Christianity: What Not To Wear

Nose rings, cup holders in our lips, tattoos, ties or a tattoo of a tie? Not long ago I had a conversation with a friend about Christians who have piercings and tattoos, and it seems that for some this theological question is the biggest thing on the heart and mind of God. Of course we were talking about young people and not our grandparents. What should church policy be on these issues?

Believe it or not I had faced the same theological dilemma over 30 years ago at my first baptism. (I have been baptized 3 times, but that is a hitherto unpublished post) My pastor at that time was a very godly preacher, but his short sleeved shirt on baptism day revealed a tattoo of a woman in a bathing suit dated to the 1940’s. He got it I think in the Navy during WW2. As a newborn 10 year old theologian I was shocked but have gotten over it. He went to be with the Lord last year, and he had a great influence on my life. It turned out that he was able to be a pastor and a Christian with that tattoo after all.

As a somewhat progressive church planter I am willing to try almost anything to reach the lost. I dislike ties except on formal occasions, and I have no desire or need to get a tattoo unless it is my phone number which I can never remember. I reach gothic kids now and try to dress a little cooler, but there is no need to dye my hair black unless it starts to turn gray. I considered wearing a spiked collar to fit in with the Goths, but at my age it might be misconstrued for the aberration of a more dominant lifestyle. I try to be myself, but I know others who for the right reasons are a little more progressive than I am. I lose no sleep over this.

From a cultural perspective the question of what to wear and what not to wear can be complex, but from a biblical context it is simple. All women in the US have seen the show What Not to Wear, and if you are a married man you have also been forced to watch it. Some poor soul is submitted to this show by his or her friends and family who think that they could use a change. Their unique daily dress & grooming styles or lack thereof are secretly filmed for a few days, and they are then presented with the evidence and an opportunity to change. BUT, they must get rid of the old, and some people religiously hold on to 20 year old styles, mullets and the like. It sounds like a few archaic church styles that I know of.

The concept of this show is not new. The spiritual version can be found in God’s Word:

What to take off: Eph 4:25-29

• Take off worldliness
• Take off selfishness
• Take off bitterness, unforgiveness, etc. 2 Tim 3:1-4
• Take off a religious spirit. 2 Tim 3:5

What to put on: Rom 13:12

• Put on the new self. Of course this means to take off the old self. Col 3:1-7
• The armor of God. This is a big one, but I would like to emphasize the footwear here. Eph 6:10-20
• Put on the Lord Jesus Christ. This means to look like Jesus and not like us. Rom 13:10-14
• Put on love. Of course, a lot has to be removed to put this on.

Ultimately, God is concerned with the style of the heart and not the style of the clothing, hair or what part of our face we hang our dad’s extra fishing tackle. It is the heart that ultimately shows our life’s purpose or who is at the center of our lives. A heart that is properly clothed and focused on the will of the right person, namely Jesus, is prepared to be what Paul stated:

…I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some. 1 Cor 9:22

What determines your personal style, Kingdom purpose or just personal expression? The two sometimes line up but sometimes don’t.

For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Gal 3:27-28

Resolute Action

In the swarm of a million possible self-help New Year’s resolutions I have tried to boil things down to just one that will make a difference in this world. A 20 minute extended baptism – also known as drowning – would have sent me straight to heaven and solved many of life’s problems, but there must be a reason that God wanted me to hang around this earth a few more years. The reason to stay is not to eat less, lose weight, make more, acquire more stuff, run faster, live longer, etc.

The goal is to reach people. My last post was a link to a Youtube video about why we should witness, and it was presented by an atheist. Since then I have continued our outreach activities but with a renewed urgency because I cannot escape the seriousness of Jesus’ command to make disciples.

I am a very shy person when it comes to witnessing, and that is because I don’t really like confrontation. However, this year I am resolute about one thing. I will confront many with whom I have been building friendships. I will do this in love, and some if not all will initially be offended or think I am a nut. There is no way around this though. I will just have to do it. If I don’t do this certain people might never be saved, but if I do it some and maybe many will be saved.

