Two Kinds of Fire

“ I am going to burn you up!” This was the vocabulary of my youth when I was in some form of disobedience or a general nuisance to my parents. They did the best they could trying to make sure I made it through life unscathed by its dangers. “Burning me up” meant that there was an actual or perceived threat to apply friction to my gluteus maximus (my butt) as a deterrent to bad behavior. This method has been used for many millennia, and it still works today.

However, my oldest daughter, Abbi, grew up on the mission field far, far away from the language of my southern heritage, and one day I told the tender child in the heat of frustration that, “I am going to burn you up!” Well this really caught her attention, and I knew from the look of terror on her face that she thought that I was threatening to set her on fire or something. I quickly diffused the situation, and to this day Abbi knows that nothing her dad says will set off the smoke detector.

Speaking of fire one must admit that it is a very powerful symbol. It can describe heat, a personality or a great message that you heard at church last Sunday. Fire is also a strong motivation for us to proceed quickly in the opposite direction of where the fire is located.

There are several kinds of fire referred to in the Bible, and I would like to focus on two of them. The first kind is the fire of power and zeal bestowed upon us by the Holy Spirit. The Spirit gives us power to be witnesses, and this was so tangible with the first church that tongues of fire were seen over them when God first filled them with the Holy Spirit. God desires that this kind of fire should describe the perpetual state of readiness of all believers to boldly and lovingly share the hope that is within them.

The second fire is judgment or discipline. It could be the hell of the ultimate judgment or the trying situations that we find ourselves in when we disobey God like Jonah did. (vid pt 1 & pt 2) As a young boy I heard the preacher talk about both fires, and both fires are still needed in every pulpit.

The preacher should have one of two goals when he preaches.

First is to see that all have the fire of the Holy Spirit over their heads. This means we are faithful and powerful witnesses.

Second is that if the first goal fails the preacher needs to light a spiritual fire under our chairs so that we are motivated one way or another to move forward. This worked with Jonah several millennia ago, and it still works today.

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!

No More Poop?

We have a new dog. For those of you who are parents with pets that first sentence should be enough to evoke sympathy. My family wanted a dog, and after having parakeets, fish, a real parrot and a large rodent (guinea pig) we have graduated to a real pet who can actually return affection. The parrot was actually a puppy in disguise, but have you ever tried petting a fish?

The dog’s unofficial name is poo-er which is a contraction meaning “one who poops”. Pastor Igor’s mother in law, Nadia, gave us the dog. Pooer's mom, snoopy, belongs to Igor’s family, but it conveniently lives with Nadia. I asked Igor if he wanted the dog back, and he said that he would accept ownership as long as the dog continues to live in Kiev. Igor is infinitely wise.

After two months of cleaning up small reservoirs and landmines from our living room floor every morning today is the first morning that pooer neither pooped nor sprung a leak during the night. Hurrah!

However, the victory was short-lived; we now have kittens! Apparently they were living under the front porch, and they emerged for food when their mom did not show up to make dinner. Well, we will not have pet cats for several reasons. First of all, I don’t like them. Second, my family is allergic to cats. If you would like a cat then pay me a visit, stick around for coffee, tea or to help us plant this church.

This whole episode reminds me of discipleship, and if you get upset that I am going to compare Christians to pets then you will just have to get over it. God calls us sheep, and I for one could be compared to a dog chasing cars and turning over trashcans before I was saved - spiritually speaking of course.

Many of us have also pooped on the floor a few times – spiritually speaking again – as new believers. Our friends and leaders just put a clothes pin on their noses and patiently cleaned up after us hoping that we would eventually get a breakthrough. Once we think we have made progress with new believers along come kittens – more new people - to complicate things. More work!

However…Even though life can be messy where would life be without lives? My family loves these pets. We are having a lot of fun. Also, where would God’s kingdom be without new life, new people, messy people who need discipleship, lost people – stray souls - who need a home? The church would be a clean house, but it would also be an empty house.

