Jesus Didn’t Want To Die

October 3, 2011

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I know. It seems strange doesn’t it? But it’s right there in the Bible. In black and white…err…red. In Matthew 26. Jesus has taken some of his disciples into the garden with him and asked them to pray for him while he goes off to pray. And he prays:

“And going a little further he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”" Matt. 26:39 ESV

Jesus knew what was coming, and asked God that if there was another way for the sins of the entire people of all history to be forgiven of sin, then for that to happen. But above that he prayed that the will of God be done. He prayed that the will of God be done over his desire.

By now, most of the world has heard of Youcef Nadarkhani. You don’t need me to lay out his whole story for you, there are pundits and better bloggers than I who can do that. He is an Iranian pastor who has been sentenced to death for not recanting his belief in Christ in a country where that is illegal. Things aren’t going well.

In most of the Christian circles I’m a part of or know of, in the Christian twitter and blogosphere, the cry has been to call for the government to resend the execution sentence, and allow Nadaekhani to go free. I’m curious though what the reaction in their area is. I wonder what the reaction from his close friends has been. I know that their context of belief is different than the context I’ve come to know. I spend my time arguing about what kind of worship is better, and whether or not I like the sermon/speaker. Their time is spent figuring out where they can meet and for how long.

It makes me wonder why we’re praying what we’re praying. There is no reason that we should think he has more of a right to life than anyone else who claims to follow Christ. I’m NOT saying I want the guy to die. I’m NOT saying I think he should die. I’m wondering if our prayers are coming from a place of personal comfort that we’re used to. I’m wondering if our prayers aren’t better placed in “God your will be done”, and our action placed in efforts to see his life spared but knowing that though our God is able to spare his life, even if He doesn’t, we will continue to worship Him.

It would be a testament to the power of our God to see the life of Youcef Nadarkhani spared from death. It would also be a testament to the power of our God if this man were to lose his life, and we were to celebrate his life knowing that God has a bigger plan. Jesus’ desire was for the will of God to be done. I’ve never met the man and I don’t think he wants to die, but I would guess that it is the desire of Youcef Nadarkhani to see the will of God be done. It ought to be our desire. Regardless of the outcome.

Grace & Peace,
Stippick

Link Love…

April 29, 2011

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A good friend of mine recently moved Stephenville, Tx to plant Timber Ridge Church. I’m super pumped for Nic Burleson, his wife Johanna, and their son Hayden as they take on this new adventure. They’ll be joined by my good friends the Speegles, and Jenna, and probably a few more who I’m missing.

I just wanted to share this with you today and ask you to do a couple of things:

  1. PRAY for them as they begin this endeavor. They will need this church, themselves, and the community they’re trying to reach bathed in prayer!
  2. Visit the website. Just go see what they’re about. Nic has a short message on the front page. Watch it. Read a little bit. Poke around the site. They’re going to be doing some cool stuff.
  3. Sign up to be no they’re prayer list. This will help you to know specifically what to pray for this team about.
  4. Consider giving. I know now isn’t the best time to be “giving money away”, and a lot of you already have giving commitments. But what greater way to give glory to God than to give more than He asks of us knowing that He’ll take care of each of our needs? This is one of two places that I’d ask you to consider starting new giving too. Please pray and consider.

Nic has been a big influence in my life, and I’m excited to watch him lead his family and friends in this new adventure as He passionately seeks the will of God to bring more of the Kingdom to Stephenville, Tx.

Grace and Peace,

David Stippick

Stop Praying

April 27, 2011

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Yeah. I know. That seems weird right? God didn’t have any problems saying that to Jeremiah though.

If you’re anything like me, you’ve felt apathetic in your prayer life at some point in time. You didn’t see the point, you didn’t see or feel any immediate results. Why spend the time? I’ve been there. I’ve felt those things. I was reading in Jeremiah 7 the other day, and came across this:

“And you, Jeremiah, don’t waste your time praying for this people. Don’t offer to make petitions or intercessions. Don’t bother me with them. I’m not listening. Can’t you see what they’re doing in all the villages of Judah and in the Jerusalem streets? Why, they’ve got the children gathering wood while the fathers build fires and the mothers make bread to be offered to ‘the Queen of Heaven’! And as if that weren’t bad enough, they go around pouring out libations to any other gods they come across, just to hurt me. (Jeremiah 7:16-18 MSG*)

Things were bad. So bad in fact that God instructed Jeremiah NOT to pray for them. Not to petition Him for those people anymore. As far as I know, God’s never told me that about anyone or anything? So what’s my excuse?