In order to accomplish this one thing I will also have to eat less, lose weight, make more, give more, have more strength, pray more, study God’s word more, be a better husband and dad, etc. This is a life built around a purpose, and that purpose is the advancement of God’s kingdom.

The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who is wise wins souls.
Prov 11:30

A Rebuke from the Lost

I am rarely as moved as I was when I listened to the Youtube link on Ed Stetzer’s blog site. It is a video clip from Penn who is one half of the magic-comedy duo Penn & Teller.

Penn is a rather strong atheist to say the least, but he has some rather surprising things to say about the heart of an evangelist. He actually appreciates it, and the words of an atheist in this case contain much valuable instruction.

In other news President-elect Obama has selected Rick Warren to lead the convocation at his inauguration. Liberals are shocked, and I think a few conservatives are as well. Why would Obama make such a move? Is it simply political? I think one reason is that honor begets honor. Rick held a very balanced civil forum between the two candidates at his church, so Obama might have just picked him for being a nice Christian.

See what Penn has to say about nice Christians in Ed’s Post: Prophetic Words from Penn

Doobie Brothers & Evangelism

One of the most puzzling questions in my mind has always been, “Where did the attractional model of evangelism come from?” It you are not familiar with this it basically means that a particular church has a particular worship or cultural expression that makes non Christians get up early Sunday morning, drop what they are doing and go to church.

As for me I have always wanted to put nails on the road in front of the church and then offer free tire repair as an attractional method. However, there may be a few ethical problems with this approach.

Of course I am all for churches trying to remove those things that make it unnecessarily unattractive such as archaic styles, but is it reasonable or even biblical to expect that the main method of evangelism is to get people to church?

When I was a new Christian there was a great expectation and hope that if we as a church were to return to our origins as found in the Book of Acts then the world would hear the commotion, come and check us out and then fall to their knees. Revival would then ensue. After all, isn’t that what happened in Acts 2 when the church was filled with the Holy Spirit for the first time? Many people came as a result of this, Peter preached his famous message and 3000 people were saved that day. Now that is something to write about!

Well, let’s do some math here. There were 120 Christians praying in the upper room of a house, and God showed up in great power. Then we read that this move of God attracted a lot of people, but it is unclear how many people or where they gathered. Next there is a debate among the nonbelievers as to what just happened – how did they get in the upper room? Then Peter makes his move with a powerful message.

I firmly believe that God used Noah to carry pairs and sevens of all animal life on the Ark, but I do not see how the first church fit over 3000 people in the upper room. I don’t even believe that Peter preached from the window. At some moment on this great day I believe that Peter took the discourse to the streets or to the community, and this is where the church often falls short in its understanding of evangelism.

We may indeed experience great moves of God within our insulated Christian communities, but does the result of these experiences ever make it to the streets? I fear that the answer is very seldom.

The real attractional model is to go to where the people are and shine: the streets, the community, the workplace, the university. Don't let the church building become a basket.

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. Matt 5:14-16

Here I Am, Send Me!

In June of 1993 I experienced a sound that to this day I have not forgotten. I did not simply hear it, but I actually experienced it. The sound was the whizzing of an electric motor followed by a kerplunk. It was the sound of the landing gear closing on the plane as we left Raleigh, NC on our way to start a church in Lviv, Ukraine. I had quit my job a few months earlier, and the sound of the landing gear closing was like a giant umbilical cord being severed. All that was safe and secure was cut off, and our future was literally in the air. We were being shot from a cannon, and since we were some of the original missionaries at that time the net on the receiving end was not yet in place. The method of sending in those days was “Ready, Shoot, Aim”, and I felt ill-prepared for the task ahead.

Every missionary has their own version of this story, and I was reminded of our story just recently after I returned from a missionary pastors’ retreat in Warsaw, Poland. One of the common themes discussed was the lack of people who were willing to go to the mission field. “How could we generate more interest?” was my constant thought. The harvest was fruitful in many places, so how could we promote the need? Is there a better way to do this? What can possibly motivate someone to rip themselves up from their roots and choose such a path? The answer was elusive until I recollected how I was originally motivated towards missions.