What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost. Matt 18:12-14

Where no oxen are, the manger is clean, but much revenue comes by the strength of the ox. Pr 14:4

The Opposite of Community: Being Alone

There I stood before the church trying to figure out the best way to describe the need for small group ministry. What complicated this was that I wanted to use the word “community”, but this church did not understand that English word because they were Ukrainian. I also had to use a translator that day, Pastor Igor, because I cannot preach in Ukrainian.

As I discussed my message with Igor before the meeting the only word that we could come up with to describe community in a Ukrainian context was family. Still, this word did not convey exactly what I wanted because families here are often fragmented. As I began my message I could not resist playing with Igor a little. As I preached I used the word “community” anyway. Igor paused while not expecting my change, and two leaders on the front row immediately offered what they thought to be the best word to use.

I stood for a minute to let the lesson of this distracting example sink in. “You see”, I continued, “we cannot even agree on what word to use for this foreign concept.” In fact, it really is a foreign concept because every culture on this planet has a slightly different understanding of community. However, I still believed the concept was both biblical and universal. There must be a simple key to unlock this truth, and there was.

In the very beginning: The Lord God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone…” Gen 2:18

And there we have it. The best way to understand community in any cultural or spiritual context is to understand its purpose and even it’s opposite. It is not good for us to be alone.

About once a year I read the tragic story of some poor soul who was found dead in their home or apartment after a period of many years. This usually happens in Europe or the US, and one person was found to have died 10 years before. No one noticed the mail piling up because there was no mail. Shocked neighbors would later say, “They kept to themselves”, or “I thought that they had moved.”

While some would blame the relatives and neighbors for not being “neighbors” – and this is oftentimes the case - we cannot overlook the fact that some people have simply decided to drop off the map. This can include Christians who see no need for the local church, but when things go wrong in their lives they often become critical of the church for not responding.

Even people who go to church are sometimes just visiting a crowd that has no expression of community throughout the week. Hundreds of people can be standing around you, and you are still alone. I must add here that when I used this example in church that day there were two reactions on the faces of those listening. Younger people had a look of disbelief, but older people had a look of terror. They felt more vulnerable and had the greatest fear of loneliness and abandonment.

• Community, family or whatever you want to call it in your language provides for things that are essential for the human soul: Love, nurturing, protection, encouragement, values, joy, fun and vision.
• Spiritual community provides for the exact same things with the added elements of eternal purpose and equipping for life and service. To live without these is to at best simply exist.
• Spiritual community is also important to the secular community. People would wander in darkness if it were not for the family of God, and they will remain without hope and vision without you.
• Secular community is also important to spiritual community. You will not grow either individually or as a spiritual community if you do not reach and serve those who do not have the hope of eternal life.

Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. Prov 27:17

Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up. Furthermore, if two lie down together they keep warm, but how can one be warm alone? And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart. Eccl 4:9-12

Spirit Filled or Spirit Full?

Gas prices are so bad these days that AAA has reported a record number of calls to tow the cars of their members that have run out of gas. People are trying to travel on the bare minimum, but a sputtering car in the middle of nowhere is not a good experience.

Christians also try to go far on an empty or near empty tank these days. I am speaking of being full of the Holy Spirit or lack thereof. There is nothing new in this, but over the years a certain lingo has developed among Christians to describe just how full they think they really are. The phrase most often used is “being Spirit-filled.”

I for one embrace the Spirit-filled life, but I must say that there is an often misleading usage of that phrase. The Bible only uses “Spirit-filled” in the very recent past tense. This means the person or group in question had just experienced a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit. They subsequently moved in great power because of this recent encounter with God. However, calling oneself Spirit-filled does not always indicate the last time you were actually filled with the Spirit. If I plan to take a long trip in my car my wife does not ask me, “Was the tank filled when you bought that car?”, as if once filled always filled. She will ask, “Is the tank full?”

