word, my heart longs to grow in those areas, and to become that kind of person. What is that kind of person?
He is a man of the Word: I see in him an unshakeable trust in God’s Word. This is seen in the way he teaches it, the way he preaches it, the way he lines up his life to match what it says, and more than that, the love and respect he gives to every Word that is from the mouth of God. My heart breaks for the church when I hear him voice his fears at our anemic church, and my soul cries out to God that He would teach me to honor His Word in this way.
He is a man of Prayer: The first time I heard Dr. Wecks talk about prayer I was floored. I was challenged more than ever and once again I felt my spirit soar. Listening to him divulge the necessity of become proficient in the weapons God has given us to fight in this Spiritual War I was overcome by the urgency of this exhortation and the poor job the church today is doing. It’s an amazing experience to listen to Him preach through the Armour of God. I don’t think I had ever heard someone rhyme of so much Scripture in a prayer, so much so that when he got as far as the Sword of the Spirit, he didn’t need to explain it because he had fully demonstrated the kind of proficiency we should be aiming towards (and more!). His prayers reveal an intimacy with God and a deep level of wisdom, both of which come only by spending much time in His presence.
He is a man of integrity: This week I have witnessed him walking through some tough experiences. As a friend and I sat down together to pray for John I laughed as the words fell out of my mouth “Lord, what a humbling thing it is to come before you knowing that even as I pray this man is holding to the very convictions he has taught to his classes for the last twenty years!” And it is true. Even today as class ended and he shared with us some of the lessons God has taught him through these circumstance, we got to watch all the Scriptural principles he teaches lived out in front of our eyes.
He loves the Saviour: What do I say? God loves me more than I can ever imagine, so much so that His Son, Jesus Christ came and lived here, allowing Himself to be brutally murdered, so that I could receive the gift of salvation. Jesus lived here and taught His disciples to follow Him. Paul exhorted Timothy to “follow me as I follow Christ”. I see in Dr. Wecks an incredible love for Jesus Christ, and sitting in his classes all I can do is watch how he lives his life, and be drawn closer to God. With my eyes fixed on my Saviour Jesus, I follow John as he follows Christ.
I love when he shares stories about his interactions with his dad. Dr. Wecks holds his dad in high esteem, showing a huge amount of admiration for the way his dad honors God, still pursuing him aged 93. If the man I esteem holds his dad in high esteem, man, what I would give to get the chance to meet his dad. Actually, what I would give to sit in on one of their lunch time sessions and just witness them as they glorify God together.
This year, God has granted me the privilege of working more closely with Dr. Wecks, grading papers for him. It’s an amazing learning experience to be on the teacher’s side of the coursework, but more than that, it is a blessing to get to sneak a little extra time with this man and have his love for God and His Word rub off on me some more.
It is impossible to explain just how much of an impact God has had on me through this man in just one blog entry. It would require a book, and I could probably write a whole other book about his wife Carley. John is always quick to share with us stories his wife, becoming almost childlike as he tells us about the love-of-his-life. She too embodies what it means to love and follow Christ. She too loves the Word. She too is a person of prayer. She too pours herself into the lives of the students at Multnomah!
They are an incredible couple! It is clear that God created them to do what they do, and has used them to impact the lives of hundreds if not thousands of student who have passed through their care. My experience at Multnomah would be vastly different without them. And it has been worth every penny that has been invested in my education here to get to witness someone live their life the way I believe God has asked me to live mine.
I thank God for their service at Multnomah; I thank Him for bringing me here and allowing me to sit under their instruction; I ask that God would pour out His grace over them, drawing them closer to Him; and I pray that God will continue to use them to shape me into the Man of God that He created me to be.
Lincoln Brewster 4th October, 2008
Posted by Scotty in Life.add a comment
Tonight I went to the Lincoln Brewster gig and it rocked my socks off. Apart from it being probably the best gig I’ve been to yet… I got the tickets for free! Yassssss!
This guy is amazing. If you haven’t bought his new album yet, you should jump onto iTunes and get it. He has to be one of the most underappreciated guys in Christian music. Most people when I mention his name look at me with a weird expression as if to say “what language are you speaking?” but if you sit them down at iTunes and listen through his songs it doesn’t take long to realise that they are all incredibly well known!