I honestly would not have picked myself for a mission team in those days, and I often felt like a football player whose position was third-string bench. When all the other players were injured the coach would probably look in the bleachers for replacements before sending me in the game.

Still, I was the one that went, and this is the case with most missionaries. The secret of what motivated us is not found in methods and slick presentations, but it is found in God. We are ordinary people with ordinary giftings who simply had an extraordinary encounter with God. Something had gripped us to such a degree we could not let it go.

Isaiah was a man of God and a prophet, and something quite profound happened to him that I consider to be the motivation and basis of all true mission endeavors. The first thing was that he saw God, and he saw Him in all His glory. Heaven opened and shook beneeth his feet as the praises of God and of His holiness proceeded forth from all the angels. This scene struck the prophet: “Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.” Is 6:5

Isaiah was acutely aware of his spiritual condition, and he was also aware that not only was he polluted by sin, but the whole nation did not stand a chance before the holiness of God. In much the same way all true missionaries are acutely aware that they live in a world that is under the judgment of God. The renowned missionary Hudson Taylor even published statistics of how many thousands of Chinese entered a godless eternity every day, and this motivated him and a whole generation to literally lay down their lives to reach these dear people. Radical compassion and identification with lost people were and are essential for a missionary.

Isaiah also let God remove his own sin and guilt. The circumstances of this are rather incredible because it shows just how serious the sin issue was as angels took a hot coal from the altar of God to bring to him and touch his lips. Imagine the terror of the moment. The angels could not touch the coal themselves, and Isaiah was already laid waste by the presence of God. However, even as God’s holiness and judgment touched him he was not injured. Instead, his sin was removed. His guilt was gone, and he could not only stand before God but he could answer a specific question that was forthcoming.

Now came the call, and the call was not from angels or from man. It was from God. "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" Is 6:8 Even before God could tell Isaiah where he would be sent or what he would be doing Isaiah jumped in response, "Here am I. Send me!" Is 6:8 God then sent him to those same people of unclean lips, "Go and tell this people…” Is 6:9

There you have it, and to this day the preparation of any missionary is unaltered. They have a revelation of God, His holiness and their own inability to stand before him. They also understand His goodness, His greatness and power on behalf of those who believe. As for me I grew up knowing about the historical Jesus, but when He revealed to me that He was King of kings and Lord of lords I soon abandoned my kingdom and goals for His.

Those who heed the call understand that their sin and guilt have been graciously taken away by the work of Jesus on the cross. They cannot keep this secret like some absurd personal faith, but are compelled to make it known.

They hear the call like it is a personal call, but it is most interesting that God did not say, “Isaiah, will you go?” He asked, “Whom shall I send?” The call is open to all who have ears to hear and understand.

I for one am a strong advocate for understanding that we are all missionaries where we are, and after a bumpy beginning of “Ready, Shoot, Aim” I can attest that practical equipping is essential. However, the lack of interest that I see in foreign missions and the lack of a spark in the eyes of Christians when I talk about this need greatly trouble me.

As leaders we must drive people to the presence of God, and once they have met Jesus and continue to walk with Him they will be able to hear the call. Then sending people will be more like pulling a plow behind 50 race horses and less like coaxing mules with carrots.

Listen, hear & volunteer!

How to Get People Lost

No, I am not doctrinally dyslexic, and yes, we do need to get people lost…before they can be saved that is. It was a common method among 19th century evangelists to do “preliminary legal work” with the listeners before they presented the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ. This basically meant that they had to prove to people in a religious society that they were legally under judgment before they would recognize their true need for salvation.

Jesus did the same thing as He preached not only the letter of the law, but the heart of the law. The biggest crowd on the receiving end of this aspect of His message was the religious Pharisees who were the supposed keepers of the law. Jesus backed them into a corner where the only way out was repentance. However, Jesus did not have to be as intense with the reprobates of society: tax gatherers, prostitutes, drunkards, etc. Different standard? No. The reason was that they often knew that they were lost, and Jesus was a welcomed guest with the gospel of grace.