So why am I splitting hairs here? So often I hear someone say, “He is a Spirit-filled brother, so how could he have done such a stupid thing?” What they are really saying is, “This man was once filled with the Holy Spirit with some evidence following, and he has now done something that indicates that he is not Spirit-filled.”

Unfortunately, "Spirit-filled" has become a phrase that is a bit worn out with misuse. Instead of asking if someone is Spirit-filled we should ask a more probing question. “Are you, and I mean right now, FULL of the Holy Spirit?” This is a question that lays us bare. It is not a historical question, and it does not concern our various spiritual gifts. “Am I full of the Holy Spirit?” What is even more telling than asking ourselves is whether or not others think we are full of the Holy Spirit just based on everyday observations and fellowship? Here are a few examples from Scripture that use God’s vocabulary instead of ours:

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led around by the Spirit in the wilderness Luke 4:1

Therefore, brethren, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task. Acts 6:3

But being full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. Acts 7:55

When we examine ourselves concerning being full of the Holy Spirit we should quickly know the result if we are indeed Christians. It is a question that we should ask ourselves every day, and we should endeavor to do whatever is necessary to be full of the Holy Spirit. What can we do?

• Don’t lean on the nostalgia of past experiences. Seek God for more of His presense and power in your life. Acts 4:31
• Repent of any known sins. Acts 2:37-39; Acts 3:19
• Spend time with God every day talking with Him – aka prayer – and meditating on His words. Jn 15:1-11
• Put yourself in a position where you need His presence and His power by serving and reaching others. Acts 1:8
• All this makes us fillable. Now just ask! Jn 7:37-39

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Gal 5:22,23

I Must Decrease

One of my favorite areas of ministry is mentoring young believers and young leaders. I enjoy seeing new believers discover more and more about Jesus, His grace and His call to reach others. I enjoy seeing young leaders take more responsibility and come up with ideas better than my own. I am also a little selfish here because if the young leaders will do more then I will have to do less.

LESS. Now that is not a popular word. As in fashion where “Green is the new Red” we now find that “Less is the new More.” I am hopelessly colorblind, green really is red for me, so I probably ruined that last example. The problem with this new – actually ancient – spiritual fashion is that some leaders just can’t get enough of “more”.

I often hear of leaders still trying to hold the reigns on peoples’ lives, on the creativity of their leaders and lastly on the pulpit. In its extreme it is both sad and tragic as a whole generation is stunted in their growth because of one person.

John the Baptist set the bar when he said, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” Jn 3:30 I think that this frightens many leaders because they simply cannot see the Holy Spirit moving in anyone except themselves. Other leaders think that the most talented has to be the one up front, and some are more simple-minded in their approach. They think that they are Moses incarnate.

“Less” and “Decrease” do not mean a decrease in the kingdom of God. This actually means increase in the right context. A kingdom that depends on one man being the conduit of the power of God will surely blow a fuse. The fuse is often the pastor. However, the increase comes from the enormous magnitude of effectiveness when God’s power, creativity and purpose are manifested in all His people. We want the lordship of Jesus to increase in the lives of all people, not our lordship.

There are several areas where this principle causes more growth:

• The more I come to Jesus on a daily basis and rely less on my natural strength, the more His kingdom will be manifested in my life. Still working on this!
• My daughters are at the age where I am mentoring them to make their own decisions. I often ask them what they think God would lead them to do in a specific situation. This sharpens their discernment, and this is necessary now because in a few years they might have their own families. They will still probably call me though to babysit.
• Young believers have to be carried at times, but we need to help them stand on God’s word, and we have to instill a personal faith in them that does not rely on the people or things around them. They need to be weaned from us so they can feed themselves.
• Young leaders need to be able to express their own creativity, and we need to give them reasonable latitude to make important decisions even if we might disagree. Letting people skin their knees a little with some not-so-so-well-thought-out-plans can be a valuable lesson. We can’t insulate them from pain and failure, but we can help them grow in wisdom to make mature decisions.
• We can also simplify the vision so that our personal gifting is not projected over them. Let them be creative. They hear from God as much as we do. Let them take the wheel sometimes.
• Let them take the wheel more.
• Then give them the wheel.

