Apprentice2Jesus

Ramblings of a Confessing Pentecostal

Archive for the category “Missions”

22 Nov 2011
1 Comment

Living Dead Never Ends

I have made my way through the Live Dead Journal and know it’s not the end. My heart is challenged. All the way through I have been challenged with, “How do I live dead in the land of plenty?”

How can I stretch myself is this place of comfort so that those who are called to these hard areas of the world don’t have to beg for resources? How can I contribute from this place in such a way that is truly “living dead?” Or, is the only way to truly “live dead” to go? And if I don’t go… I’m not living dead?

In my place of ministry, and I know this is the place of my calling, I need to constantly evaluate how I am living… and dying to myself. One key area is giving. What can I do in the area of thinking better about how I spend my money? How can I overcome the gods of consumerism and materialism so I give in deeper ways to reach the unreached?

In my place of ministry I also want to resource students who come through and sense a call to the world. I want our church to be a place of sending.

We need to also learn as a church how to live dead in our own community. We will stretch ourselves to make sure the margins of society are noticed when at all possible.

I leave this journal, but I know I can’t leave this conversation.

One of those battles with consumerism and materialism is about to commence. It is almost “Black Friday.”

This year, I’ve decided I don’t want a thing. Those who would give me gifts can breathe a sigh of relief. “Whew! Saved some money!”

Could I challenge you with a couple of things?

I don’t want anything for myself. I have enough. For those that would think of giving something, give it in a place where the need is great. Do it for me rather a gift to me.

One place I would ask to give in this season is THE ELIMINATE PROJECT. I belong to Kiwanis service organization and the Eliminate Project is an incredible partnership with UNICEF to help wipe out maternal neonatal tetanus in the poorest areas of the world. Kiwanis is raising $110 million over 4 years to help get rid of this problem. I encourage you to give to this incredible cause.

Since I love Bible translations, I would also recommend the Bible Alliance.

Then, of course, the missionaries dedicated to the Live/Dead project.

I know this will get misunderstood because people I don’t know are reading this as well. I’m not asking anyone to give me Christmas presents!

I am asking that we think about the consumerism of our culture and think differently about where to give our dollars this year. If you know someone who “has everything,” and you want to honor them this Christmas, think of giving to another organization in their honor and let them know.

We need to live differently. Let’s start today.

Posted in Culture, Missions and tagged , , , ,
20 Nov 2011

Sheep and Goats

Tackling the parable of the sheep and the goats hasn’t been easy. I still don’t have this one working very well in my mind. Yet, when I think of this passage with “the least of these” being Jesus’ disciples (the Sent Ones), I reflect on those who have gone before. I think of those who have laid down their lives for the gospel of Jesus Christ and one day those who put them to death will stand before the King of Kings and given an accounting for what they did to “the least of these.”

For Graham Staines and his two little boys, martyred in India in 1999. For Mehdi Dibaj and Bishop Haik, martyred in Iran in the early 1990s, I want to honor their memory. I want to reflect on what it means to live all out for my King, even in the midst of the comfort of America.

 

Posted in Bible Study, Missions, Parables and tagged , | Leave a Comment
16 Nov 2011
2 Comments

Living Dead in the Midst of Plenty

As I work my way through the Live Dead journal I am constantly challenged with the thought, “How can I possibly live dead in the midst of doing well?”

I am not going to Africa. I’d like to go teach and preach in Africa or other places in the world, but I am a pastor and a teacher. I live in the U.S. Living dead here is tough.

Is the only way to live dead to go overseas? The challenge I face is living dead to my own desires here without feeling I need to get on a plane to Africa and never looking back. Living all out here certainly has its daunting challenges!

Posted in Missions, Spiritual hunger and tagged
09 Nov 2011

Three Martyrdoms — White

Dick Brodgen in The Live Dead Journal talks about three martyrdoms: red, green, and white.

In the Green Martyrdom the Irish would build communities and invite people in. They would invite people to belong before the invitation to believe. Even though the Green Martyrdom is hard because it is giving up one’s will for another person, what did happen was communities were truly built. Children were being raised safely, education was a priority, and communities were safe.