So, tonights gig. It was amazing. “Funky Brewster” (as he has been called by other well known Christian artists) is a fantastic musician. His guitar playing made the hairs on my neck stand up, his songs are inspired, and his voice is great!
One thing I loved though, in the middle of the concert he sat down and started sharing stories about his wife and kids, and little snippets of his past. He was extremely funny, and I was so caught up in what he was saying that I forgot I was there to listen to his music, and felt more like I was sitting having a chat with him in a coffee shop. Not only is he a great musician, but he is most definitely a person who loves people… that was clear!
What impressed me most though was just how much he encouraged people to pursue God and how he led us right into the throne room. I almost stayed around at the end to chat with him and thank him for being real and for his transparency. Instead, I will just thank God for him and his ministry, and praying for him as he promotes his new CD.
(As a random aside, our seats were near the back, but the concert was poorly attended so we moved to the front to some empty seats, and after a few minutes, realised we were sitting behind my buddy Jake, the worship pastor at Grace, so we shifted forward another row and got to enjoy the concert with some friends from church! nice)
What a blessing this was tonight!
Day of Prayer 1st October, 2008
Posted by Scotty in Life.add a comment
There I sat in a crowded room, in a small circle of ten people. Around me were eighty or so Seminarians, sitting in circles of ten to twelve people. For a few moments I allow my mind to drift from the work at hand and instead stopped to listen. My ears tuned out and for the moment they enjoyed the low hum of voices. As I sat listening, I felt my heart warm as I thought about what I was hearing–the low hum of people pouring out their hearts to God.
Yesterday, was the Seminary’s Day of Prayer. And I was blessed to be a part of the team who planned and oversaw the event. The Day of Prayer is one of the amazing traditions of Multnomah. It’s a day where they cancel the classes to free the school body to come together for corporate prayer. And so, all of us on the Master’s Leadership Team got together and came up with a really great idea for the day… let’s pray! And so pretty much that’s what happened. A couple of songs to start. A couple of songs to end. And a good few hours of prayer in the middle.
And so there I was, sitting in a room where 80-ish people were beseeching God for one another, for the school, for the country, and for the world, and I sat back, allowed my ears to relax from hearing individual voices and instead hear the general hubbub of sound. I do that for a few moments every time I’m involved in a corporate prayer session, and every time I am warmed at my core hearing people in conversation with the God who loves us so intensely.
It’s a blessing to be at this school. It is a privilege to be a part of the leadership team. And it’s humbling to be used by God to draw people into His presence.
Father God, what a joy it was to hear your children calling out to you. What a gift it is to be free to enter into your presence bearing out hearts before you. Oh I pray that you would change our hearts. I ask that you would continue the good work you did yesterday. I pray you would continue to challenge people to be on their knees before you. I ask that you would open our minds to understand the dangers of this Spiritual War we live in, that we would take up our weapons and draw closer to you.
Ancient of Days, how many prayers have you heard and answered? How pleasing the sound of people calling upon you must be to you. Fill us with a longing for you, that we would continue to glorify you!
May you be given all the glory!
E.M. Bounds on Prayer 27th September, 2008
Posted by Scotty in Life.add a comment
My buddy, Joe, and I are slowly working our way through an amazing book. We picked up a bargain at a closing-down sale: The Classic Collection on Prayer, E.M.Bounds. It’s his 8 books on prayer in one volume, which we picked up for less than $10!
It’s MEATY!
The chapters are only a few pages long but stuffed full of Scripture and profundity. We’re going through a chapter each week on top of our BibleReadthrough and man this stuff is good. Here are a few of the my highlights from the chapters so far:
Patience has its perfect work in the school of delay. In some instances, delay is the most essential part of the prayer. (p6)
How many times in the past have I been impatient about the answer to a prayer? I wait until things are desperate, and then I begin to plead with God for an instant solution, wishing away the wait. How many lessons would I have failed to learn if God had succumbed to my childish complaints and granted my requests straight away. How many times would my life have been completely messed up by being granted a request I didn’t actually need? And how many times have I realized in the wait that my prayer was selfish?!