When we hold on to the wheel we will eventually lose it, and God’s kingdom invariably suffers a setback. When we decrease and let Jesus increase in the lives of others we actually lose nothing. People grow, God’s kingdom grows and the leaders whom we helped only invite us back in as wise counsel and eventually peers.

Even Jesus wanted His disciples to do more miracles than He.

Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. Jn 14:12

The Minimum for Salvation

It was one of the most eclectic groups of pastors I have ever been in, and we were all navigating our way through a class on Systematic Theology 101. The teacher had a Reformed background, but the pastors ranged from Arminian to Calvinist in their experience. They all agreed that they were at least saved, but they could not agree if they were saved before or after they repented. You might not be familiar with the debate on this, but it is humorous at times. Another thing they could not agree on was “how they stay saved”.

How to stay saved. It is also not a new debate, but I will state my belief here and now. Trying to stay saved is like concentrating on keeping my heart beating. The thing will beat whether I think about it or not, and thinking about it too much will probably shorten my life due to stress. Striving to “stay saved” will also wreck our walk with God. He keeps my heart beating in the same way He keeps me in His hand. Jn 10:28-29

Anyway, the teacher was talking about grace that day, and those of a legalistic persuasion were getting nervous because all their “works” and energy to stay saved were being rendered null and void with each consecutive verse from the teacher. Then one pastor knew he had the question that would stump the teacher.

“So then, what is the minimum someone has to do to be saved?”

The teacher paused just long enough to inhale enough air to answer. He neither planned to hear such a question that day nor did he plan the answer that he gave. It just popped out to the astonishment of all the listeners.

“The minimum to be saved is the same as the maximum to be saved.” No one expected such an answer, and most of the class had that expression on their faces that puppies have when people try to talk to them, just a slight tilt of the head to one side and a tightening of the brow. It was a wonderful moment that I have never forgotten.

The teacher went on to explain several simple truths, and a few of these are from me:

• It is not what we do to be saved, but it is what Jesus did to save us. He did the work. Rom 11:6
• The Holy Spirit reveals to us that we are lost, no hope, no exit, just very lost. Jn 16:5-15
• The Holy Spirit brings to life whatever we have read, seen or even thought about concerning the gospel and our lives.
• The Holy Spirit reveals to us the person and ministry of Jesus through whatever we have read, seen or even thought about.
• Something happens in us, a breaking, a softening. We can sit quietly, we can wail in terror or we can laugh. It makes no difference how we respond with our emotions.
• In the end we yield; we give way to Another. He takes control ever so gently and turns everything to a new direction. This is repentance.

So then, where is the work? Sorry I left out our contribution, but it comes in various forms:

• We work hard to resist the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives before we are saved…and sometimes even afterwards.
• We work hard to convince people they are lost. Sorry, it is not our job. The Holy Spirit does the convicting.We are to be living witnesses who share our hope.
• We work hard to punish ourselves even after God has forgiven us.
• We try to clean our spiritual house with bulldozer techniques instead of letting God gently remove the baggage.
• We run so far ahead of God in His plan to the point of exhaustion. He then walks by as we are straining at the oars – He is usually walking on water – and He instantly brings us to our destination. Mark 6:45-52; Jn 6:16-21

Yes, we do a lot of unnecessary work trying to help Jesus finish what He has already done and accomplish in our strength what He plans to do through us by His strength.

