Posted in College by Nate Chaplin on 1/27/2012
I'm a big fan of theories. I love sitting around and chatting with friends about what Heaven might be like, what the future may hold for technology, how we would raise our children and what we would do to ensure their future as Godly people, social theory, and even occasionally the theory of relativity. And I love the self-discovery that comes with discussing things in the "what if" format. Of course these discussions rarely lead to any real action; we don't solve world hunger, we don't discover the secrets of infinite Heaven, we don't invent new computer technology, and I have yet to raise Godly children. But that's what makes theory so much fun: you don't really have to do anything.
I was having an interesting conversation with my friend Amanda Cairney the other day and, by way of attention deficit issues, we ended up on the topic of the rich young ruler in Matthew 19 (also in Mark 10 and Luke 18). Kid asks Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life, Jesus tells him he must keep the commandments, the kid says he has from his youth (which he may not be very far out of) and asks what he still lacks. "Jesus answered, 'If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.'" Now, in theory, Jesus is telling us to give away all our possessions, but in practice, He just doesn't want us to get attached to our stuff, right? He just means that we should get to a place spiritually where we could, in theory, give everything away; but being in theory only, we don't really have to do anything. That is sure a lot nicer than giving up all my shoes and clothes and movies and music and lamps and beds and everything else and go follow Jesus and preach the Word with only the clothes on my back. Who wants that? Yuk.
I feel that all too often, we try to live our Christian lives "in theory." I follow the Great Commission, in theory. I love my neighbor, in theory. I pray for the saints daily, in theory. I could go on, but you get the idea. But there's a problem with that. Remember James chapter two when he said that faith without works is dead? Likewise, theory without practice is worthless. What if Jesus only became a man in theory? What if He only healed people in theory? What if He only died in theory? I mean, He was fully spiritually ready to do so, but that's what really counted. What if He only paid for your sins in theory? A lot of good that would do you. "In theory" does not have any impact on real life. Without practice, it is worthless.
So what did Jesus mean when He told the rich young ruler that? Was He telling all Christians everywhere to sell everything and follow Him. Well, in theory (HAHA! I couldn't resist!), it was said to the ruler in the context of His situation. Does that mean no one else needs to? I doubt it. The fact that it is in scripture tells us that He wanted someone to hear it. Was it for you? I don't know and I can't say, but this I do promise you: something He said was for you. Of all the 66 books, I personally guarantee that there is something He is saying to you directly. When you find it, don't just talk about it in theory, but put it into practice as well.
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Posted in College by Nate Chaplin on 1/1/2012
Wow. It's been a while since I have blogged on here. The deep contemplative has given way to the daily grind. Funny how that happens. Daily studies for school leave little time for blogging and with no recent missions adventures (however one would define that), I have thought little of this site lately.
I remember a point that was made at World Race final debrief about how it can be hard for Racers to go back to an ordinary desk job kind of life. For nearly a year (and over a year counting winding up and winding down), our life was a constant exciting and intimidating adventure full of uncertainty. We never knew just what tomorrow would bring. And though none of us ever really do, we have a more detailed forecast in our structure lives of routine; we can anticipate meetings and tests and holidays and deadlines and harvests and..... etc.
On the Race, we knew in about a month, we'd be leaving that place and heading to a new one. We were forced to take it one day/week/maximum month at a time. At home, we get to think farther ahead, only without a change in scenery. And I don't just mean the views; each month we would experience a different language, culture, ministry, team dynamic, etc. We got used to constant change and adjustment. And I can say as an alumni of over two years now, it's a tough transition. I still feel the urge to travel or rearrange or overall change something every month. It has been uncomfortable for me to sit in a classroom or sit at my desk all the time and study and that being my current service to the Kingdom. Enjoying the course material has helped me greatly, but I still feel, in a way, useless.
But I am not. Boring as it may be to me, God has me where He wants me and He is doing great things, not only in me, but also through me. And that is the point. It is very easy to serve when it suits your personal fancy (for me: travel, risk, and adventure), but we are to serve whole-heartedly even when it doesn't. And God still uses us in those uncomfortable places. I would still prefer to be halfway around the world in awful living conditions, but He has me here. You may prefer to be in the place you are at, but He may be calling you to someplace icky (to you).