Jesus and the early American evangelists had one thing to help them that we do not often have today, and that thing is an acceptance of moral absolutes. The basis of these absolutes was the Word of God, which was even accepted by the worst among the lost. However, on the mission field and in post-Christian societies we have to rebuild the idea of absolutes before we can even begin to get to the salvation message. Otherwise it would be like rushing into a room, throwing a life preserver to a group of people and saying, “hold on to this for your life.” We would be perceived as idiots, but the value of that life preserver would become priceless if they saw a tsunami approaching through the window. Life boats on the Titanic were not valued that much either until the ship was going down.

Telling someone that their ship is going down is not fun, and it definitely will not make you popular. People like their ships, and they will defend their ships. Like Jesus with the Pharisees we have to even attack their ships, and some people will attack back.

There are many shortcuts for getting people into the “church”, but there is no shortcut to getting people into heaven. You have to get them lost to get them saved, no exceptions. I salute all my friends who are very creative in getting people in a post-modern culture quite lost and then getting them very saved. It is not easy when there are no accepted absolutes.

Gossip: I’m Glad They Don’t Talk About Me

Wow, I am such a fortunate guy. Let me explain. I have noticed a trend over the years that whenever I am with other people they never speak badly about me. However, they do sometimes speak badly of others, but I can dismiss this because they don’t talk about me.

Well, I need to give these people a little more credit. They don’t always speak badly of others, but they do sometimes reveal a lot of details about the lives of others, their failures, their marriage problems, their inadequacies and shortcomings especially in the area of ministry. It is so tempting to join in the conversation because it makes one feel accepted when people invite you in the confidence “of others”.

I am also glad people don’t talk about me because I feel inadequate at times, I am not the perfect husband and dad, and I have shared my inadequacies with my friends. I have made a few dumb mistakes in ministry and in life, and sometimes I just did not know how to do what I was doing. The average guy.

Then there are a few leaders whom I know that don’t talk about anyone. They are tight lipped, and you can’t pry their mouths open with a crowbar. One of them is my pastor, Mike. I can’t get any news out of the guy, and I am quite sure no one can get any “negative” news about me from him. Thanks Mike!

I know another leader like Mike, but he would want to remain nameless. He praises everyone in public – and in private. When he talks about people’s accomplishments he embellishes them to make the people look really good. He has done this to me, and I felt awkward because I know the failures that have accompanied the accomplishments. This guy just didn’t feel the need to mention the failures and shortcomings. However, he did mention his own shortcomings on the mission field which made me feel a lot better about my clumsy journey. He has helped many in the same way.

No, I am not stupid, just being constructively sarcastic. I know that if my closest friends would talk about their closest friends in front of me then my life might be too juicy to pass up when I am not around. Don’t worry; I am not paranoid about people talking about me right now. Really, all is quiet on the Eastern Front. It is just a point that has to be made. I have run my mouth at times, and was convicted later. No one is really innocent in this.

We reap what we sow, so I am without excuse if my name goes through the ringer. I can contribute to an overall atmosphere that will eventually turn on me also or lift me up. I find that I must prepare my heart when getting around crowds and even leaders. I tell myself, “Mike, don’t talk so much. You WILL be tempted to gossip especially under the guise of ministry. Just shut your mouth.” I also try to preemptively praise others so that any attempt to gossip by others will have to go through an awkward barrier. It is a discipline.

When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable, but he who restrains his lips is wise. Prov 10:19

Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. Eph 4:29

He who conceals a transgression seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates intimate friends. Prov 17:9

Meeting Me & Becoming Them

Even though you have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. 1 Cor 4:15

There are some questions that God will not answer directly. It’s as if He waits until our maturity level or experience gives us a basis for understanding the answer. For me one of the questions in life has been understanding my leaders and being frustrated because they just could not understand me. As I grew, learned to forgive and began to lead others there was still a subtle nagging sting of past misunderstandings and hurts that remained without closure. Then the answer came from two directions at once.