Because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. Heb 10:14

Ice "Fishing for Men"

When I began a series on “Fishing for Men” a year ago I was in the warm tropical climate of the Philippines. There were many examples of fishing all around including net fishing, a fishing village on the water and even fishing with explosives. On a side note, some interesting Google search results have led people to this site “Simple Truths” and to the post “Fishing with Explosives”, namely people googling for “simple explosives”. Therefore, I feel a responsibility to tell all you would-be terrorists out there to “find a new line of work!”

Back to fishing. The one example of fishing that you will never find in the tropics is ice fishing, but you can find it in Ukraine. I see people every day setting up chairs, drilling holes in the ice – not so thick ice I might add – and defying all barriers just to get a fish or two. I liken this to the must stubborn types of evangelism. It is not fishing/outreach season, the fish are lethargic, the climate is not welcoming, the ground is cold and as hard as concrete and the catch is small. Nonetheless, the fisherman goes out.

Church planting or simple outreach is sometimes like this. It takes stubbornness, patience and resilience. Some countries are like the frozen lake. They are cold both spiritually and physically. They are even deadly like real ice fishing. They can swallow the missionary without a trace. Nonetheless, we are called to go. He calls us to go. Jesus does so because He did so Himself. He came to the coldest place, the hardest ground, uninvited and unwelcomed. The place was not just geographical. It was our own hearts.

I have friends in far-away places doing things for God that might never be heard of. They are heroes. They are not more gifted as you might think. Neither are they less gifted. They are just stubborn. Most of all they are obedient. In an age of grandiose strategies for what is popularly called “planting churches” these people have the heartbeat of the Lord. They will not take “no” for an answer. Neither are they dissuaded by rejection from those whom they seek nor are they disheartened by those who should encourage them but don’t. Well, I might be wrong about the discouragement.

In order to fully obey the commandment that Jesus gave to disciple the nations we must have the same stubbornness, patience and resilience as the ice fisherman. It is not a sport. It is the heartbeat of God.

The First Foreign Missionary

I was preaching in Lviv recently when I remembered an example of missions that I had not thought of for 40 years. What jarred the deep archives of my brain is a mystery, but the example was apt as we were expounding Isaiah 54 where God was telling Israel to enlarge their tents. Of course, we were using this example for evangelism.

As a child our family still gathered around the TV for shows like “Ed Sullivan”, “Jack Benny” and “Truth or Consequences”. It was a golden age of low technology, but clever, family-oriented humor. On this particular evening the host of “Truth or Consequences”, Bob Barker, invited a “random” person from the audience to try her luck at winning an all expenses paid trip to any place on the planet that she chose. Let me add here that the host and the woman’s family had planned this all in advance. She was not randomly chosen, and neither was her destination.

In order to win the trip the woman only needed to throw a dart at a giant world map, and wherever the dart landed she could go. Did I mention that she would be blindfolded? They rolled out the giant map, she threw her dart – it never hit the map but landed on the floor – and to her amazement when she took off the blindfold the dart was stuck on North America. Well, there goes the trip to Europe. She still might get to New York.

Another map was rolled out, and it was a detailed map of North America. I will let you know now that this woman was from a small, unglamorous town in northern California. The woman repeated the dart throw again while managing to this time hit the map, and once again when she removed the blindfold she was surprised to see the dart stuck in California. She still had hope that she might get another trip to Hollywood, but her countenance was dropping.

The next map to roll out was of course…California. The process was repeated, and when the blindfold was removed the dart was right in the middle of Smallville, California, her hometown. Meanwhile, the audience was having a corporate hernia holding in the laughter because they too were actors in this ruse. Our sad subject was now using all the inner strength that she had to display thankfulness that she had won a trip to her own hometown, but the joke was soon revealed, and she was given a real trip to Europe with her husband. The ending was good.