Serve God wherever you are, and go wherever He sends you. Remember, He is greatly concerned for your spiritual health; it is your comfort He has little concern for. (Concern is totally the wrong word, but my English vocabulary has been elusive lately, so there it is :)
Serve God. Carry your cross. Win souls.
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Posted in College by Nate Chaplin on 9/9/2010
There is nothing like a barrage of
pictures to generate nostalgia. As you flip (or click) through a
photo album of your childhood years you are bombarded with memories.
You laugh at stories you have not remembered in years, experience the
love of a friendship long expired, and relive the adventures that
seemed quite ordinary at the time. Sometimes, you begin to think of
how things could have been; how you wish they would have been; how
they really might have been if only you had... or hadn't...
I would venture to say that most people
have experienced or still experience regret. For most of us, it pops
it's head up every now and again to tell us we are stupid or
worthless. It tells us we are to blame for our unhappiness or that
of another. "You messed everything up," it says. It will sell
us a general lack of hope due to our mistakes. "Well now you've
done it. They'll never respect you again." For some people, this
regret is so strong, it goes so far as labeling them "irredeemable".
"How could God ever love you after all you've done?" What a sad
existence. What an unnecessary weight we choose to bear. But many
of us choose it at one level or another.
When a father is teaching his son to
ride a bicycle, he already knows, in all his wisdom, that somewhere
in the process, his son will fall. And when the inevitable occurs,
how does he look at his son? Does he look at him with disgust,
saying "You're pathetic. You're worthless. You will never learn
how to ride a bike. You are hopeless. Irredeemable."
No, he does not. He looks down, perhaps with a tear in his eye,
and says "Come on. Let's get you back up on that bike and try it
again."
Friends, our Father does not see us as
failures, disappointments, or even sinners. The New Testament
repeatedly refers the Body of Christ as saints. Not sinners who
follow Jesus. Saints that sometimes sin. Isaiah says that he sees
our righteousdeeds
as filthy rags. But he sees us as though we were Christ himself.
Why not? After all, we are covered in His blood.
We
serve a big God. I have not seen any failure yet that He cannot
redeem. You are not worthless. You are a saint. So next time you
think of how things could have been, just remember the best is yet to
come.
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Posted in Kenya by Nate Chaplin on 8/8/2010
While still at training camp, the 16 students were assigned to 2 separate tables for meal time (due to the fact that they were simply too big for one table). For the first day or two they sat at their two little tables in two little groups. The communal food was always in short passing distance. They had all kinds of space and personal room, but they were physically divided. They asked us why they had to sit separate from the others. They really didn't like the fact that they were divided and couldn't talk to everyone at once. So, by day two's supper, they moved the two tables together and made one big table with 16 chairs crammed around it. They were now elbow to elbow and knee to knee, but they were one. Uncomfortable, but one.
While in Kenya, we were able to visit and do ministry in Kibera, Africa's largest slum. It is just over one square mile in area, and is home to just shy of one million people. Just being there was almost more than a person could process in any short time frame. Overwhelming might be a good word for it. For a while, Traday (my co-leader) and I stood at the edge of a small bluff overlooking Kibera, and just watched. The government was building a series of large, modern apartment buildings on the outer edges of Kibera
and offering them to the residents for only 200 extra shillings (equivalent to $2.50) per month than what they were paying in the slum. But they weren't taking it. They were declining the offer to upgrade from a 1 ten-foot-square room, no plumbing, no electric, no door shack made of corrugated tin and mud bricks to a 2 bedroom apartment with the works and even a locking door for only $2.50 more a month. Why? Traday and I pondered this question for some time.
We finally asked one of our Kenyan friends and translators and they told us that they just didn't mind their poverty enough to leave their friends and neighbors they'd lived with their whole life. Wow. Just like the kids at training camp, they ultimately chose community over comfort and even security. When I am at home, I will choose YouTube over community. How ridiculous is that? We are comfortably separate and they are uncomfortably one. We trade community for comfort and they trade comfort for community. Which do you think is more beautiful in God's sight?
