ECIPLESHIP for Passionate Christ-Followers

Susan and I recently returned home from a 9-day trip to Cameroon. Our goal was to meet 10 of our Converge Worldwide missionaries there, see what their ministries are like, be of encouragement to them, listen and learn. All of these things were accomplished and more. Here’s the “more” part…

We were so blessed by the faithful service of our missionaries in some difficult places, such as:

1. A couple teaching in a seminary in northern Cameroon. In a fairly remote region, with very few modern conveniences, they faithfully train pastors to start and strengthen churches. Learning the culture, dealing with the challenges of the differing leadership motif, and experiencing loss at the complete life-change they’ve endured, they continue to effectively multiply themselves by trainining and sending leaders to grow the Kingdom in Cameroon. I am humbled by their sacrifice and perseverance.
   

   A team of missionaries in remote Cameroon.

2. One couple has been ministering among a very hard to reach Muslim people group — about .01% Christian. With few conversions to speak of, they continue to help the herders in that region be successful in their farming endeavors. They simply love on the people in the name of Jesus as they meet some very real and urgent needs for survival. I am amazed at their unrelenting spirit to press on no matter what.
3. A surgeon and his wife are helping to train surgeons for the Cameroon people — there are so few. While addressing the daunting needs of health care in this African nation, they are multiplying themselves to meet a pressing need among these people — all in the name of Jesus. Their lives are quite simple compared to what a doctor could have in the US, inconvenienced for the sake of Christ. They are the presence of Jesus in a region where Christ desperately needs to be experienced. I’m thankful for their sacrifice and excited about the difference they are making in Cameroon.
4. You don’t often think of a contractor being a missionary, but this one is making a profound impact in Cameroon. His leadership, creativity, hard work, vision and ingenuity have been major ingredients in seeing a small hospital become a national center of health care. His wife is constantly teaching, building relationships with the lost, and loving on people in very practical ways. They remind me of how God’s unique giftings can be used to make a profound impact for God’s glory.
5. 

   On a hike with three doctors in beautiful Cameroon!

   And then there is the hardship post, inhabited by a doctor and his wife who arrived on the scene 13 years ago intending to stay just two years. They’ve taken a small clinic and turned it into a full-fledged hospital in a very needy region of remote Cameroon. They partner with a church planting team there, as well as a Christian radio station that daily spreads the gospel to people who have never heard the Truth before. They are now 75 years old. When asked how long they intend to keep doing this, Doc replied, “If our health holds, 10 to 12 more years.” Is that amazing or what?! I am inspired by their sacrifice, Christ-like love for lost people, and godly leadership which is transforming a region of the world for Christ.

So when we say we came with our agenda, we also left with God’s. Susan and I are humbled, grateful, inspired, challenged, and energized to be in the unique role of leading these amazing servants of Christ. To God be the glory.

Does God expect or intend every believer to have a heart for the world? How about every church?

I just finished a brief study to answer this question. It’s a fair one, by the way. If the answer is “no”, then we can go about our business without much personal concern for the “remotest parts of the earth.” As a Christian or a church, it’s reasonable to query whether or not God expects me (us) to ALL be engaged with global concerns. We know that God “so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son”, but how does that affect us as individuals? How does that affect my church?

I’m unable to give you the nitty gritty details of the full Bible study, so here are a few highlights:

• God is committed that every people group hear the gospel and respond to it (Matthew 24:14)
• Jesus’ final imperative statement accentuates our responsibility to “disciple the ethne’” (the nations). This, by the way, was not only for those standing there when Jesus spoke these words. He knew these few would never reach the remotest parts in their lifetimes. He was thinking of us… (Matthew 28:19)
• John’s future vision reveals that ALL nations will worship the LORD. Want to get in on what He’s doing? (Revelation 15:4)
• God set apart the great apostle Paul to be the catalyst to reaching the Gentiles — all non-Jews. (Romans 11:3; Galatians 2:8) This is a God-priority.