So, what in the world does this have to do with the church and the first foreign missionary? Glad you asked! First, let me reveal to you who the first foreign missionary was/is. He is the Holy Spirit. Despite whether or not you are Baptist or Charismatic you have to agree that the very first utterance of the Holy Spirit through the church in Acts 2 was to proclaim the mighty acts of God in all the languages of the foreigners in Jerusalem. God wanted the nations to hear the gospel from the first divine breath of the creation of the church. Next, God had to practically drive the church out of Jerusalem so that they would go to the nations. Nonetheless, they still stayed within their comfort zone, and they only finally realized what God wanted to do when God gave both Peter and the gentile centurion, Cornelius, direct visions to meet each other. It was only complete when the Holy Spirit made the same proclamations through the mouth of Cornelius.

In the modern church, God is like the woman throwing the dart hoping to get us to reach the nations. However, the church being the host of the show continues to move the dart closer to home with the sad result that we can no longer recognize the nations that God has brought to us. Isaiah is used by God to exhort the people of Israel to broaden their influence, and he is actually talking about doing so on the level of the individual.

We need to open our eyes and to be aware that God has called us to reap a mighty harvest, but we cannot do so unless we aim for the nations. In the end, we should stop repositioning the dart.

You Are Planting a What?

There is a phrase that often perplexes me even though I know what it means, church plant or planting a church. To the religiously minded person a church plant could be one of a variety of ferns or memorial wreaths at the front of a church “sanctuary” and near the “altar”. I am not sure of the purpose of these plants other than to reverse global warming or to provide a hedge to separate the clergy from the laity. Still, they look nice sometimes.

However, “planting a church” brings in even more confusion to the uninitiated. The first absurd image that comes to mind is of a missionary planting little steeples in the ground. If it were only that simply! Don’t we wish that we could go to the local Christian book store and buy a church planting kit? Just add water. I was driving in the States once, and one of my daughters commented on the number of lakes that we saw along the way. I told her that there were so many because there was a sale on lake kits at Wal-Mart. The instructions simply said, “Just add water.” The kit included a shovel. They love and hate my jokes.

So then, how does one “plant a church?” I must admit that there is a lot of pressure on pastors and missionaries to produce the outward product of a dynamic Sunday morning meeting, but this is a sad goal if that is our goal. Our job is to reach the lost and make disciples who can in-turn do the same. These people then reach every aspect of their community so that dramatic changes are seen in families and in nations. The culmination of all this is what we call a healthy church, the fruit of obedience to the Great Commission. This healthy church also happens to meet together a few times during the week.

So many pastors are stressed about keeping up the Sunday morning appearance. It takes so much emotional and physical fuel, and it leaves us somewhat empty, just another job. Let me say something bold yet simple here, we are not called to build churches. Christ builds His church. We are involved in planting and watering but God causes the increase.

Unless the Lord builds the house,They labor in vain who build it;Unless the Lord guards the city,The watchman keeps awake in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early,To retire late,To eat the bread of painful labors;For He gives to His beloved even in his sleep.
Psalm 127:1,2

Excuse me while I go water our new plant, Kiyevicus Cultivaticus Evangicus. It should bloom soon, but a few more gardeners would be helpful.

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 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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Starbucks vs. the Prosperity Teachers

There are few greater controversies in the church today than that of prosperity. On one side there are those who believe that money does not mix with the kingdom of God. The results of this are churches that can’t afford to project what they believe beyond the exit doors and missionaries who have to…basically not be missionaries. No one gets to go. The End!

On the other hand there are those who believe that God simply exists to serve us when we ring the bell asking for whatever we think we need. Some churches based on this philosophy simply grow obese with ostentatious extravagance while the world around it dies in godless ignorance. This extreme is also erroneous. However, resources are needed to advance the gospel.

I was once preaching and asked the church how many wanted more money from God than they personally needed. No one raised their hands. I then asked how many would like to reach their community, help the poor and reach the nations with the gospel. They all said, “Yes.” “Well,” I asked, “how can you do this unless you actually believe God for more than you can use for yourselves?” The lights went on, and most understood. God is generous, and He not only wants to meet our needs but reach others through the overflow in our lives.