I don’t have one. And honestly? Neither do you really. We have this incredible gift that we’re able to commune with the almighty creator of the universe, and we treat it like a burden. In addition to that? We’ve got a responsibility to pray, for everything we know to be praying for, until there is answer to the pray. Whether that answer is what we thought it might be, or what we thought it should be, we have an obligation to pray, pray, pray. Until there is answer. Or, and it’s clearly possible, until God Himself instructs us not to because it’s a lost cause (That’s a hard thing for us to wrap our head around isn’t it? That God could or would consider someone or something a lost cause. While I may be wrong, I do feel as though this text gives some weight to that point). And at that point, you should ask yourself if you had been praying for that person, or that situation, and if you hadn’t been, why not?

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying I have the perfect prayer life. I don’t. It has its ups and downs. I’m striving though to make it more a part of what I do. I’m trying to heed Paul’s instruction to pray without ceasing (There’s no “z” in that word. Please do not pronounce it with one). It is a process. Like everything in our relationship with Jesus. It’s one I look forward to focusing more on. I want to pray more. I dread the day that God specifically instructs me not to pray for something. I hope it never comes, but how will I know if I’m not actively engaging Him there? Pray with me.

Grace & Peace,

David Stippick

*Don’t worry. I don’t use The Message for my personal study and what not, and I don’t encourage that you do. I just liked the way it was worded there, and I don’t think there is anything lost.

A Psalm & A Prayer

March 22, 2011

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O Lord, who may abide in Your tent?
Who may dwell on Your holy hill?
He who walks with integrity, and works
righteousness,
And speaks truth in his heart.
He does not slander with his tongue,
Nor does evil to his neighbor,
Nor takes reproach against his
friend;
In whose eyes a reprobate is despised,
But who honors those who fear the
Lord;
He swears to his own hurt and does not
change;
He does not put out his money at
interest,
Nor does he take a bribe against the
innocent.
He who does these things will never be
shaken.

Psalm 15 (NASB)

 

Father,

We spend a lot of time finding the wrong in others; pointing out their sin. We are called to hold each other accountable as brothers and sisters in Christ, but not at the expense of neglecting our own sin. Your Son tells us that it is no good for us to tell our brother about the speck in his eye if  we’ve got a log sticking out of our own. And too often we make this all about morality, when in fact it is about a relationship. A relationship with you. The way you call us to live begs a certain morality, but that’s not the end game. We get too hung up on it. Guide us to Your word, and the places where you instruct us how to best live for you God. Allow us to focus on the things listed in this Psalm in our own lives before we begin to decry others. Give us the discerning hearts to know when the time is right to call each other out when it is needed, and for the right reasons. Show us how to better love each other; in that love we will build each other up, and help each other to grow in our relationships with you.

Let it be,

David Stippick

Healer

February 22, 2011

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This song has come up several times in my life very randomly in the last month or so. I know it’s a popular song right now, but still. I can’t help but feel like God is trying to show me something through this. I’m making it my prayer this week. For you, and for me.

You hold my every moment
You calm my raging seas
You walk with me through fire
And heal all my disease

I trust in You
I trust in You

I believe You’re my Healer
I believe You are all I need
I believe You’re my Portion
I believe You’re more than enough for me
Jesus You’re all I need

Nothing is impossible for You
Nothing is impossible for You
Nothing is impossible for You
You hold my world in Your hands

(I’m a big fan of Hillsong, and think they have an incredible gift for pumping out some great worship leaders, and worship songs. I’m incredibly thankful for their ministry.)

Grace and Peace,

David Stippick

A Prayer

August 7, 2010

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I originally posted this on my Mission Year blog back in February of ’09. I was reading it again the other night, and wanted to share with you here:

You embrace me when I fight You.
You clean me off when I become dirty in spite of You.
You tell me You love me when I scream my hate at You.
You will never leave me nor forsake me.

When I laugh You laugh with me.
When I have joy You celebrate with me.
When I love You love infinitely more.
You will never leave me nor forsake me.

If I am crying, You wipe my tear.
If I am wracked with sorrow You comfort me.
If I am in pain You sooth me.
You will never leave me nor forsake me.

Though I do not understand,
Though I will never comprehend,
Though I can not truly appreciate,
You will never leave me nor forsake me.