I've been learning lately that community is an essential element in Christianity. He wants us to be one as he and his father are one. Although not completely, locks and couches seem to hinder our desire for and participation in community. If your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. If your lock causes you to sin, tear it out. And if your couch causes you to sin, throw it out and get patio furniture. Just saying.
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Posted in Mission Trip Thoughts by Nate Chaplin on 7/3/2010
There has been a topic of philosophy that has been slowly forming in my Spiritual walk for some time now. I have posted many blogs around the topic, but none have found completion in its goal. I now feel that I have collected enough puzzle pieces (and assembled enough) that I am now ready to begin writing it. However this may take some time to get right. So this is a preview of coming attractions. I cannot promise when this will be completed, but for now I would like you to meditate on this C.S. Lewis quote for preparation. See you on the other side.
"If we insist on keeping Hell (or even earth) we shall not see Heaven: if
we accept Heaven we shall not be able to retain even the smallest and
most intimate souvenirs of Hell. I believe, to be sure, that any man who
reaches Heaven will find that what he abandoned (even in plucking out
his right eye) was precisely nothing: that the kernel of what he was
really seeking even in his most depraved wishes will be there, beyond
expectation, waiting for him in "the High Countries." In that sense it
will be true for those who have complete the journey (and for no others)
to say that good is everything and Heaven everywhere. But we, at this
end of the road, must not try to anticipate that retrospective vision.
If we do, we are likely to embrace the false and disastrous converse and
fancy that everything is good and everywhere is Heaven." -The Great Divorce
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Posted in Kenya by Nate Chaplin on 6/25/2010
Some of you may remember my stories from the last time I was in Africa about the thick, tasteless, ground cornmeal blob that was called shima. Well guess what, it's not just in southern Africa; it is here in Kenya aswell! And the Kenyans have not changed the recipe. It is still just as thick (like a bowl of oatmeal left out all day), just as tasteless (I'm pretty sure rocks have more zing), and just as common. And here they call it ugali (pronounced oo golly). When the kids were first served it, they said "hey, that looks interesting" and then they tried it... and asked if they could put it back! Then I told them to suck it up and they went and got straws. Okay, okay. I made up that last line, but you get the picture. The stuff is nasty without even tasting bad. But the locals eat it all the time because they have been raised on it and they dont know it could have flavor. But you know what, ignorance is bliss.
I remember when I first truly laid down my life and plans and dreams about two and a half years ago. I had a good job, I was renting a good house, and I was going to a good church. I was serving as a Sunday School teacher and an usher at church and I had plans of getting married and having 3.5 kids and 2.3 cars. I would then go about my average, successful, American, Christian life. And then God happened. He told me to put my job and Sunday School on hold and go on the World Race. But I didn't want to. Sure it was very adventurous and was a once in a lifetime opportunity, but I loved my Sunday School kids and the job market situation was getting serious. If I left for a year, they would probably not want me back. But as you can tell by the website you are now on, I did it anyway.
And so with some aprehension and a little more faith, I embarked on a one year journey that flipped my world upside down. When I got back, I had been laid off and told by God that I was to train to be a preacher. So I enrolled in Bible college in Missouri and at the end of the semester, AIM calls me up and asked me to lead a group of young college aged kids to Kenya for two months this summer. Once again, I had other plans. I was going to get a full time job to help pay for my next semester of college, start up Sunday School again, be a church camp councelor, go to a couple weddings, mentor a few youth in my church, and just live a normal, passionate, responsible, American, Christian life. Then God happened.
And this trip has continued to turn my world upsidedown. And at this point, I can't even remember with any detail what my life was supposed to be like. I was thinking the other day, that if God were to speak to me today and tell me I've done well and done his will for my life and that I was now free to live my dream life however I wanted and he would bless it, how would I respond? As sure as the Lord lives, I would lose all motivation and drive and slip into depression and possibly even ponder suicide. If I am not living for the active will of God, I would not know what to do with my life. There would be no purpose. Eat, drink, and be merry?! Is that all this world has for me?