Pastors who succeed in changing their people from a prayerless to a prayerful have done a greater work than did Augustus in changing a city from wood to marble (p15)
Repentance 27th August, 2008
Posted by Scotty in Heart, Musings, Spirituality.1 comment so far
I love how the Holy Spirit works in a life, and especially the events He uses to teach profound lessons.
On Friday I was at CityFest and it was packed. It was so difficult to move from one end of the park to the other because the sidewalks were lined with people stopping to listen to the messages. As a group of us tried to head from the top to the bottom of the park we got stuck in a traffic jam of people. It took us 20 minutes to get less than halfway to our destination at which point we decided to give up and turn back.
In the midst of that crowd God had some profound words planned for me. We were walking along in single file getting nowhere while next to us was a woman pushing a pram in which was a beautiful little kid. She was doing her best to make her way through the crowd as people pushed her out the way and blocked the pram. Behind her was a very unhelpful younger guy who looked like a typical college bum. Complete with cigarette hanging from his lip. Every time he took a lungful of smoke he would casually and thoughlessly blow it out all over the woman and her kid. On a couple of occasions and amidst coughs the woman turned to him and asked him (politely) if he could stop blowing smoke on her and her baby, especially in the middle of a busy crowd where the air was already pollute with a million people’s BO!
It had no effect and he went right on smoking. She turned round again and more assertively asked him to stop what he was doing. He said “sorry” obviously not meaning it and just trying to placate her. I was completely taken by her response.
I don’t want you to say your sorry, I want you to do better
Those were not words expected to hear and immediately they sent my mind racing. How many times have I had someone talk to me about a struggle in their life where they have asked for forgiveness and yet been unable to break free of the hold of that sin. How many times have I gone to God with my “sorry” fully regretting my sin and yet never taking the steps to “do better”.
This woman, who may or may not know the Lord, in this sentence summed up the nature of repentance hitting on something Christian’s often do wrong in the battle against the sinful nature. It is not about going to God to say “sorry” but about “doing better”. This does not negate the need to ask God for forgiveness… both steps are necessary in repentance. The very definition of repentance is to turn 180°. If we go to God and say sorry with no intention of changing our actions our words are empty… and God knows our hearts!
One of the difficulties with breaking free of sin is discussed in Authentic Faith:
Merely stopping the sin does nothing to address the yearning that led to the sin in the first place, which is why we must pass through the desert to embrace the virtue of detachment (p69, Authentic Faith)
When we acknowledge sin in our lives we have to first ask for forgiveness, then we “do better” by turning 180° on our sin (something we are only empowered to do because of the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives!!!) Contrary to our instant-fix mindset this isn’t the end. Our body is used to the sin. It has formed a bad habit as a result of our sinful yearning. Just like a drug-addict going cold turkey we have to experience the struggle with the detachment that comes with giving up something our body and mind have come to rely on. Although there are occasions when God grants someone instant victory, most often victory comes in small steps. Moment by moment we have to feel the urge to walk in sin and resist it, teaching our body that we can do without, and replacing that need with a healthy alternative. We have to go cold-turkey with our sin… praise be to God that His Spirit enables us to do this!
Where are you with that festering sin? Are you fighting the fight or are you calling out to God with empty words? Walking through the desert of detachment is hard, but by God’s grace you can get through it, being strengthened in your ability to resist sin and rejoicing in the freedom that comes through Christ.
Don’t just say you’re sorry, do better!
Authentic Faith 27th August, 2008
Posted by Scotty in Books.add a comment
On the plane over I finished up reading Authentic Faith by Gary Thomas. I have been slowly making my way through Brian’s list of Book Recommendations (which you can find on the Re:Hope page) and when looking at it this summer realised that this was the only one I hadn’t read. So in true disciple fashion I grabbed the book and read it.
I love the subtitle of the book “The Power of a Fire-Tested Life“, although the cover doesn’t quite have the same cool feel to it! The book makes an attempt to paint an accurate picture of the Christian life and the reasons behind the struggles we face. So often people have an unrealistic expectation of Christianity. Christians are to blame for sharing a gospel message that says “give your life to Christ so that all your troubles disappear and life becomes easy”, rather than calling people to be ready to die for their faith!
