Tim Harlow

Sometimes I Just Need to Shut Up

Jesus took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray.  As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him.  As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, “Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (He did not know what he was saying.) Luke 9:28-33

I want to make a note that I did not add the parenthetical statement there. That’s in the Bible! I can only imagine that by the time Luke recorded this amazing miracle which happened in the life of the disciples – that many jokes had been told at Peter’s expense.
 
“Hey, you guys remember when Elijah and Moses came down and hung out with Jesus for awhile to talk logistics?” Yeah, that was awesome, they were all so bright and so white – I didn’t know Moses was so tall.”

“Yeah, and remember when Peter said “Uh, hey, let’s make some statue thingies or something – cause this is totally awesome.”  ha ha ha.

And Peter said “Okay, not this story again.”
 
Peter tended to be the guy who opened his big mouth a lot. Telling Jesus he didn’t need to die, etc. To his credit he was also the guy who opened his big mouth with the Great Confession. (Matthew 16:13-16)
 
But what I’m taking from this today – is that sometimes I should just shut up. I know I’m a preacher and everything. But that may be my problem. I never get myself in trouble (or look as stupid) when I keep my mouth shut.
 
As you go on in this passage – it almost looks like God just interrupts Peter’s sleep-induced babbling.
 
While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud.  A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.” Luke 9:34-35

God says “Shut up Peter and listen to Jesus.” (my paraphrase).
 
Really this was just another one of the many miracles that happened to help the disciples believe that Jesus really was the Son of God. But to me this represents what I do – I’m so like Peter.
 
Sometimes God just wants to show up and wants us to shut up. Peter wanted to erect “shelters (tabernacles)” in relation to an Old Testament feast – a representation of God’s deliverance of his people. Kind of like erecting a statue.
 
Peter wanted to DO something for God – nothing wrong with that. But God just wanted him to BE.  
 
Oh brother, I hate it when I preach to myself.
 
Shut up.
 
Tim

Exponential

Welcome to those of you who are finally reading my blog because I griped at you in church this weekend!  Now I’m under pressure because I told you it would be good.

And BTW – I know that 131 people from Switzerland came to our website last month and I still want to hear from you.  Don’t make me yodel – you know I will.

I did hear from Germany on our church's Facebook site – which I didn’t even know we have. (See www.parkviewchurch.com/facebook.) 

“We moved to Germany a little over a year ago and it's been rough finding a church with a youth group for my son, I love watching PV online, and using the small group questions to help teach my son a little more about Christ. I just want to say thank you for all you've done, you're definitely reaching a lot of people, even all the way in Germany.”

I also heard from a guy today who told me he decided to leave his established church and go prepare to plant a church because of something he read on the blog a year ago.

What excites me is that this means the work of God is growing exponentially through this ministry AND I DON’T EVEN KNOW IT.  I don’t really have hardly anything to do with it.

And I talked to a young man today who grew up at Parkview and went to Lutheran seminary and is now planting a church...YES – FOR THE LUTHERANS – up in Palatine.  I’m very proud of you, John.

It’s pretty cool that I talked about the Great Commission this weekend and now I’m at the “Exponential” conference. (http://www.exponentialconference.org/).

The Great Commission (Reach, Raise, and Release) is about the exponential growth of the Kingdom.

I’m here with a bunch of staff, and also the people we plant churches with in the NE (Orchard), and with our own local group (Ignite), and the guys who are planting the church in Salt Lake City.  As well as a lot of larger organizations we also work with to exponentially grow the Kingdom of God.
 
But I was reminded today by one of the speakers that the thing I should really be excited about is the exponential growth of God in MY life.

Sometimes in ministry, it’s easy to get excited about the transforming power of God working in YOUR life and miss the transforming power in my own.  It’s also easy – as I am doing right now – to let the busyness of all the things you want to do to exponentially grow God’s Kingdom drown out what God wants to do in ME.

It’s easy for it to happen.  Francis Chan just told us he has resigned from his church so he can go BE with Jesus.  I’m sure that will be good for him.  But I don’t want to get to that point (again, I’ve done it before).

As I prepare to get on another airplane, I am reminded that in a few minutes the airline personnel are going to give me the speech about the oxygen masks.  The deal is that if you are traveling with kids, you should put your own mask on first.  And then put them on your kids.  Because if you pass out – you aren’t going to do them any good!

Actually the guy on the flight here was funny.  He said, “then pick the kid with the most potential and put their mask on next.

The thing I should be the most excited about is the exponential, transforming power of Jesus in my own life.  Then I’ll pick the ones of you with the most potential and get you some air.

And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:18

Breathing,

Tim

Beautiful Stinky Trees

Have you noticed how beautiful the trees are this spring? It seems early, too. I love the flowering trees. But they smell – don’t they? The Bradford Pears like I have in my back yard are so beautiful, but they smell like wet concrete! Becca thought it was worse than that.

 
I just came back from a beautiful stinky trip.  
 
I don’t have to hide the fact that I hate international travel. I hate national travel. But foreign cultures\currency\cuisine just never compare to home.  
 
And we were in a tough area. Right by the hotel (which was very nice – behind a high fence with barbed wire over it) was a crack house that said “Welcome Gringos.” No kidding.