I once was content with the ugali life. In my ignorance, I was blissful. Then I tasted what God has for me. And now, if I were to go back to the ugali life, I would simply ask, "can I put it back?" Americans are raised on ugali life. Eat steak, drink Coke, watch HDTV, and be merry. It is not bad for you so much as it is simply bland. There is no zing. But we don't know that there could be better. For the most part, we don't know that the grass is really greener when you don't own it. An old proverb says that a ship that stays in the harbor will always be safe, but that's not what ships were made for.
I am not questioning anyone's lifestyle. Only you can know what His will is for your life. But I know if you are not pursuing the active will of God for your life, your missing out. God's food costs a little more, but the reward is beyond compare. Don't settle for the ugali life. It does not truly satisfy.
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Posted in College by Nate Chaplin on 6/24/2010
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that does the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.Matthew 7:21-23
Today we did some destruction work at an old abandoned church in a Masai village (suburb of Nairobi) getting ready to rebuild it. After we got done with our yard work, we went to the local market area to do some one on one evangelism with the Masai people. Through translators we were able to talk to them in groups of 2 or 3 of us to 1 to 3 of them. We were surprised that many people said they knew Jesus. But they did not seem to have any evidence of Jesus in their lives. Although there are many churches in that area, no one seemed to have any grasp on Jesus beyond the cross.
This is a common result of any area that has had a good deal of 5 minute evangelism. They tell them the basics, but there is no follow up and no charge to change. They are told something like:
Do you know Jesus? Do you know that Jesus died for your sins a long time ago and if you confess to him and put your faith in him and ask him into your heart you will be saved? Will you love Jesus?
Pardon my saying, but what a load of crap! Talk about full of holes. "Jesus?.... sin?... put my faith in him?... into my heart?... WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!" In our zeal to get a yes, we hit all the important points but skip all the supporting points. Nothing of the law, the son of God, prayer, Hell, Heaven, or repentance. This is a mild exaggeration of coarse, but only mild. If we go around doing this to everyone we want to "save", there will be many who cry out "Lord, Lord, they told me I was saved."
If we are going to spread the Truth, lets spread the whole truth. Let's not make 5 minute converts, let's make 3 year disciples. Let's invest some time and effort in them. They are worth it.
The great commission says to make disciples of all nations, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded them. Let us teach them of righteousness and grace, not grace and grace.
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Posted in Kenya by Nate Chaplin on 6/14/2010
Yay! Here we are in Kenya. Traday and I have all our little ducks in a row and singing "How He Loves Us". The Lord has definitely worked wonders in keeping our heads above water. Neither of us have lead before, but everything is working out well for us. We had a lot of favor in the airports with Ethiopian Air not weighing our carry on bags and no delays or anything. And we even got our Visas at half price. And when we get here, God surprises us with beds in a hostel instead of sleeping in tents! The Lord is with us. We have begun ministry in a couple of slum areas (schools, door to door, etc) and the kids are pumped. They have already had 7 converts! And it is not even Malaria season right now, so the blessings are stacked. Thankyou all for the prayers and support. I hope to have a little deeper blog next time, but for now, that's the update. Love to all. Grace and peace.
God is good!
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Posted in Mission Trip Thoughts by Nate Chaplin on 6/1/2010
"In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life. It goes on." Robert Frost
Here I sit in the Adventures In Missions headquarters in Gainseville, GA getting ready for Real Life training camp for my Kenya trip. Over the last few days, I have observed that the most common question people ask before a big trip is "Are you ready?" Does anyone ever have an answer for that? Better yet, why does it matter? Even if I wasn't, I would still leave at the same time. My godly friend, Scott Johnson, noted the other day that no matter your gifting or handicap, wealth or poverty, importance or insignificance, time ticks by at the exact same speed. No one can bribe it. No one can appeal to it. No one can intimidate it. It is constantly and totally unbiased. We have no control over it.
In my observations of going-away-conversing, I have also noticed that the most common statement is "Have a safe trip." Not like anyone plans to have a trip full of danger and injury. Actually, some people may. Regardless, even if you do all you can, how much control do you really have over your safety? Just like time, life and death comes at everyone without bias or mercy. Once again, no control. And what would happen if I were to be greatly injured or even die? What happens when the unexpected happens? In three words: It goes on.