The White Martyrdom came when Columcille, a disciple of Patrick, saw that Jesus would leave the 99 to save the 1. His call was to northern England. He gave up Ireland for another land, which is the hardest thing for an Irishman to do. It was called the White Martyrdom because they sailed into the white sky of  morning, into the unknown, may never return. (Thomas Cahill, How the Irish Saved Civilization.)

The White Martyrdom is taking the gospel to the ends of the earth. It is engaging people we call “unreached.” They are unreached not because they refuse the gospel, but because we as the church have refused to engage them. Someone has to go.

Our church is supporting several missionaries in this last category. They are “sailing off” for areas where the Church has ignored the preaching of the gospel for centuries. There are areas I can’t even mention, and I certainly can’t mention their names here. They are incredible men and women of God who are throwing themselves into the unknown with deep joy. They are sailing off not knowing what lies ahead.

The Live Dead challenge is about praying. It is about searching and asking. What does God really ask of me when it comes to making sure this gospel is preached in all the world?

Posted in Missions, Spiritual hunger and tagged , , | Leave a Comment
08 Nov 2011

Three Martyrdoms — Green

In the Live Dead Journal Dick Brogden discusses three types of martyrdoms. The green martyrdom comes from the stories of the Irish. The Irish established missional monasteries. These monasteries weren’t to get away from the world but to invite the world in. Their monasteries would be built in a compound style. They planted flowers and gardens, built roads and bridges, brewed ale, and shared it liberally. They shared life with all. The good, the bad, and the ugly parts of life were shared together.

Travelers were invited into the compound as guests. They could eat with the monks, stay in the guest house and learn from the monks. The monks absorbed the travelers into the life of the community. They welcomed the lost to belong before they asked for a change in belief.

Christianity’s biggest downfall in the West is its lack of community. When we ask for individual decisions we also inadvertently invite people into an individualistic discipleship. For Muslims coming out of communities, this just doesn’t work. We ask them to commit to Jesus… and then leave them alone. Maybe we disciple them an hour a week, have them in church an hour a week, but the rest of the time they are on their own. No community. If someone comes out of a community because that community rejects them based on faith, there needs to be a new community to welcome them in!

Brogden calls the Irish evangelism the green martyrdom because there is still death. There is death to self to live in community. The Red Martyrdom asks you to lay your life down for Jesus. The Green Martyrdom requires laying down of your will for one another. This makes the Green Martyrdom much harder.

Living dead is found in Green Martyrdom.

Posted in Missions and tagged | Leave a Comment
08 Nov 2011
1 Comment

Three Martyrdoms — Red

Dick Brogden may not be a name you know. He doesn’t care. What he cares about is proclaiming Christ to the nations, especially the peoples who have yet to hear. I’ve been going through a journal he edited called The Live Dead Journal.

Halfway through, Dick talks about three martyrdoms. The Red Martyrdom is giving your life for Christ physically. Literally dying for the cause of Christ. It is not your call. It is the call of the Savior.

Two quotes from this section:

Martin Luther King, Jr. said this: “We shall match your capacity to inflict suffering by our capacity to endure suffering. But be ye assured that we will wear you down by our capacity to suffer. One day we shall win freedom but not only for ourselves. We shall so appeal to your heart and conscience that we shall win you in the process, and our victory will be a double victory.”

And this:

If can can glorify Christ by the Red Martyrdom, why not? It is how He died. It is where and how He went. Would it not be an honor if He allows us to go the same way?

Posted in Missions, Spiritual hunger and tagged , ,
06 Nov 2011

Passing Along Passion

This article on missions is challenging.

Am I sharing God’s passion for the lost? As we have wrapped up our missions emphasis this year at church I have been blessed by seeing the passion for missions raised in our Faith Promise giving for next year. It looks like another increase! I am so deeply grateful.

