Difference-Makers in a Crowded World
Dave Faust
Sin is a devastating problem even if you live alone in the wilderness. But what happens when millions of sinners crowd together in one ugly space?
King David saw what could happen. He said, "Destructive forces are at work in the city; threats and lies never leave its streets" (Psalm 55:11). Maybe that's why many Christians have simply abandoned the cities, concluding that urban problems are unsolvable and urban people unreachable.
The apostle Paul wasn't so pessimistic. He was eager to preach the gospel in the big cities of his day. His missionary journeys took him strategically to the great urban centers of the first-century world: Jerusalem, Antioch, Athens, Rome. When Paul set up an outpost for the gospel in corrupt, crowded Corinth, the Lord told him, "I am with you, and . . . I have many people in this city" (Acts 18:9, 10).
Like bright streetlights in dark alleys, today Christians are making a positive difference in cities all over the world. They gather for home Bible studies in Beijing, Calcutta, and Buenos Aires. They sing God's praises in London and Bangkok. They meet for early-morning prayer in Seoul. They feed the hungry in Port au Prince, lead youth programs in Los Angeles, and visit the sick in New York.
You and I can make a difference in the cities, too. Is God leading you to move to an urban neighborhood, or to support an urban ministry or a church-planting venture in a nearby city? Could your rural or suburban church partner with an urban congregation to build God's kingdom? We need to keep praying for the cities, for the best kind of urban renewal is the kind that renews the heart.
This column first appeared in The Lookout on Oct 29, 2000.
Despite Their Fear
The Jewish people were scared. You and I would have been, too. They faced months and possibly years of difficult labor. Hostile tribes nearby were threatening to kill them. Their leaders faced criticism and political distractions. God wanted them to build an altar and offer sacrifices, but how could they build something positive to honor God when so many problems distracted and endangered them? Ezra 3:3 says, "Despite their fear of the peoples around them, they built the altar on its foundation and sacrificed burnt offerings on it to the Lord, both the morning and evening sacrifices."
Discerning God's Leading
The day I proposed marriage to Candy was one of the worst days of my life—*before* I proposed! We were in college then, and we were scheduled to go out to dinner that evening. During the afternoon I walked into a field behind my dorm, sat down on a rock, and prayed, feeling terrified by the commitment I was about to make.