So let me conclude with three brief, but important challenges:

1. Love who God loves.
2. Pursue what God pursues.
3. Receive God’s FULL favor through FULL obedience.

Yes–I’m convinced that intends every believer and every church to be engaged in reaching the world for Jesus.

Now what?

This may not be what you think.

I had something quite unique happen yesterday. I shared with a “person of great influence” what I believed to be a God-arranged opportunity for global impact in another region of the world. I explained what I saw and exprienced, what I believed to be blatant opportunities to bring unreached people groups to Jesus, and how we might strategically see that take place. It wasn’t that there was resistance to my assessment, but neither was there hearty support. In the afternoon, in an all-staff meeting, I gave a report of my trip, what I had seen and experienced, the needs and opportunities I saw, and shared pictures of the wonderful and lost people. And God’s Spirit came down. He just gripped me and impacted pretty much all of us in the room. And had quite an effect on my “person of great influence.” In fact, after the presentation, he said, “I think we’ve all fallen in love with these people today and that God seems to be arranging a divine opportunity.”

The information was the same as earlier. In the second setting, however, the Holy Spirit clearly did a work among us.

• He opened our hearts.
• He helped us to feel what Jesus feels.
• He engaged us to the opportunity at hand.
• He did what no person can do.

The Spirit intercedes. Indeed.

My experiences in India have been unforgettable. I really want to post a few pictures because they tell such amazing stories, but the internet connections out here will not allow it. So, in the mean-time, let me share a few things that I’ve had happen.

• Chelsey, my neice, and I led a training conference for 300 village pastors and their wives near Vizag, India. There was such a hunger to learn, a receptivity to our teaching, and a warm spirit of acceptance. These people are on the front lines of reaching the unreached in India.
• We visited the slums of Kolkata. Our first stop was Mother Theresa’s House where ministry continues on every day. It was inspiring to walk the halls and courtyards, to see the pictures and quotes of Mother Theresa, and to see what continue to happen there. When we came to the children home, we needed to wait out front for 40 minutes or so. While there, homeless children, along with some parents, gathered and engaged us in conversation. In just a few minutes, we were all having the time of our lives. We learned a lot about people in poverty, enjoyed loving on these people, and laughed a lot with them. I have many priceless pictures to share when I get back home. There is something profound that happened in me after spending time with “the least of these.” The dignity of the most lost people in the world is so powerful. In the midst of the most destitute impoversihed people, I experienced Jesus. Truly….
• We were assaulted with the depths of sinfulness and human degradation. We saw people drugged and sleeping on streets and sidewalks, people’s whose clothes were so old and dirty that they were actually falling apart right on their bodies, beggars pleading with every bypasser, and prostitutes awating their next business transaction. In fact, Chelsey spent some time loving on the prostitutes letting them know that they are precious. I was reminded that the devil comes to kill, steal and destroy–and often times succeeds.
• We met with an amazing group of top-notch leaders in Kolkata who are determined to plant churches where churches are most needed.
• I’ve talked with leaders of remote tribes in the Northeast regions of India talking about church planting possibilities, considering ways to get the Bible printed in their languages, and talking about the value of arranging the Jesus film project as a church planting strategy.

These are a few highlights of the last three days. I’ve been overwhelmed with the work God is doing and what opportunities stand before us. I’m asking God to speak clearly so that we will engage with what we should all in God’s perfect timing and best way. One thing I know — God is doing a new thing in India. It’s amazing to see…and unforgettable.

For years as a pastor I preached, taught, and prayed that we Christians would appeal to our culture in a relevant way. I saw a new “version” of that in Thiruvalla, India tonight. At a large gathering of many Christian traditions–protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox, a Catholic  music group played Hindu music put to Chistian lyrics in a gathering always attended by primarily protestants. This is very rare in India, but just another example that God is doing “a new thing” in this amazing land.

I had an interesting conversation with a Bishop over lunch today. He was telling me about his work accross India and the hunger for truth–and for God that He has seen. I asked, “Do you think India is a white harvest field?”