I was recently asked by a friend how I was able to spend 11 months away from home and comfort engulfed in surrender. I responded, "How does anyone cope with life?" Life happens and it always goes on. Neither the world nor time stop for anyone. How does a widow cope with the loss of a soul mate? They just do. It would certainly be nice if time would pause to give them time to process and heal, but it doesn't. It just goes on. It would be nice if life waited for me to be "ready" to lead a group to Kenya, but it won't. Ready or not, here I go. Ready or not, here it comes, full speed, unrelenting, and unstoppable. Ready or not, it always comes. And Christ is always there to bear the unbearable, live the unlivable, and control all that we cannot.
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Posted in College by Nate Chaplin on 3/24/2010
When I was a kid, I never could understand going to the doctor. You are supposed to go to the doctor so he will make you feel better, yet almost everytime mom would take me to the doctor, he would end up poking me with a needle right in the tush! Now, maybe it was just me, but getting poked by a needle in the tush did not exactly make me feel dandy. In fact it hurt. I hated getting shots. It even left some emotional scar tissue. To this day, I tense up when I smell rubbing alcohol, illogically affraid that I was about to get poked by a needle. I did not get how that was supposed to make me feel better, so I despised going to the doctor. However, what I did not realize is that those little pokes kept me healthy, and would leave me worse off, should I reject the injection.
Have you ever done that with the Bible. You dive right in, having heard that it was a good book filled with love and butterflies and cute furry animals, but when you read it, you get a shot in the tush! And then you say one of two things: either you say "I don't like reading the Bible, it hurts my feelings," or you say "I don't think that is what God really meant, because the Bible is a feel good book, so I'm going to skip right over shots." Both are highly dangerous and damaging to our growth in Christ.
The first is how so many people become atheists. In general, they have this thought going in that God is a big teddy bear that just wants to hug us and want us to always be happy. And as soon as they read something offensive in the word, or have some "bad" thing happen in their life, they conclude that God is not some fluffy teddy bear, but really some big kid burning ants like us with a magnifying glass. And they, obviously, decide not to get on his good side :) Why would they want to? They don't want another shot in the tush. That hurts (mainly our pride, but that's a whole other blog). What they don't realize is that if they refuse to get these shots from the word, they will ultimately end up in a much worse pain. When the Bible says God will always protect us from harm, it sometimes includes shots, because it protects from a much bigger harm.
On the flip side, what if that person just decides to just skip those and read only the warm and fuzzy, teddy bear parts? This happens far more often than you may think. Have you ever gone hunting in scripture to find that one verse that proves that baptism means this or that? Once you find that verse, do you leave well enough alone and say that's enough proof for anyone? Funny, we scream out "BIAS!" when scientists do that to "prove" evolution. Do you do the same thing? The Bible seldom only speaks on a topic once. Find ALL the verses on that topic and lay em out. Look up context. Look up Hebrew or Greek meaning. Look up something, but don't just stop with one cliche verse and say you've solved it. What about when you accidentally find a verse that challenges that little belief you have? Do you just say "Well, God didn't really mean that, because, see, my pastor says that its this other way." WHO DO YOU SERVE?! Do you really serve God and bow to his absolute authority, or do you serve your own agenda of comfort or "wisdom"? As proclaimers of Christ, we should NEVER discard ANYTHING the Bible says. If it seems to collide with something else you've read or been taught, study it. Like I said before, look some stuff up. Make sure you read the context of scripture and study context of the culture. But don't just pass it by. That is hypocrisy. Purposely denying a piece of text because you don't agree with it after proclaiming Christ's lordship in your life.
Are you ready to be offended by scripture? Because it probably will. Are you ready to take the shot and soak up the medicine?
Thank you mom for putting me in the path of a little pain to keep me healthy. And thank you daddy for loving me enough to send me through trials, tribulations, and tough, offensive passages that don't quit. I am healthier for it. Blessed be your name! Amen.
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