I met me. I never planned to meet him, and I was not prepared to meet him. Actually, I began to lead people – some of them young leaders – who reminded me a lot of myself when I was a younger leader or when I started following Christ. As I began to help these people through familiar struggles I became surprisingly embarrassed. It was as if I was in one of those dreams where I am naked in a room and no one notices except me. (don’t laugh, you know you have had this dream too) The nakedness I now felt was in realizing how I must have looked to more mature believers and leaders when I thought I knew it all. How patient had they been? How much had they overlooked? This was the first half of God’s answer to me. I had met myself.

The next part was the hardest part. As I helped these growing leaders I found myself offending them in the same way that my leaders had hurt me. I meant well, but their expectations were too high. I never meant to offend. I explained and apologized. Some forgave and grew. Some did not. In this moment God answered. I had not only met myself but had become those whom I could not forgive. Understanding came, the offense in my heart lessened or vanished altogether and I realized the truth of the matter.

• Spiritual fathers are great, but they are few and far between.
• Even if we have spiritual fathers we need to have realistic expectations. Herein lies most offenses. They are perceived offenses.
• Leaders are not God, they are not our real fathers and as we grow their influence has to decrease as we become fathers ourselves and get to know The Father.
• God cannot answer some questions without growth on our part. If He simply told us the truth we might not believe it.
• Mirrors come in many forms.
• Even at our best we are just like those whom we can’t seem to forgive.

When G.K Chesterton was asked to contribute an article to the Times on “What is Wrong with the World?” he responded with the letter:

Dear Sirs,
I am.
Sincerely yours,
G. K. Chesterton

Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness.
Heb 12:9-10

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Forrest Starts His Church Plantin Bidness

Forrest Gump & True Prosperity

Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers.
3 John 2

There are few in this world who do not want prosperity or success. The goals of each are as varied as their nationalities, religious or economic backgrounds. Some ideas border on the absurd where success in crime is a goal, success in relationship(s) – the plural here already indicates failure – is exalted, or owning half of New York is sought after. My favorite is someone who considered that becoming disabled at work – on purpose - and collecting disability for the rest of their life was success. Never mind the inability to walk.

John tells us that there are three areas where he desired prosperity for his friends. He wanted them to prosper in all spheres, not just one. He also wanted them to have good health. However, he indicates that these areas of prosperity are somehow in proportion to our souls prospering. This is a far cry from those who work this as a formula in reverse order. They think that health and wealth produce inner peace, and the adherents of this are not confined to the secular realm. Sadly, some prosperity teachers in the church expound this error every day on airways all over the world. While claiming that Jesus is still the center the proportion of time given to talking about money betrays the true value system.

Having the resources that I need for life is a good thing, but I must first comprehend what “Life” actually is so that I can live it to the fullest. One of the best examples of a fully lived life in recent history was Forrest Gump. In fact, the film has become iconic in its portrayal of a broad period of American history, and Forrest’s simplistic value system often ran against the grain of society to the point that he looked stupid. His answer was quoting his favorite philosopher, his mama, who said, “Stupid is as stupid does.” If we look at the daily news we would have to agree with his mama. Very prosperous people do very stupid things. However, Forrest, who was a little slow, was not so stupid after all because he did some very wise things.