Most would agree with this, but we still have a problem with method. Some teachers of prosperity would suggest that if you want more resources, more things and greater blessings that you should give abundantly and in faith… to their ministry. To this I would like to suggest a slight modification that would test the teaching and in fact it will actually bring out the true nature of what God wants to do.

This is the change. They should preach, “If you want to be blessed (actually, if you want to be a blessing) give abundantly and in faith to…someone else’s ministry. Give to your neighbor in need, give to the poor, and give to missions even in other ministries.” This would bring a quick balance to excesses, and it would bring much-needed resources to those who need it most.

This even works in the world as seen in the recent Starbucks Cheer Chain phenomenon. A guy drives up to the Starbucks drive-thru, pays his bill, and says, “I want to pay the bill for the guy behind me as well.” The guy behind him then drives up to the surprise that his bill has been paid, so he in-turn pays the bill for the guy behind him. This goes on for hours as each surprised customer pays for the next customer’s bill. Actually, it is reported that this is a promotional idea by Starbucks, and they sometimes ask people to do this.

Well, that is the point that I am trying to make. God is asking us to bless others who can bless others who can bless others. No one preacher is the recipient and God’s kingdom is advanced in many seen and unseen ways. In all fairness I must add that I have friends in the Faith Movement who embrace this balance and are very generous to missions, the poor and others in need. The key is the attitude of the heart. God wants to bless because He loves us, and He wants us to be able to bless others.

One who is gracious to a poor man lends to the Lord, and He will repay him for his good deed. Prov 19:17

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matt 6:19-21

But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, Matt 6:3

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A New Leaf or a New Day

The New Year is a time when many people make resolutions, goals or radical commitments for change. There is very little spiritual significance in the change of the number 2007 to the number 2008, but there is a lot of momentum when whole societies try some kind of change all at the same time.

A number of years ago I started to go to the gym – oh, I need to resolve to go back – but I started my routine a few months before the holidays. After January 1st my trainer, Anatoliy, said, “Watch, the gym will fill up the next few weeks, people will exercise themselves sick and then give up.” True to his prediction, we watched in awe and humor as new faces came and went. The main problem was that people had unreasonable goals and they were trying to undo in 5 visits the damage and excess of living that they accumulated over their entire lives.

Christians often greet the New Year by thinking that God wipes away the past year and that all they have sown in the past will somehow cease to exist at midnight on December 31st like Cinderella’s ball costume, only in reverse fashion. The sad news is that this simply is not so.

However, the good news is that with God we do not need a New Year to make things right. God’s mercies are new every morning and His faithfulness never fails. Goals for the New Year are good, but the best way to realize them is not a sudden unrealistic surge of activity. Setting the daily goal to meet with our God insures a stable life where mercy is ever-present and foundations are laid at a rate where they can solidify to make us strong throughout the year.

The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease,

For His compassions never fail.

They are new every morning;Great is Your faithfulness.

"The Lord is my portion," says my soul,

"Therefore I have hope in Him."

The Lord is good to those who wait for Him,

To the person who seeks Him.

It is good that he waits silently

For the salvation of the Lord. Lam 3:22-26

The Beginning & End of Truth: Knowing God

When I began this series of posts on the goodness of God I recalled a meeting with Religious Affairs (RA) in Ukraine on September 11, 2001. The meeting was to decide weather I was breaking any laws that would allow them to deport me. We were tense in the meeting about the outcome, but there was one thing that was not in question. This question had been answered before a similar RA meeting exactly two years previous.

In September 1999 we had just returned to Ukraine after a furlough to a church that was under attack by forces outside and some who had sneaked in to wreak havoc. God had blessed us with purchasing our first home in Lviv, but I quickly found out that my visa status was in serious question, thus another summons to RA right after I arrived.