Abba,
Your love for me is boundless and know no depths, and while I know that, while I ever really get it? I don’t know. But I thank you daily for who You are. Who You tell me that I am in You. I feel as though I’m never getting it right when it comes to understanding your love for me, but you smile as only a Father can, hug me to your chest, and just chuckle. Understanding that though I may not get it I am trying. And I am. I am chasing after you with everything that I Know that I have. But I still feel as though I’m failing at it. You show me that I’m not. I get scared though…and wait for you. When you show up I am a mess…but you remind me how to clean it up, and then do it with me. You are always there. You always have been, and always will be. For that there are no words for me to tell You THANK YOU. But I will anyway.

Thank You.

Love,
Your son.

Come all you weary, A Prayer.

February 22, 2010

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“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I wam gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” - Jesus (Matthew 11:28-30 NASB)

Abba,

I come to you tonight so weary, and more with a heavier heart than I knew I could have. I hurt. There is a black hole that eats at my inside that I don’t want to hide from you anymore. As if I could hide it anyway though, right? You knew. You know. All along you’ve known. But while part of me runs after you, the other part still wants to keep some things to myself. So I tricked myself into thinking I could hide something from YOU. The almighty creator of everything there ever was or who be, who knows and sees all. And I would tuck it away from you. And it broke me. And I am scarred, and I am wounded, and bleeding, and crying, and scared, and broken, broken, broken. But I know you gave and broke your only Son so that in my brokenness, I could be made beautiful. To you, I am. I am your beautiful child, and you love, and there is nothing I can do that will ever make you love me less. But I feel like you do. I feel like there is no way you can look at me and see the unique creature that you created me to be. But your word tells me that is exactly what happens. I want to feel that. I know it is true deep down in my soul, but I can’t feel it tonight. Tonight I only feel far from you, and I know that it is me who has moved. Not you. You are constant, and unwavering. I am the variable in this equation. I use you when you suit me, and I put you on the shelf when you don’t. I am tired of not listening when you talk. Not acting when you convict. And not showing through my actions, words, and thoughts the man you made me to be. I want to rip this out at its roots and burn it gone. And then I want to walk by your side every day to keep it gone. Please, please, show me how. I’m begging you. I’m crying to you. I don’t cry, don’t you know that?! Please. Hear my cry.

God, please help me.

My thoughts on America

October 27, 2008

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My point is not to try and make you feel the way I feel about these things. These ar just thoughts that have been in my head in the past week, and I wanted to share them. I encourage you to exercise your right to vote for whoever you desire if you choose to do so. I WILL NOT be telling you how I think you should vote, nor will I tell you who I am going to vote for if I decide to. That being said:

 

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to coruption into the freedom of the glory of the childern of God. Romans 8:18-21.

 

I love America. I always have. For a long time my biggest desire was to serve in the Navy, and when that didn’t work out, I really was crushed. I have always supported our troops, and I have several very close friends who are in Afghanistan/Iraq. For a long time I was very for war, and liberating the world. Recently, God has been changing my heart to the point of brokenness and tears. I can no longer support the wars that America is involved in (and started), though I do support and pray for the men and women fighting them. Don’t misunderstand me, I realize that by being born here, I have privileges that an Iraqi child may never have even dreamed of, but does being a great nation, and a world super power mean that we should push our agenda on the world?! The founders of this nation even encouraged us to stay out of the affairs of the world.

 

I do believe that when injustice is being done somewhere, we should take action to fight it; I don’t believe that means military action. I believe we had a responsibility to stop the atrocities being done by Saddam Hussein in Iraq, but I believe we had a responsibility to do it because we put him into power there in the first place. A lot of what is going on, and the dissention against us in the world is our fault due to actions we’ve taken in the world.

 

I read an article recently that inspired me to look into the issue of Nuclear Disarmament. I found that a huge desire of Reagan, that he was even able to bring Gorbachev around to was complete world nuclear disarmament! THIS WAS IN THE 80’s! It blows my mind that we could blow the world to smithereens 30 times over, because everyone feels like they have to protect themselves from the other people that have that ability. The Bible calls us to take care of the world God has entrusted to us, and I feel like this is a part of that. What kind of legacy are we leaving for our children and grandchildren? And if people come to their boiling points, and use their weapons, what condition will we leave the world to them in?! (Visit The Nuclear Security Project, Biblical Security, and these articles: A world free of nuclear weapons, Toward a nuclear-free world)

 

I am frustrated by the political situation in our country. I don’t know if I am going to vote, and I have been praying a lot about it, (and I would strongly encourage you to do the same) and will continue to until the morning of Nov. 4th. The bass-ackwardness of our political system blows my mind. More than that, the way Christians act towards each other in times like this breaks my heart! I am tired of hearing that if I vote for one man I’m not a Christian, and if I vote for the other then I will be ushering in the kingdom of Heaven on Earth. I don’t want to hear about how one man is Antichrist, and the other is Biblically appointed. And I am weary of the talk about one man being the demise of life as we know it, but the other being the man who will set the course for our ‘Great Nation’ for the NEXT 200 years.

