Curse of the Flying Hunting Dog

Sometimes - more often than not - the opinions of those around us just don’t hold water. In the South where I am from there is another expression for an ill-thought-out plan, argument or opinion: That dog just don’t hunt. Bad grammar and all!

As for the nonsensical title of this blog it serves two purposes: first, to get curious people to read it and second, to link common southern sense with biblical truth. The truth in question is the verse:

Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying, so a curse without cause does not alight. Prov 26:2

In common English this means that an undeserved curse is like a fluttering bird that will not land, namely not land on you. It simply has no validity and should not be worried about.

Throughout our lives we will encounter people – even in the church – who try to define us by something other than God’s truth. In the worst sense people are sometimes told that they will always be a certain way, and that “way” is invariably not desirable.

It might be, “You will be a failure”, like your sibling, mother or dad, or, “God cannot use you” because of something in your past or a perceived lack of gifting. I pastor people all the time that can’t seem to dislodge these lies from their souls. These defining lies are more like curses, and they seem to be carried from one generation to another.

This post cannot encompass this subject in full, but suffice it to say that every word of man that seeks to define us in any way must measure up to the word of God. A good man at his best can only encourage and equip us, but it is God the Father who defines us.

I have personally come to the point that when someone says something unbiblical or stupid about me I am better able to quickly compare it to what God’s word says. If the person’s statement doesn't measure up I say, “Sorry, inadmissible in a court of grace.” I then forgive the person and move on. I also try to equate what they say to the photo of the dog in this post. This helps me smile about it all.

Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer. Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 2 Cor 5:16,17

A Message from Christmas Past

Jesus, Dawkins, Santa & the Tooth Fairy

Believe it or not this is my Christmas post, and all these names have something in common. Richard Dawkins is a world-renown scientist who is also known as Darwin’s Rottweiler because of his radical position on Darwinism. He is also vehemently opposed to any hint of deity being involved in the here-and-now or the hereafter.

Dawkins and his supporters also frequently parrot something like, “Sure, people have the freedom to believe in God, and we do not want to take this away. They also have the freedom to believe in Santa and the Tooth Fairy.”

Well Mr. Dawkins, let’s solve the simple controversies first. The Tooth Fairy is an early European myth, and some think that it came from the tooth mouse that had more or less the same mission. No one really believes in this person into adulthood. There are no theological or philosophical books written about him or her, and there are no temples devoted to worship. This character never existed.

Santa on the other hand did sort of exist. He does not live at the North Pole despite Hollywood’s never-ending attempt to make us believe. Nicholas of Myra – no relation to my wife who is also Myra – lived in what is now Turkey which is a little further south. He usually tried to forego using reindeer to crash-land on roofs, but he was known to have done much for humanity in the name of God simply by walking on foot. Many aspects of his life are worthy of emulating even from a secular perspective.

Dawkins is a contemporary figure who is quite brilliant even though I believe his presuppositions are extremely prejudiced. You really need to have your ducks in a row – or primates in ascending order – to hang with this guy in a debate. I would however ask him why he stands so firmly against the God that Nicholas followed in a desire to do good, and I would ask him what moral questions he has against a man, namely Jesus, whose life brought about the greatest positive change in human history and whose birth and death have come to define our cultural landscape.

When it comes to the aforementioned names it is better to focus on just Jesus and Richard Dawkins for the sake of comparison and contrast, but Saint Nicholas without the reindeer is still worthy of mention having made a significant impact on natural history because of what he believed and did.

The final question is this. Does what we do or don’t believe about Christmas cause us to make a significant positive contribution to the moral evolution of our species, or do we just adhere to survival if the fittest in a hurting and needy world?

Pepsi and Original Sin

Everyone who has ever met me knows that I have a significant scar on the left side of my chin. When I meet new people I can tell they are looking at it, so I just want to tell them it is a war wound or that I was bitten while wrestling with a shark. But that would not be true. I actually did it to myself.

When I was 10 years old I was walking home from a friend’s house and stepped on a Pepsi bottle that almost made me fall. In anger I picked up the bottle and threw it across the road at a large stone wall which made it shatter. A split second later the wall sent me a response.

I continued home, and as I entered the bathroom and looked in the mirror I was in shock as I saw that I was covered in thick blood from my chin down and caked around my neck and all over my shirt. Unbeknownst to me that wall had sent the bottom part of that bottle back to me as a token of my impulsiveness, but I only felt a slight bump when it happened. Most people would curse out something like, “Stupid wall”, or “Stupid bottle!” But in my case it was just stupid Mike. I think I also prayed the sinner’s prayer as best I could because I thought that I had cut my throat and was dying.

Very often in life we find that we are the victims of our own immaturity. We walk around mad at something or someone, and we are then surprised when someone is all of a sudden mad at us. I mean, who started this thing, Adam & Eve?