My blood ran cold with fear. This was not the fear of death but the fear of failure and getting kicked out of the country. I would also lose our new home. I started praying and confessing the word from Joshua 1 where God had promised to give me every place I set my foot and to not be afraid. I went to my favorite prayer place, a beautiful hill called High Castle that overlooked the whole city, but on this day altitude did not equal closeness with God.

God’s Word simply would not stick to my soul, so I went home in frustration to ask God a very different question. It went something like this: “Ok God, forget about this new house, my vision, getting kicked out! I just want to know one thing, and I am really sick of it. Why am I afraid?” Well, He answered me more clearly than I had ever experienced.

“You do not believe I will care for you and that I am for you no matter what the outcome of this trial.” This was unconditional love, and I was thunderstruck. I had been serving a different taskmaster, myself, until that day. The fear now vanished, my mind cleared and truths that had been read many times over exploded into my soul. This was God’s ultimate goal for me, not to do but to know. True fruitfulness is a fruit of knowing - knowing truth.

In 1st John 2:12-14 John writes to three groups of people who have various levels of maturity. He affirms them for what they have learned based on how long they have been walking with Jesus:

Little Children: You know the Father & your sins have been forgiven
Young men: The word of God abides strongly in you, and you have overcome the evil one.
Fathers: You know Him who was from the very beginning.

It is ok to be a child – when you are young. Unfortunately, many Christians never get past simple salvation truths. Their faith is only for themselves and getting to heaven. Young ministers also fall into a trap. They go into service while not knowing their God or His Word. They get beat up severely. Another mistake that they make is that they think ministry is the goal or the pinnacle of spirituality. It is not.

The fathers understand most of all because they have come full circle. God was using their ministry to others to teach them about Himself. They have come to know God in His fullness not simply through study but by experiencing God’s faithfulness in countless battles and adverse circumstances. I am so grateful to God for my trials as a missionary because without them I would have never begun to learn the fullness of who God is on my behalf. I am still learning.

Our friend, Asaph, in Ps 73 has also come full circle:

Whom have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Ps 73:25-26

• What are the lies that prevent God’s truth from sticking to your life?
• What are the hurdles that you can never get over?
• Are you asking God the right question?

He is faithful to answer. Matt 7:7-11

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?

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

Fishing with Dad, Tips Part 2

And He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." Matt 4:19

Our responsibility is to follow, and Jesus will make us fruitful. I used to go fishing with my dad, and besides slipping on the rocks and falling in the river I also managed to catch fish. Fishing is instinctive to a pelican, but not to little boys, so I had to learn. My dad told me to watch the water for movement and look for secret places where fish gathered so I could cast my line there. If I did what he told me and used the right bait then we usually caught fish.

The same is true with evangelism. Jesus first makes us aware that there are fish to be caught – a daunting task in the modern church. He next lets us know that if we follow Him where He is going then He will teach us the art of reaching people along the way.

For Jesus fishing for men was not a pastime; it was and is His primary goal because, well…He said it was.

"For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."
Luke 19:10

A great purchase was made at Calvary, and Jesus is going after what He purchased in much the same way we would pursue what we paid for if someone failed to deliver; much more so with Jesus.

“… Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. Rev 5:9

If Jesus paid the ultimate price then this must be His ultimate goal. Some would ask, “So, where then is the emphasis on growing in Christ?” To that I would say that we really get to know our fathers when we are fishing with them. 1st Jn 2:12-14

Check out Pastor Joey’s blog in my Links for great insight on discipleship.

Last thoughts:

• My dad never suggested that we divert the river into our house so that the fish
  could swim into the kitchen, much too expensive and reserved for professionals.
• Fish rarely leave the water, and almost never jump into the bucket. We have to go to the water.

Dad had common sense, and so should I. Following Jesus is the first step, and being aware of the lost around us is the second. We need to concentrate to look for movement in the water. Part 3 will be next: “How to speak fish … the forgotten language.”