• Forrest was not opposed to wealth. “One less thing,” was his response. He took his wealth and donated much to a hospital, built a church and he then “cut the city’s grass for free” because he was not trying to get rich. Forrest was generous.
• Forrest was loyal to a fault. He gave half of his wealth to Bubba’s mother even though Lt. Dan said he was an idiot for doing so. Bubba had died in Vietnam, but the promise was 50/50 when they planned to go into business together. Forrest was an honest man.
• Forrest did not grow cynical when he experienced loss. His life had many ups and downs, and he grew reflective instead of bitter when pain came his way. The reason might be because his goal wasn’t to be up or avoid being down.
• Forrest was too stupid to understand prejudice. Oh that the world was his kind of stupid, but the world is a different kind of stupid, the kind mamma talked about.
• When the shrimpin bidness was not going well Forrest turned to God. It did not matter to him that he was the only white guy in the church. Forrest witnessed to Lt. Dan and even got him to go. God eventually showed up in the shrimpin bidness.
• Forrest never stopped loving his friends even when they rejected him. His loyalty and optimism wore down the cynicism of Lt. Dan, and even though Jenny had ruined her life she was won over in the end by his simple yet steadfast love. Even though he was not a smart man he knew what love was, and this was the bedrock of his prosperity.

Ultimately, Forrest’s simple faith brought more inner contentment than many Christians have. “Why”, you might ask? I will try to make it simple. Many Christians have adopted the goals of the world as their source of identity and security. They want too many things, and even too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. Forrest even thought that Elvis may have died because, “He probably sang too many songs.”

Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.
Phil 4:11-13

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Green Eggs and … a Healthy Church

Some of my favorite books to read to my daughters when they were growing up were anything by Dr. Seuss, and especially Green Eggs and Ham. I was able to read the tongue-twisting dialogue at ever increasing speeds which always impressed and entertained Abigail & Rebecca.

I thought about this book again recently when I was reading Joey’s blog Discipleship & Listerine. This product’s ad slogan was “If it tastes bad it has to work.”

Speaking of taste our friend in the Seuss story would not try green eggs & ham no matter how it was served, with whom it was served or where it was served.

I do not like them in a box.
I do not like them with a fox.
I do not like them in a house.
I do not like them with a mouse.
I do not like them here or there.
I do not like them anywhere.
I do not like green eggs and ham.
I do not like them, Sam-I-am.

This guy was simply stubborn and self-centered, and I don't think he liked people very much. However, persistence finally wore him down, so he tried the awful-sounding food. He actually liked the food, and the rest is literary history.

How does this relate to a healthy church? Well, it doesn’t. I just wanted to fill some space. No really, for my many friends who are trying to solve complex church problems I would like to offer a rare savory dish: outreach!

• It will work in a box (a car).
• It will work in a house.
• It will work here or there.
• It will work anywhere.
• It will also get our eyes back on the thing that Jesus never takes His eyes away from: the un-reached lost that are both here or over there.
• It will drive us back to our knees to intercede.
• It will drive us to the Bible to be equipped.
• It will keep us at the foot of the cross.

Try it!

Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest." Matt 9:36-38

More Simple Math: The Power of One

Over the last year my wife, Myra, and I have become friends with a very special person, Jane Walker. After visiting the Tondo dump in Manila last year where Jane has a miraculous ministry to the poorest of the poor Myra wrote the article that is linked here: Tondo, Philippines: Heroes of the City Dump.

I will let you read the article for yourselves, but suffice it to say that if one person can believe God to start something with nothing in the worst place in the world then what would happen if more than one would believe God for such things? True faith looks at the valley of dry bones and says God can speak life where there is nothing but death. Ez 37

• One is good, but two is better.
• Addition is a sort-term solution, but multiplication of laborers for the harvest is the ultimate answer.
• If Jane can do so much with so little what can we do with so much?

Fishing with Explosives

I could not resist ending this series on “Fishing Tips” without mentioning one more type of fishing, fishing with explosives! It is really quite simple and efficient; all you need is dynamite or grenades. Just throw in the explosives and up float the fish half dead, stunned or partially cooked. It also destroys the ecology, so any other chance of fishing there is ruined.

As a young believer, I used many types of what I would call “explosive evangelism”. This usually meant something like preaching on the street corner while holding a 10 foot wooden cross that we had fabricated the night before. Lots of yelling in King James English and trying to be Elijah or John the Baptist usually went along with this. A lot of people stopped eating for a moment as they gazed through restaurant windows, probably thinking someone was making a movie, pledging for a fraternity or we had lost a bet. There was one backslidden Christian who turned white when he saw us, most likely thinking that God had come to collect what was due, but we saw no other fruit except that we were pretty bold for Jesus. I guess it was also useful in helping me to start this blog.