“Oh,yes!” he exclaimed, “something very significant happened 25 years ago. God called a whole new generation of leaders to impact India and they are now in the prime of their ministry influence.” He went on to tell me that everywhere he presents the gospel, people come to faith in Jesus. This is very different from only a few years ago. Another man said that for years he rarely saw someone respond to Jesus. Today, in a group of 20  people, 8 to 10 will give their lives to Jesus. God is doing a new thing in India!

India is not only a white harvest field, but a big field. With 1.2 billion people, it has a sixth of the world’s population in an area one half the size of the U.S. containing some 3000 unreached people groups. Though there are many Christian organizations focusing on India, it is still rated fifth in the world for needing pioneering missionaries.

Jesus said, “Look! The fields are white (ripe) for harvest. Pray to the Lord to send workers into the harvest.” Do you think India deserves our attention? At the very least, it demands our prayers as we seek God’s leading as to what we do with this big white field.

I’ve recently struggled with judging. When I exert judgement on others, I’m taking a position of strength and casting my “superiority” on others. We can often use the phrase “truth-telling” or “honesty” or “transparency” to justify our strong stance or expression of strong feelings. But think about it — what good comes out of judging? There are Christians littering our wake who are tattered and torn by the “honesty” we freely cast on others. Over and over and over. Don’t misunderstand me — there is a right and wrong (and not always what we’ve concluded) and there are rare times when pronouncing judgement is necessary. But we often do that to people sincerely seeking after God who fail to conform to our expectations of what that might look like.

Maybe I’m rambling, so let me simply state it this way — my new conviction today:

• Transparency is a beautiful thing when we reveal our weakness to others. It dispenses God’s amazing grace on those who need it most.
• Transparency is a destructive thing when reveal our “strength” to others. It imprisons people in the bondage of legalism.

I’m always amazed at the ways in which God uses “the weak things of the world to shame the the things that are strong.” God takes our weakness and makes it our greatest strength. We’ve been using the terminology “ministry of weakness” in our missions leadership team recently. All around the world, we see how God is using weak people to do His greatest work.

This principle is true every day in my life, too. God wants to use my weakness, vulnerability, humility, and failures for His glory. He wants to use this weakness to be the strength of my life — so much so that it becomes a lifestyle — a lifestyle of weakness.

FAITHLESSNESS is something I never want to be known for. The first generation of  freed Israelites are characterized as being faithless. Numbers 14:33 states, “…they (your children) will pay for your faithlessness, until the last of you lies dead in the wilderness.”

What did faithlessness look like for the generation of Israelites who chose to turn away from the Promised Land?

• They did not believe that God was good — especially after their Egyptian slavery of 400 years.
• They overlooked the promises God had made to them years before, such as those to Abraham and his descendants, “I will make you a great nation” and “I will give you this land.”
• They were suspect of the miracles God had performed on their behalf (the 10 plagues of Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea, water in the wilderness, etc.).
• They chose to continue life as the victims they were rather than the victors God intended to make them.
• They chose a familiar bondage over an unfamiliar freedom.
• They wouldn’t believe that they could have a life as good as what God told them they would have.
• They lived by human intuition rather than by divine guidance.

As I was jotting down this non-exaustive list, I was humbled by the fact that these “bullet points” are a part of my life way too often. How I long to live every day in the arena of faith rather than faithlessness. After all, “without faith, it is IMPOSSIBLE to please God.”

“In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well… If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously,” Romans 12:6-8.

I’m concerned that there is a misunderstanding about leadership among Christians these days.

• Maybe our cut-throat business culture has tainted the beauty and necessity of leadership in Christ’s church.
• Maybe we’ve mustered up our humility quotient so high that leadership looks carnal.
• Maybe we’ve drifted so far from actually being biblical leaders that we don’t like to face the facts.

Whatever the case, where the leader goes, the church goes, the mission goes, the ministry goes. Almost everything falls on leadership.