This is life, but every so often we have to make a difficult decision that, even though we may be correct, will cause us and maybe others some degree of pain. In these cases we need to make sure there are no rocks or Pepsi bottles nearby – namely in our hearts - that we can use to express our unique individuality, aka self-centeredness & immaturity. We will then find that the fewer things we throw around in frustration, the fewer ammunition others will have to throw back at us.

I still have that scar and always will. Maybe that is the real reason I drink Coke.

A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. Pr 15:1

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

Honk If You Love Jesus?

You have all seen it if you have been behind the wheel enough. An elderly couple at the stoplight has stalled their car, and the impatient line of cars behind them resorts to a cacophony of honks and insults to remedy the situation. The longer they wait the worse it gets.

Of course it makes perfect sense, and everyone knows that loud complaining and inaction is the best way to change a scenario. Just the other day my car was having problems so I drove it to a local stadium – that’s right, a stadium – where I paid hundreds of people sitting on their laurels to shout at the top of their lungs, speak curses and you know, it was just the thing to repair my car!

It was then I knew I was on to something, and as a missionary this approach might come in handy. The church needs more material and people resources for the task at hand, and even Jesus said that there were not enough workers to go around. It must be someone’s fault, and I doth protest! The scandal! The outrage! Someone should write another blog!

Or consider the following. The frustrated citizen turns off his motor, unbuckles and gets out of his car. He stands on his bumper to look ahead to what is holding up progress and quickly discerns what must be done. He walks up to the stoplight, inspires a few more complainers and they together help to start the elderly couple’s car.

In the end action is much better than reaction, and in the church there is only one responsible party and one source of resources. Ultimately I am responsible to be a part of solving problems and not to just whine about them, and Jesus told us to ask Him for our resources and not to grumble and complain.

Anyone can parrot the nightly news, diagnose a traffic jam or complain about the church, but who can bring change? If you really love Jesus then get out and push.

My Big Toe Advocate

My first school bus was bus #133, and it was so old that it looked like one of those school busses you might see in a cartoon that actually had a face and could smile and talk. You know, like Thomas the Tank Engine. I was in the first grade, and during my first few weeks I felt like young Forrest Gump as all the older kids staked claims on the best seats.

Of course the most prized seat was at the back, and only the toughest guy could stake that claim. Not only did this guy - a 6th grade bully who was twice my size – claim the back of the bus as his fiefdom, but for some reason he decided that the big toe on my right foot was his enemy. For many days he would stomp the heel of his shoe on that toe until it was swollen, bleeding and infected.

I was afraid to tell my parents, but my mom saw my limp and after seeing the damage she made me show my dad. Well, my dad, Arthur Watkins, was your typical working-class guy who slaved in a local textile mill his whole life. He was neither the best dad nor the worst dad. He had hands made of steel, and I was generally afraid of his wrath. However, I was soon to see a side of him that I will never forget.

Instead of totally losing his cool my dad just asked me how long this had been going on and who was doing it. He usually said things like, “If a bigger guy bullies you just pick up the nearest stick and knock him in the side of the head.” But this time was different. He just quietly said. “This won’t happen to you again.”

The next day I was on the bus heading home, and dad would arrive home from work an hour after me. The bus soon squeaked to a stop near my house, the double doors swung open and as I began to exit the bus I met the towering figure of my dad getting on. It was a Clint Eastwood spaghetti-western moment, and I knew that some kid on the back of the bus probably would not live to graduate 6th grade. People get arrested for stuff like this these days.

I froze as my dad passed me and went to the back of the bus. He approached the bully who by now was getting spiritual. He looked the kid in the eyes and said, “You have been hurting my son. It will never happen again.” And then without another word we got off the bus and walked home together.

I have never forgotten this day, and it reminds me that if our earthly fathers protected us as best they could then what about our heavenly Father? If I had known what my natural father was capable of doing on my behalf I would have confronted this bully with confidence long ago.

If we also knew the advocacy and power of our heavenly Father we would not put up with the harassment of the bully of our souls, the devil.

By the way, that guy never even looked at me again until I met him over 30 years later. I was preaching in a church, and he was in the congregation. I talked with him after the meeting, but I never mentioned the incident because he did not remember me.

I’ll bet he remembered my dad though!

Darwin, Evangelism & Community

Throughout history there have been many explanations for various things from science to spiritual matters. It was once thought that ocean waves caused the wind, and since one always came with the other that seemed plausible (wind causes waves). When I was young I thought that cold water passed through a glass, but I now know that it is just condensation. I was also puzzled and annoyed that the underside of my pillow was always cooler than the top side. What was the mysterious source of heat on the top side? It turned out to be my head.