The book touches on some of the disciplines of Christianity that we like to forget about: selflessness, waiting, suffering, persecution, social mercy, forgiveness, mourning, contentment, sacrifice, hope and fear. Through these chapters Gary Thomas gives you hope that will sustain you through difficult times, challenging you to change your perspective to see the lessons learned and the personal growth that comes from the hard times in a Christian’s life. He rightly argues that it is these times of trials that deepen our faith, maturing us as Christians and increasing our wisdom and dependence on God.
Many of the themes in this book resonate deeply with my heart and the things God has been teaching me. I have experienced the joy of growing through extremely hard experiences. I have had to forgive the unforgiveable. I have been persecuted (although to a much lesser degree than our brothers and sisters in the East), I have mourned and sacrificed and in all experiences shared in the joy of having my Saviour walking with me through them.
May we also become so familiar with God’s footsteps, and may our hearts be so used to the cadence of his approach and the gentle footfall of his shoes, that when he breaks into our lives, we’ll know it’s him, regardless of what environment we’re in or where we’re sleeping (p243).
CityFest 27th August, 2008
Posted by Scotty in Church, Fun, Mission, Prayer, Spirituality, Worship.1 comment so far
What a great weekend to arrive back to… Portland CityFest… an evangelistic conference in downtown Portland. It was an event headed up by the Luis Palau association attempting to reach out to the lost people of Portland with the Good News of Jesus Christ.
After being in Scotland for the summer and back around my church Re:Hope, it was a great reintroduction to Portland. Re:Hope has a burden for the lost people of Glasgow, in fact, for the lost people of Scotland. You don’t have to be around the church for long before you see and hear the passion people have for seeing God’s name exalted in that place. Over the summer I was struck by the urgency of taking the Good News to the lost. Hundreds of people die everyday without knowing Jesus… in Glasgow alone! I spent 7 weeks in Scotland praying about the lost and arrived back here to a weekend of praying for the lost people of Portland. I could hardly listen to the speakers because my heart was burdened to intercede for them as they spoke and for the people as they listened. And true to my calling, I could intercede for the lost in Portland without my heart also crying out to God for the people back at home. I pray that God would continue to increase my burden for the lost, and the sense of urgency for their souls!
There were also some very selfish reasons that I loved CityFest. When I moved to Portland I realized bands gigged here a lot and so decided I wanted to see Swtichfoot, Kutless, MercyMe, Chris Tomlin, and Jeremy Camp. Within my first few months here I got to go to a switchfoot gig, and then when Jeremy Camp came I opted out to go and sing at my cousin’s wedding in Kentucky. Arriving back to CityFest I was amazed to turn up on the Friday night and find that Kutless and Chris Tomlin were headlining. A quick glance at the program told me that Saturday would be Hawk Nelson, MercyMe and Toby Mac!
Chris Tomlin and MercyMe were outstanding and are clearly anointed by God to lead people in worshiping Him. It didn’t take very long with Tomlin on stage before thousands of people were singing their hearts out to God with their hands stretched out to heaven. MercyMe sang some songs that I wasn’t familiar with but very quickly I was whisked to the throne room to give praises to Him.
So all-in-all it was a great weekend. I got to witness God moving. I got to see people commit their lives to Jesus for the first time. I got to watch people recommit their lives to the Saviour. I got to see thousands of Christians coming together, and numerous churches working together. I got to see anointed musicians leading people in praise, and watch some of my favourite bands. I got to hang out with some staff from Grace. I got to connect with some friends that I haven’t seen all summer. I even got to make some new ones.
And more exciting than that, I had an increased burden for the lost, and plenty of opportunity to cry out to God on behalf of Portland and Glasgow. May His name be high and lifted up. May He received glory. May His Spirit continue to work in the lives of those who were touched by CityFest, drawing them into a deep and profound knowledge of Him. May you God increase my burden for lost souls, filling all of your people with a sense of urgency for souls of those who are far from you. Pour out your Spirit on Glasgow and Portland calling people out out from the dominion of darkness and into the Kingdom of the Son you love. I pray for Luis palau, Kutless, MercyMe, Chris Tomlin, Hawk Nelson, Toby Mac and all those other people you have raised up to bring you glory… that they would keep their eyes fixed on you and be used to draw people into your arms. All these things and more I bring to you in the name of Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen.