Don’t misunderstand what I’m writing — discipleship and servanthood are essential, but biblical leadership only enhances discipleship and servanthood. I have seen this every time, in my experiences. The problem I see so often is that those God has called into roles of leadership fail to develop their leadership potential. By the way, this is what pastors, missionaries, leaders of ministry divisions and Christian organizations must do — lead a movement, an effort, a project. There are many gifted musicians, for instance, that are not playing music because they’ve never decided to become really good at it. So it often is with leadership. I believe that if God has called people to lead, they must lead well (Romans 12:8). That takes focus, intentionality, hard work.

Servanthood and discipleship become listless without leadership. Jesus is a great example. All Christians know about servanthood and discipleship (even though they may not all practice it very well), but very few really “get” leadership.

I am committed to being a growing leader because as the leader goes, so goes the ministry. Investment, intentionality, and hard work in this discipline are required.

“Take the responsibility seriously,” Romans 12:8

The election is over. Whew! It was a long stretch.

Now we can move on and get our focus back on a few other things — some things that are more important than a presidential race. I know, I know — it’s important, we have a Christian responsibility to be vote and be involved in the political process. I believe that so much that our family stood in line for nearly 4 hours just to vote yesterday. Somehow, though, I can’t help but wonder what would happen if we Christians were as passionate for the Kingdom of God as we are for our politicians.

We’ve all heard a lot of overstatements by fellow believers…and may have even stated a few of our own:

• “This is the end of things if this election goes bad.”
• “God will have to apologize to Sodom and Gommorah if he is elected.”
• “This will be God’s judgement on America if he is our president.”

So–in this post-election morning when we awake to our President’s re-election victory–let’s be reminded of a few very important truths:

1. God has been deeply involved in this election. Isaiah 40:21-22 states, “Haven’t you heard? Don’t you understand? Are you deaf to the words of God— the words he gave before the world began? Are you so ignorant? God sits above the circle of the earth. The people below seem like grasshoppers to him!”
2. God knows what He needs to accomplish and how to get it done. Romans 11:33-34 reminds us, “How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways! For who can know the Lord’s thoughts? Who knows enough to give him advice?”
3. Consistently and sincerely pray for our President and other leaders. God calls us ”therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty,” 1 Timothy 2:1-2.
4. Our true hope and ultimate focus must be Jesus. Remember John 16:33? “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

All is well. God is on the throne. We have work to do. Peace, brothers and sisters…

“The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again. But one disaster is enough to overthrow the wicked.” Proverbs 24:16

Resilience is the power or ability to return to the original form or position after being bent, compressed, or stretched. It’s the idea of elasticity.

Resilience is also the ability to recover readily from illness, depression, adversity, or the like. It’s the idea of buoyancy.

Elasticity and buoyancy.

The above Proverb is stating an important truth about godly people: The take a licking and keep on ticking. They may get beaten and bruised, but they never stop. God infuses His children with a supernatural resiliency — they have elasticity and buoyancy that those without God do not have.

The apostle Paul demonstrated this powerfully in Acts 14. When a Jewish-incited riot in Lystra left Paul for dead after a mob stoning, his stunned companions stood around the lifeless figure. The great apostle had breathed his last, they thought. Despair was overtaking their souls. They lingered in shock and unbelief at what had just happened. The unthinkable had become reality. The great missionary was gone.

Almost imperceptibly–a movement on the ground. A finger? A twitch? A shallow breath? An arm moves! A leg seeks traction! The circle of friends move quickly, shocked at this unexpected turn of events–again. They lift the bloodied apostle to his feet as he seems to breath in life again. What a day! This great teacher, so critical to the movement of the early church, has escaped death somehow. The crowd begins to cheer! Paul’s followers stand in awe.

Is this resilience?

Not really. Resilience is most demonstrated in what happens next. Paul turns and faces Lystra. With unmatched determination, unrelenting resolve, and divine courage, he walks back into the very city that had just tried to kill him.

That’s resilience.

This is what God gives His children. It’s a divine gift, a supernatural power, a new thread of DNA for the redeemed.

Child of God, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Yes, we are simply human, “but we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body,” 2 Corinthians 4:7-10.