The problem with using creative methods or just being obnoxious is that we often try to use external force or power to produce an internal transformation. We can end up competing with the world to out-entertain people; however, creative methods can be effective bridges of communication depending on the culture or people group. Still, the method should never become the message.

When we understand what needs to happen before a person can be saved, we can better tailor our methods to enhance that process.

• A person needs to understand their spiritual condition, and this is all about the Holy Spirit working in their hearts when we are “witnesses”.


• A person needs to come to a revelation that Jesus – as he is revealed in the Bible – is the only solution for their condition. This requires us to be effective communicators of the truth of God’s Word, but the revelation of Jesus ultimately comes from the Father. (Matt 16:17)


• Once we have done our part, which includes praying for that person, we need to trust that God actually knows how to do His part.

Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?
Rom 2:4

We are not the Holy Spirit and no amount of external pressure, arguments or special effects will move on a person’s heart like Him. Knowing our simple role of being witnesses and sharers of this hope will take the stress out of witnessing and make it the adventure that it should be.

(When my wife read this she exclaimed, “I married a man who preached on the street with a giant cross?!”)

Net Fishing vs. Line Fishing, Part 6

I have never fished with a net, but the Bible uses this as the primary analogy in evangelism. Some say line fishing – a pole & line attached to a hook – is like reaching just one person at a time while net fishing is like a large event that gathers many people at once. Well, I beg to differ on that meaning of net fishing.

I have organized several large-scale outreaches in Ukraine, and in one we saw 3000 decisions in two weeks. We knew none of these people before the outreach, and even with organized follow-up we only saw about 10 people added to the churches involved. Even large ministries will tell you that follow-up is the most problematic aspect of large crusades. Our intentions were always good, but the nets simply broke. Most of our growth has always been through one-to-one encounters.

I started this series talking about an “itch” that I had when I first heard about the way the church was growing in Manila, and now the itch has been scratched and satisfied. The net is not the super evangelist or the crusade. The net is community: individuals, families and social groups that already exist in the world’s community that are saved, trained and ministering in community where the lost live. When we tap into the potential of our members then true net fishing occurs, and fruitfulness is multiplied.

In many western countries individualism has eroded the fabric of community to such an extent that people no longer know their own neighbors. This erosion weakens the very net that facilitates reaching society from within. It makes us strangers to the world even before we become Christians, and when we do finally come to the Lord the church can unwittingly estrange us even more from the lost around us. The most expedient solution to this erosion has been to rely on professional ministers to do 80% of the work that all the members should be doing, but this produces a further atrophy in our God-given ability and desire to share our faith. We simply lose by default.

When Steve first invited me to Manila I asked him what I would be doing to which he replied, “The same thing everyone else does.” This was a bit of a jolt to a full-time missionary like myself, but it was the medicine that I had to take before the itch would leave. Desiring titles or the position as “the man of God” will never advance God’s kingdom, and it may even hinder it as we make ourselves the roadblock that younger growing leaders can never get past. Over the years God has removed much of this mindset from me, and every honest pastor must admit that it is an issue in a world where performance and success are exalted.

As a full-time missionary I am at best a leader (to Jesus, not myself), an equipper, which I love to do, and the rest a follower of Jesus and fisher of men. Matt 4:19 The kingdom is best advanced by ordinary, equipped Christians following Christ in community. This is the essence of what we call “discipleship”.

The highlight of this week for me was taking my friend, Marcus, through our One-2-One booklet over sushi at Teriyaki Boy. He is already a Christian, but I was mentoring him to better reach those whom he meets every day. I am convinced that he will bear much fruit, more than me because he lives and works in community. The examples here of ordinary people bearing extraordinary fruit are too numerable to mention! You need to see it just once…in your own church...in your own life.

