DISCIPLESHIP: What is God's Calling on my life?

Ever since Urbana I have been praying a lot about what the calling of God on my life. In the past year I have experienced tons of growth in my walk with the Lord as I have been seeing a whole new dimension to the Gospel of Jesus that I never saw before. I am speaking of the Kingdom message. This Kingdom message is about righting the wrongs of injustice now on this earth. This is how we bring the Kingdom here. I have often said that I wanted to see God's Kingdom come on our campus and in the world but what have I done for it? I have proclaimed the forgiveness of sins and cared about the eternal resting place of their soul but have neglected the current physical state that people are in. I have remained ignorant of much of the injustice in the world as long as it didn't directly affect my little world. But that has all changed in the last year.

Beginning with MAC training January and February 2006 I began to see the relevance of the Gospel in other cultures and that I need to be informed about other cultures to know how to share the Gospel with them. Then I went on the Cleveland Urban Plunge in March 2006 and learned about the relevance of the Gospel in the inner city and my ignorance of what was going on there. There were Christians down dirty in the trenches of the spiritual battle and physical battles of the inner city and I was just sitting comfortably on the outside ignorant of it. Then I went on Xining Global Project for 6 weeks in the summer of 2006. My eyes were opened wide to the plight of the Christians struggling to see God's Kingdom come in China. I was extremely humbled by how financially rich I was compared to them but also how spiritually rich my Chinese friends were compared to me. This past school year I have been reading More Than Equals with the Community Group Leaders and my eyes have been open to my ignorance of the racial reconciliation issue and how I need to work through these racial issues with my ethnic minority brothers and sisters. Then I went to Urbana at the end of December 2006. I was amazed to see the diversity of God's people represented there and how we sang multi-lingual songs the whole conference.

All this put together God has given me a passion for seeing the Kingdom message of Jesus to actualize in all the world. I care about the injustice of the world and want to educate myself on these issues. I want to go on staff with IV for awhile because I believe changing the campus can change the world. Then I want to go back to school to get my Doctorate in Philosophy and teach at a secular University in the philosophy department because I want to have influence in the classroom showing students how Christianity can stand up to the philosophical criticism. Then I want to go back to school and get my doctorate in Political Science and then to law school. Then I want to become a U.S. Senator. I want a chance to stand up for the Biblical principles in our great country and see God's justice come to all people of the world. In that kind of position I can work toward ending systemic injustice which is at much of the root of injustice in the world. I am always open to how the Spirit moves in my heart and this will take a lifetime to all work out but based on a logical assessment of the passions that God has given me and my interests and my spiritual gifts this is what I think I am called to do. To God be the GLORY!!!

MOVIES: Amazing Grace

Audrey and I went on a date last night to see the newly released movie Amazing Grace. Go to the link that I posted here to watch the trailer and read about the movie. This movie is about the true story of William Wilberforce's journey of getting the English Parliament to abolish slavery and the slave trade in the entire British Empire.

Wilberforce is on a personal journey through the movie as he returns to his Christian faith that he was so committed to as a child in John Newton's church. John Newton was a slave trader who committed his life to Christ and quit the slave trade and became a pastor, he was Wilberforce's pastor as he grew up. Wilberforce was moved by his faith to believe that God created all men equal and that no man should own another. The turning point in the movie is when he comes back to his faith in God and is fully committed to it and wondering if he should quit being a Member of Parliament in order to serve the God he loved so dearly. Wilberforce's best friend, William Pitt, became Prime Minister. Newton tells him he has work to do for God as a Member of Parliament. Pitt brings him to meet some abolitionist friends who convince him that he can both serve God and be a member of Parliament by working towards the abolition of the slave trade. It is a long journey and a hard one but in the end Wilberforce's bill passes the House of Commons and slavery is abolished.

This movie moved me to tears almost the whole way through, especially whenever John Newton was in the scene. I highly recommend everyone go see it whether you are a Christian or not. The movie is very accurate as far as I can tell in its history. It spans the time of the American Revolution and French Revolution. Wilberforce's story is a great example of how someone can put their faith into action in their vocation and change the world. William Wilberforce is a world changer.

What is great about this movie is that Walden Media is on a campaign to abolish modern day slavery by raising awareness through this movie. Please sign the petition at the website and become an abolitionist.