But there is something more stirring in me. I am seeking out what the Spirit is truly trying to say to me. The longing in my heart that has been there for years is that one day I can have the opportunity to teach pastors overseas in some way on a regular basis. I want to equip leaders in new areas of church planting where they don’t get the advantage of a Bible school. I want to help. Maybe that stirring from the Spirit now is something to do with that.

What I do know is that I cannot be satisfied with writing a check. I must keep stretching myself in passion for the Kingdom. To know him, and to make him known.

Posted in Evangelism, Missions, Spiritual hunger and tagged | Leave a Comment
23 Oct 2011
1 Comment

The Privilege of Living Dead

As I am challenging myself with John Wesley’s work on entire sanctification, I am meeting incredible people who live out the heart of Wesley’s message on a daily basis. They are people I can’t even name on a website because of the sensitive work they do.

Their call is incredible. One organization challenging the Christian community with reaching the unreached in East Africa is called Live/Dead. You can learn more HERE.

This morning I am beginning a 30 day journey through their “Live/Dead” journal. The first challenge is to tithe my time to Jesus. To abide in Jesus is to spend extravagant time with him. It is to know him. That is prayer. That is reading the Word. That is listening to him. A tithe of my day! (I get exhausted just thinking about it.)

But the question is this: Is Jesus worth it?

When I am around incredible people like some of these friends who put together “Live/Dead,” I know the answer. They spend extravagant time with Jesus. And it is beautiful to see.

Posted in Missions, Prayer, Spiritual hunger, Worship and tagged
19 Oct 2011

The Spirit of Generosity

A new survey going around Facebook shows that churches are more stingy than ever. It’s the kind of fodder we seem to like. For cynics, it’s just another bullet in the gun for them. For Christians, it’s yet another way to beat ourselves up.

For the church I pastor I want to say this survey is not the rule. For those in my church, I want to thank you from the depths of my heart. You are shining examples of what it means to care for the Body of Christ and reach out to the world. We have witnessed amazing miracles to help those in need.

We are also entering a time of emphasizing missions and I can happily report our missions giving is UP. This last year we increased our budget to missions through your faith promise giving. We even added a missionary. As we enter into this season of prayer and dreaming for missions, please do not let up. Let your generosity stay as a shining example to the world around us.

May this survey never be true of this church!

Posted in Church, Church Life, Missions and tagged | Leave a Comment
18 Feb 2011

Hidden Heroes

The recent eruptions in the Middle East and North Africa have caught the world’s attention. While there was quite a stir regarding Egypt, events in Bahrain, Iran, Yemen, etc., don’t seem to capture much of the blogging fancy these days. Maybe Egypt was “sexier.” Maybe something going on for over two weeks stretches our attention span…

With that in mind, I’d like to bring up something else that doesn’t capture much of our attention: missionaries.

There are great people serving in these tough areas, but are hidden because of the extreme culture. Being hidden is almost “death” to many missionaries because they can’t get word out and “market” themselves to raise money.

So, if I may toot a couple of horns for some great missionaries, here it goes: I know one veteran missionary who is truly an apostle in every good sense of that word to a “closed” nation. He has worked in this area of the world for over 20 years. He is now in danger of NOT returning to the land of his calling because there is a lack of support.

I know of another missionary family. They are heading into a brand new place where there are no missionaries. A new team is forming and they have the opportunity to do truly apostolic work. Again, their budget is difficult and they are in danger of not making it to the place of their calling.

Could I invite you to prayerfully consider joining these great people in an ongoing partnership? Monthly support at ANY level is incredibly helpful. If you could pass this post along to friends and if we could prayerfully (and may I add CAREFULLY) consider supporting them, I would greatly appreciate it. So would they.

I don’t want to endanger their status, so in contacting me I would hope I could establish the desire to truly help them so I could get you in contact with them.

We have hidden heroes in very sensitive parts of the world. Let’s pray for the Church in these areas of upheaval, but let’s also rally to support our hidden heroes as well.

Blessings!

Posted in Missions | Leave a Comment

Post Navigation

← Older Entries
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 34 other followers