The Horse with Beautiful Feet, Part 5

Most people have defensive walls built around their lives that make it difficult to share the gospel, and Christians often take their best battering ram and charge the strongest part of the wall in an attempt to win someone to Jesus. I have done it many times without much success; however, some people are ready the moment we share with them.

In the movie “Troy” there was a great, ill-fated battle to take the city by the Greeks, and when that failed they came upon an ingenious plan, “What if they invite us in?” Well, of course this is nonsense unless you become a friend or an attractive gift. You know the rest of the story as the enemy hid in the wooden horse that was welcomed as a gift in the city.

How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!"
Rom 10:15

Now let’s look at this verse. Are our feet really welcome when we share the gospel, or are we seen as a nuisance, or worse, an adversary? I have seen countless methods of evangelism by Christians and even cults that are basically annoying mainly because what they were sharing was not even understandable, much less relevant for the moment. I have also seen an air of superiority and condescension which my friends and I call “the rebuke spirit”.

For example, at work John says, “I am really having trouble with the wife.” or “The #@**/! kids are driving me crazy.” Too often we reply, “If you simply came to church, tithed and gave your life to Jesus things would change.” Well, this is like speaking Chinese to present-day people (unless you are Chinese, then it is like speaking Urdu, etc.) We are also giving the impression that our lives became perfect when we did those things.

On the other hand we could say, “My wife and I also had problems as well as unruly kids, and we got it worked out.” This is something your friend can understand; you had problems and got it worked out. This is welcomed news, and John might let you in the gate to say more. Unlike the Greeks in the horse we really do want to help.

This is the use of testimony, your personal eyewitness account. Your friend’s problem is the “ripple in the water” that we should look for as we are fishing for men. The gospel starts to make sense to him over time, and as he begins to understand the roots of his problems - no God in his temporal life - he will begin to understand the value of our Jesus. In the midst of his personal crisis he will say, “I am so glad to see you! What do I do now?”

Your feet have just become beautiful.

…but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence. 1 Peter 3:15

The Witness, Part 4

Last summer we were visiting friends in New York where we lived and ministered prior to coming to Manila. After a church meeting we all had a picnic at a beautiful park on the west side of Manhattan by the Hudson River. Looking southwest along the river there was a hole in the skyline where the World Trade Center once towered in pride.

I asked my friend where he was that tragic day, and he told me that he was actually driving by the same park when he noticed a passenger jet flying down the river at a low altitude. I pause here in the telling because at this moment you are seeing the same image that I saw in my mind when my friend related what he had witnessed. Yet for some reason listening to my friend’s story at the site of the incident had more impact on me that any of the news footage that I had seen of 911, one of our nation’s greatest tragedies.

There is a fundamental difference between being an eyewitness and simply repeating what we have heard about an event. In a court of law anything other than an eyewitness account is called “hearsay”, which is not admissible. This simply means: I heard it, and then I said it. In Christianity people often get the terms confused, thinking that we need to go “witnessing” while never having “witnessed” the things we will speak of.

“but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”
Acts 1:8

Jesus is not saying in this verse that God will only give us power to tell the gospel, but He will make us eyewitnesses of the gospel by the indwelling and transforming work of the Holy Spirit. Like the park where my friend told his story, our lives are also the site of an event, and this event is so personally significant that it is called a new birth. Yet unlike the tragedy in New York we went from war to peace, disorder to order, death to life. It was a reverse catastrophe such that if it did happen it would be worth the telling and produce eagerness in the listener.

As a visiting pastor, Jim Hayford, said here last week, “our handicaps are not liabilities, but they are opportunities.” I hate to use the following example in light of the sensitivity evoked in mentioning 911, but I hope that it may bring encouragement to those who think that they have grown too little in their faith to be a witness. If you were to witness any catastrophe like 911 as if the film ran backwards you would see the miracle even before the damage was completely undone. In the same way anyone who sees the process of spiritual transformation will also see the hand of God in it even though the work is not yet complete. Salvation is the event that precedes a life of continual change.

For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.
Heb 10:14

If God has touched your life in any way then you are a witness.