 

We are not guaranteed tomorrow. As individuals. Or as a country. (James 4:14)

 

I believe that as Christians, we are called to take a stance on issues. A stance that the Bible says is right. On the other side of that, people have been interpreting the Bible differently since it has been around. The way I read something may lead me to a different conclusion or conviction about something than it will you. There are non-negotiables, like the sanctity of life. But, does being ‘pro-choice’ make you ‘pro-death’? And does supporting stem cell research gel with your claim to be pro-life? Both of these men claim to be followers of Christ. But so do I. So do you. The only people who can know where that person stands in their relationship with, and the eyes of God is that person and God. I want people to stop telling me that one man in of Satan and the other is of God. I want them to let me come to my own convictions just as I’ve allowed them to do. I will debate the issues with a person all day long, because I know that we still have Christ in common, and regardless of how far apart we may feel about something, the love we have in Him will bring us together.

 

I believe that understanding the issues and what the Bible has to say about them is extremely important. Chew on this though: There will probably almost never be on candidate who agrees with everything you think the Bible has to say about all the issues. So how do you compromise? How do you decide what to condone, and what to condem? How do you decide whether to vote for baby deaths, or sending your neighbors baby into battle half a world away?

 

We’re reading through Hosea right now for our Team devo, and the other morning I was doing chapter 2. I had read through it the day before, and again that morning deciding what I wanted to talk about when we gathered, and came up with some things. While I was reading it to the group though, God made some parallels to me. Let me preface this by saying in no way do I believe that America is comparable to Israel in God’s sight, or favor, but we do claim to be a Christian nation. So this is what I started to see: America has whored itself to the world. For oil, for power, for money, for prestige. I don’t claim that this is prophetic in any way shape or form, but if God wants for America to fall from its place of power, nothing I say or do can change that. It will have been written since the beginning of time. In addition to that, the Bible says that no one comes to power that God doesn’t allow to (Romans 13:1). Chew on that for a second.

 

So…how I am I responding to this? In brokenness. My heart has been heavy all week, and last night I realized that this was why. We were sitting around, singing some worship songs, and I was thinking about all of this, and I just began to weep, because I hurt for my nation. For the world, and all the people in it. For how we are effecting the world. How we are affecting (not always for the good) the kingdom with our actions.

 

I am posting this on my Mission Year blog, so go check that out…not for this one, but I have other posts there too. The thoughts and ideas here, are not those of Mission Year or any of their staff, they are my own, so please treat them as such.

 

I gladly anticipate your thoughts and comments, but please refrain from lashing out in anger or frustration at this, or anyone else who decides to comment. If you can’t do that, I will delete your comment.  Also, feel free to e-mail me at stippy87@yahoo.com.

 

Thank so much for your time,

David Stippick

 

 

Post Camp

July 2, 2008

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It’s always great when you’re kids connect with God, and are open to hearing what He has to say to them. I wish I could say that was the case with all of our kids, but it was not. Parts of the week were incredible, and parts of it were absolutely defeating.

Camp overall was great (Student Life @ The Beach…what’s not to love), and we did have some kids who walked away from camp different than they arrived. Greg Matte was good, and Ben Stuart was awesome, if you ever have the opportunity to hear either one of them speak, I suggest you take it. Charlie Hall is an incredible worship leader, and it was amazing as he guided our students to meet with Christ through his gift of music.

Unfortunately, the week was marred by the actions of a few students that honestly, were quite unbelievable. There’s no reason to go into detail, but suffice it to say I think even a veteran youth worker would have been surprised. It was this incident that just crushed my spirit where these students were concerned. They had spent the majority of the week being ‘too cool for school’, slept during worship, didn’t once bring a Bible, and hardly spoke a word during the share time (them not talking isn’t the issue, the issue was that they had not LEARNED anything to share).

I think I just really needed to vent that. Please pray that this can be a growing experience for our students, and our Youth Workers! Have a great day!

Later Days,
DS

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