There are as many opinions on evangelistic methods as there are abandoned exercise machines in basements and attics. Some methods work in one church only to fail in another as do exercise machines for those who place their hope in the machine. There is no mystery with the exercise machines because some people really think that if they buy one of those machines that they saw models using on TV then they will lose weight even if they continue a sedentary lifestyle in front of the TV while eating TV dinners and watching infomercials about exercise machines.

The same is often true of outreach ideas. Churches buy into something new without realizing what really caused it to work in another church in the first place. They thought it was the new form, but it is often a hidden principle behind the form. In deciphering why some things really work I would like to look at just one element. Community.

While I lived in Asia I saw tremendous growth in our churches, and my friends in the west attributed this to a new method for small groups. They copied these methods which simply did not work for them. In Asia there was this one thing that was so much in plain sight that it was actually overlooked. Community. Everyone knew everyone, and believers still had many friends who were unbelievers. It was natural to simply invite someone to a group.

In the west community has all but vanished in many areas. In my home state of North Carolina people are very friendly and polite, but they don’t really know their neighbors. When churches in these areas buy into a new outreach idea such as small groups they find that they are immediately intimidated by the fact that they don’t really know anyone well enough to invite them to a group. They try the new outreach machine for a season, but upon finding out that it requires work to reach people they soon send the new model to the basement.

Fortunately for missionaries like me – and unfortunately I might add – we can rely on little in Christendom to help us reach the lost in unchurched societies. Attractional methods don’t work well, and people are suspicious of us. We are left with little recourse but to actually start from scratch and build community.

I am not speaking of Christian community though. I am talking about spending an extended season getting to know unbelievers, doing things together; serving them until the point they “invite us in”. This is the tipping point where real ministry can begin, but it only happens in proportion to the net of community that we have built.

This is one of the missing links in outreach, and there are no shortcuts. It takes time. It takes patience, and the only thing that helps us stay patient is to have a goal of reaching people rather than a goal of filling a church building on Sunday mornings. God will add people to the church if we do our part.

A few more random truths: I still like cool pillows, Evolution is just a story with no scientific mechanism, glass does not sweat, fasting does not eliminate toxins (your liver and kidneys do that), running your car on a full tank does not give better gas mileage and those TV models did not get those fabulous abs on those exercise machines that were invented just last week.

However, people sweat when they exercise, and it would not hurt the church to start a few evangelistic exercises and fast from spiritual junk food and Christian infomercials that clog the airways.

Preparing to Speak

Just recently I passed a milestone in my ability to speak Russian. There are still days when I can barely ask for directions in the morning because that part of my brain still hasn’t felt the coffee, and I still can’t say “barber shop” (par–ik–ma-kher) to save my life. But I can now preach – some would call it stammering - in Russian rather freely without a translator. However, for a safety net there are usually a few bilingual friends on the front row just to throw me a few hints along the way when I stumble with a word.

I also noticed that I sometimes actually preach better than I speak. This was odd at first, but I soon figured out the simple reason why. I can prepare my topic ahead of time, I can craft my message and pray about it to make sure it is from God and I can test it with select friends to make sure it is relevant and understandable. This all helps me to be a better communicator for God and also lessens the chance that I will make an absolute fool of myself. However, in everyday conversation I often do make a fool of myself using the wrong word or just creating some kind of Slavic-inspired sound that causes people to squint their ears in confusion.

Now imagine that everyone had to go through a preparation process before they actually said anything to anyone. You have to make sure that that what you say is from God and that it is not stupid of offensive. You have to make sure that you actually know what you are talking about, and you have to make sure that those who hear you will understand what you are talking about.

One of the problems with this world and even in the church is that people just don’t prepare to say the oftentimes offensive and ignorant things that they say. Their words just spill out their mouths as they are jostled to and fro by the trials and circumstances of life, and very often what spills out is quite unsavory. Since opinion is less dense than truth it usually floats to the top and is the first thing to spill over and be heard.

As Christians we need to stay filled with God’s word so that when we are bumped only good things spill out. We also need friends on the front row of our lives who will lovingly correct us when we are just not making any sense. Lastly, we simply need to be prepared in our hearts to speak in season and out so that our words can change circumstances and not be a byproduct of those circumstances.

Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few. Eccl 5:2

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.

The View from Above

In the C.S. Lewis classic, The Screwtape Letters, we are flies on the wall as one demon instructs another as to how he can stop a young man from becoming a Christian. Once the novice demon fails, his next task is to trip up the new Christian in any way possible, no matter how ridiculous. One approach is to get him to focus on everyone else in the church meeting except himself. The adversary wants the Christian to focus on the sincerity of others simply based on their facial expressions, posture and manner of dress. Anyone not living up to some religious external standard is deemed a hypocrite. Thus, the new Christian is sidetracked and defiled by the silliest of attacks.

I learned a similar lesson a few years ago while attending a church in New York where the pastor preaching was projected on a screen so people in the back could see better. It just so happened that the camera captured the first row where I was sitting.