I’ll tell one story about one of the drug addicts who graduated from the rehab center this weekend. Committed HER first murder at age 9. Her story is beautifully stinky.
 
Sometimes the world smells like a flowering pear tree. But sometimes it also looks like one.

This was our pharmacy department.
  
Crocs in the river – just stinky.
 
My wife – just beautiful!

 
This is the Down Syndrome dance troop – they are just beautiful too.
 
 

This guy was one of the most notorious drug dealers in the area – came in for a free haircut. :)
 
I was reminded of a funny scripture.
 
How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news! Romans 10:13-15

 

Seriiously. I know that some people have a thing for feet, but I’m not one of them. But God says our feet are beautifully stinky – If they are sharing the good news.

This is the view of San Jose, Costa Rica from up on the hill.
 
It’s beautifully stinky.
 
And if you read my previous blog about Liam, the boy who was with us who said it was his 4th best day – I mentioned that there were two younger guys with us. The other one, Ian, decided it was time to get baptized while we were down there.
 
One of the fun things for us to all think about, with Becca, and Liam, and Ian there, was the fact that what we were doing today will carry on with the next generation.
  
Beautifully stinky.
 
Tim

Easter and the 4th Best Day of a Nine Year Old's Life in the Slums of Costa Rica

First of all – almost 10,000 people came through the doors for Easter at Parkview’s nine services in Orland and Lockport. CRAZY GREAT STUFF.  And the way it all balanced out was amazing.  At Orland, the lowest attendance in a service was 1000 and the highest was 1800. All of them balanced out so very well. We had room for a few more, but not many. God just showed that he is able to do “immeasurably more” again. I’m so grateful to our staff and volunteers who pulled the whole thing off.
 
So then a team of 32 of us from Parkview came down Tuesday to our Mission in San Jose, Costa Rica. As always – flying through Miami is the closest thing to Hell as we know it, and our plane was grounded, yada, yada (seriously, has anyone ever flown through Miami and not had a problem?) But we made it.

 

The team is mostly comprised of medical personnel. I do have a doctorate, but I have to admit it’s the first time I’ve ever worn scrubs. We have doctors, nurses, an optometrist, dental people, and pt – quite a team to handle the throng of mostly moms and little kids that come to the feeding center.

 

When I say that we’re in Costa Rica, most people roll their eyes and say, “Oh, must be rough to do missions in Costa Rica.” But it’s really just like any other town – Chicago included. We live in the nice part, and other people don’t. This is the “don’t” part of a still underdeveloped Latin American Country. This church and ministry are amazing. They do so much for so many. The people we see here have absolutely nothing. They are a small step above those in the slums of Africa, but it’s a small step.

 
And it’s hot here – hotter than my comparison to the Miami airport. It’s the hottest time of the year, and we’re in what most of you would describe as a chicken coup.

 
But for some unexplainable reason – it’s the time of our lives.  Liam is nine. 
 

He’s one of the doctor’s sons who came with us. During lunch I asked him how he was doing. He said this was the 4th best day of his life! I said “Really, what were the first three?”  He said, “Disney, and two cruises.”
 
If you could see where we are – it is the farthest thing from Disney or the Norwegian Star – you’ve ever seen. Why is it his 4th best day? Better than all the other days of fun and vacation and beach and whatever. Why? Because he’s helping people. Jesus said,

 

If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. John 15: 10-12
 
Everyone reading this needs to understand how important it is to serve. It could be the 4th best day of your life. Even if it’s hotter than the Miami airport and even if you’re tired and you’re eating rice and beans. Because something in us was made to love someone else.

Get on a trip!

  
   
While I’m down here, the mafia guy and his wife are speaking at Parkview.  Michael and Cammy Franzese. You won’t want to miss it; we’ll have a record crowd so get there early.
 
And please be praying for Bill Brown’s dad, he had delicate surgery yesterday and needs our prayers.
 
I don’t know if it’s my 4th best day – but it’s a good one.

Make your's good.
 
See you when I get back.

 
Tim

There He Isn't

Jill Briscoe (in her book “It Had to Be a Monday”) writes about the death of a Christian friend. She says that during the funeral visitation the deceased man’s wife and sister stood by the casket greeting people.  The sister kept motioning to her brother’s body saying to each person who came to greet her, “there he is” –“there he is.” After sometime, the wife could stand it no longer and finally said to her sister-in-law, “If I believed--“there he is”…I would be miserable.”  Then she added, “Do you know what enables me to get through this day?…it’s that I know “there he isn’t.’”  

You know she’s right.  The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 5:8 - To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.

I’m so excited for this weekend.  We had a dry run last night and all the bugs are worked out.  The message is almost done and I’m very excited to see God show up in a mighty way.

I want you to be praying for all of those involved in the services.  Satan doesn’t want this to happen.  Pray for the people who are going to come up with last minute excuses not to come.  Pray for your friends and family (and don’t forget to invite them).

Did you hear that we had another 46 baptisms last weekend – just impromptu?  Just listening to the Holy Spirit.  It was awesome.  Imagine what God is going to do this weekend.  We won’t know – because it will be happening in hearts – but this is the big one.

I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms.  Ephesians 1:18-20

Tim