I have a car! 27th August, 2008
Posted by Scotty in Blessings, Friends, Me, Multnomah, Support, Travel.1 comment so far
I have some amazing friends, and we serve an amazing God! I arrived back in Portland on Thursday to some great news. One of my friends was given a new car and looking to get rid of her old one. She wanted to know if I could use it. One of my other friends had been looking for a way to support me and so offered to pay for the insurance. And so on Sunday I picked up what is now my car. It is such a HUGE BLESSING. (Thank you God, and thank you to my two car-giving friends)
The thing I have hated about my time in the States has been my lack of freedom. I have at time felt claustrophobic because I am so used to being able to jump in my car and get away for a while. In my time in Portland I have needed to depend on other people for lifts/rides back and forth, or try and borrow a car from someone when the need arose. The whole process has been a part of the lessons in dependence that God brought me here to learn, not just having to depend on Him, but see the importance of the Body of Christ and our dependence on one another.
I am so grateful for all the times people allowed me to use their cars at some point (especially big thanks go to God on behalf of Jeanine, Monica, Cristine, Jamie, Katie, Amanda, Lance, and Joe). May He receive all the glory for your generosity. It is so great to have freedom again. It’s strange that even though I am sitting in the house and have not used the car much other than to get back and forth to school, knowing it is there waiting is such a freeing feeling. I am of course being very careful to use it as little as possible… Gas in the US might not be as expensive as it is at home, but it still eats into the wallet!
I thank God for His continual blessings.
Final Year 26th August, 2008
Posted by Scotty in Life, Multnomah.1 comment so far
It’s amazing to think that I’m back in America and have already begun the final year of my M.Div. It feels good to be back here, surrounded by what has become so familiar, living with the incredible feeling that comes from walking in obedience to God’s will for my life. It has been great to reconnect with my friends here and add more wonderful memories to this Portland season of my life. I do of course miss Scotland and all the wonderful people there who are such a support to me.
I have loads that I want to write about but am currently computerless. My laptop went in for repair when I was home and they didn’t get it back to me on time. Hopefully it shouldn’t be too long until it’s delivered back home and my mum posts it out to me. Blog entries will be infrequent the next couple of weeks while I adjust back to Portland life and await the return of my computer.
It’s looking to be a great year and I’m excited about all the things God has in store. I’ll be in touch soon!
God is my currency 16th August, 2008
Posted by Scotty in Blessings, Me, Multnomah, Prayer, Support.1 comment so far
Hi Scott. Got your latest ‘newsletter’ earlier this week. Asked God if He wanted me to do anything about what you need. I think he said £500, so I authised transfer of this sum to your bank account this morning. 1 Peter 1:2b
This is a text message I received yesterday, and as you can expect I fell to my knees to thank and praise God for His constant provision.
The path I’m on is not the easiest. I have had people close to me ridicule me, calling me a leech, a scrounger, and a waste of space because I’m not going into a “real” profession. They mock me and criticize me for walking a faith path that causes me to have to rely on God’s provision instead of being able to work. Despite this I press on knowing that God promises to provide, and encouraged by text messages like this one.
I have my days where I begin to worry if this is the semester that it won’t work out, but then I remember the biographies I have read and the amazing ways God provides for the people He calls. It would be far easier if I could get a job with a regular wage, but it’s not available to me.
So far God has provided everything I have needed for the first two years at Multnomah, and amount that comes to over $50,000! When I look back and see the amazing ways He has worked so far, why do I ever fear that this could be the semester it doesn’t work out?! I sometimes feel like I’m in the scene from the movie Cliffhanger, where Sarah is hanging from Gabe’s hand over a massive drop. But there is a MAJOR difference. My hand won’t be slipping out of any glove! God has me held securely, and every moment I spend dangling tests and grows my faith.
I praise God for the way He has provided for me. I rejoice in people’s willingness to come alongside me and support me. I give Him thanks for text messages like this one which demonstrate people’s obedience to Him in supporting His work.
I’m leaving the country on Wednesday with less money in the bank than I had hoped, but strangely I’m filled with excitement. I know God will provide, and so I will do my part and trust in His perfect promises.