The lights were quite bright, and I became distracted by looking at how they reflected off the growing bald spot of the guy sitting beside me. Normally, the top of this guys head was not visible, but the camera, bright light and large screen changed that.

I also began to notice how this guy moved in his seat or nodded his head every time I did. He also seemed to be looking at the screen when I did. It was then that the awful revelation hit me; I had somehow miscounted who sat where and had been looking at my own head the whole time! Selah.

Scripture tells us to look into the mirror of God’s word on a daily basis so we can judge our spiritual progress by comparing ourselves to ourselves and not to others. Ultimately, we are really comparing ourselves to Jesus, and this should be enough to keep us humble.

My bald spot is not particularly large. It is just a spot, but when I am in a bright light the view from above reveals every detail. Since God discipled me with the video projector, I have tried to be less observant of the outward shapes of others and to even be merciful when their inner man was not shining in the best of ways.

Recent Blogs:
You are planting a what?

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

How Many Mikes?

As a young boy it was always fun to watch The Ed Sullivan Show on TV especially when the Chinese Acrobats were displaying their plate spinning agility. The more noble-minded viewer may have been amazed at how one guy could keep 20 different plates spinning on thin poles, but not me. I was just waiting for the whole thing to come crashing down. It was inevitable he would make a mistake. (actually, these guys were quite good)

There were two things that reminded me of the famous plate spinners from China recently. The first was Steve Murrell’s recent blog “Leadership is…Getting Out of the Way” The other was a web site I stumbled upon that would tell how many people in the US had the same name as you or I.

So, how many of “me” are there in the US? According to the site there are 2,192 people in the US with the name “Michael Watkins”. I also checked the names of a few of my friends, and the site said that there were none of them in the US. Therefore, you might not really exist.

Back to leadership: Not only was I not surprised when the acrobats broke a few plates, but advanced alien civilizations viewing in on satellite were probably wondering, “You know, if the earthlings were as advanced as they thought, they might get some help spinning those plates. Less would be dropped!” I also think that they had an affinity for spinning plates, probably something to do with their public transportation.

Anyway, and let me try to get back on track, the point of developing leaders is not to develop the one-man-show because sooner or later he or she will drop the plate, the ball or worse. It is only a matter of time. The more people we train to lead in the ordinary areas of life the more we will get accomplished for God’s kingdom and the less high-profile plate droppings we will have.

Here are a few insights that I gained from the silly website:

• Some leaders act as if there is only one of them. Sorry, but there are more, so we are not as important as we think.
• I need to develop other “me’s”. This is better understood as “developing others” as opposed to only developing myself.
• Who thinks up these sites?

The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. 2 Tim 2:2

Influences & Connections

From time to time I want to share with you some of my favorite blogs, articles or web sites. Here are a few:

My wife, Myra, and I just celebrated 16 years of marriage. She is my perfect match in every way. She is the one who encouraged me to write, but she is the better writer. Enjoy her insightful and encouraging thoughts: Change is constant, but so is God

Myra encouraged me to write, but Joey Bonifacio was the one who launched us all into the blogosphere. We call him the wizard of blog, but I know him as one who has made evangelism and discipleship a more joyous adventure. This post is one of my favorites: Discipleship & Strangers

I majored in physics at university and later worked as a research engineer. My fondest memories are the daily discussions with atheists, agnostics and some Christian professors. Read this article about one such professor – not one of my professors - who excels in his field: Why this scientist believes in God

Finally, my best and worst day of the week was Wednesday when I was asked to host visiting missionary, Bob Kraft, for lunch. I used the church van to drive to Makati to pick him up, and I was given excellent directions to the hotel. However, I am so tall that the top of the van blocked my view, and the little bit of usable windshield that I had was tinted. Then it started to rain. I was essentially a blind man driving as I put on my reading glasses to call for directions – all landmarks were higher than the windshield would let me see – juggled the cell phone and generally was comic relief for passers-by.

I finally made it to Bob’s hotel a half hour late. We then tried to backtrack to a restaurant for lunch, and I felt like Wyle Coyote in the Roadrunner cartoons as all the laws of physics were working against me. Road repairs at every turn blocked my return trip, and I was glad to find out that Bob had a big breakfast and was not hungry. We ended up sharing a coffee at the church cafeteria, and throughout this whole ordeal I found Bob to be a very patient guest. Why am I rambling about this? Because it feels good to vent my stress and laugh a little at myself! It is my therapy.

Anyway, back to Bob, he has a great ministry in the Professional Tennis Tour, and it is very clear that our paths will cross again in Eastern Europe because many on the pro tennis tour are from Russian and Ukraine. Take a look at his web site to see the unexpected ways God’s kingdom is advancing: Tennis Ministry International

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?!”)