Quote of the Week

I love this quote for so many reasons.  The first truth in this is that those ministering cross-culturally depend on those back home who are praying for them.  There are countless stories of people being led to pray for a missionary and later finding out that at the exact moment they were praying, that person had been in a place of great need.  The second truth is that prayer is the missionary's means of expressing their dependence on God for strength as well as to move in the hearts of those they are trying to reach. Hudson Taylor expressed this thought when he said, "brother, if you enter that province, you must go forward on your knees."  So when there is fruit and when the worker is able to persevere, those are answers to prayer.  A third, and I think exciting aspect, is that sometimes the missionary going is an answer to prayer.  In Acts 10 we see the story of Cornelius and Peter.  We still see instances like this today, when God sends a believer into the path of someone who is hungry for truth.  To me all these truths are a great reminder that we are called to join God in His mission, not accomplish it all on our own. 

"The history of missions if the history of answered prayers." - Samuel Zwemer

Reviewing the SOFM: Week 7

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." - George Santayana
These famous words flowed well with the topic in week seven of our SOFM. I feel that it's important to take a look at those who have gone before us to see what has worked, and to see what has failed miserably.  While there are many things that can be taken away from a look at the history of missions, to me one of the greatest is this: God has been calling people to the ends of the earth, and there have always been those who have heard that call and obeyed, regardless of the cost involved.  Did they always do things perfect?  Of course not, and we've learned a lot from the time of missions compounds and other interesting methods of reaching the lost.  As someone who loves history in general, I especially love digging into the Moravians, Raymund Lull, Samuel Zwemer, and Adoniram Judson.

Friday Fun

We've been addressing some challenging topics recently so today we'll just have some fun.  This is the first in a series of videos I made a few years back taking a lighthearted look at the challenges people face when communicating in a cross-cultural setting.  All too often we find ourself unintentionally offending people without realizing what we did wrong.  This is one reason it is so important to take the time to learn the culture, so we can do our best to avoid these pitfalls.  Some may have seen this before, but this series still makes me chuckle, even after countless views.

Quote of the Week

Our quote this week dovetails off my previous post.   A lot of times when we think about going cross-culturally and the sacrifice involved, we forget who has asked us to join in that endeavor.  An important aspect of the great commission in Matthew 28 is that the first of four "alls" Jesus mentions is that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Him.  It is out of this universal authority that we are commanded to make disciples, baptize and teach all nations.  In the book Finish The Mission  there is a chapter by Louie Giglio looking at exactly who is asking us to join in the pursuit of global evangelization.   Without going into much detail he essentially comes down to the same conclusion as Stott. This leaves me with a sense of responsibility as well as one of expectation.  While Christ is asking me to play a role in the great commission, it is not solely on my shoulders to make it happen. Rather, He is asking me to join in with what He is already doing. 

"His authority on earth allows us to dare to go to all the nations. His authority in heaven gives us our only hope of success. And His presence with us leaves us no other choice.” 

John R. W. Stott

The Gospel of Self-Preservation

At the frontier missions consultation I recently attended one of the things we were challenged in was to continue mobilizing people to the least reached, even though many of the remaining places are not considered "safe" by any stretch of the imagination.  Within this was a call to search our hearts and see if we truly believe that seeing Jesus worshiped in all the ethne of the world is worth the price.  This was an especially powerful word coming from a colleague whose husband was martyred in North Africa.  These words were still resonating in my mind when I came across this quote:

“When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer  

I think we've lost touch with, or chosen to ignore, this aspect of the gospel.   We've replaced it with a gospel of self-preservation, one that places value on avoiding putting ourselves or those we love in positions where they might suffer.  While Jesus did say, "my yoke is easy, and my burden is light (Matt 11:30),"  He also said "If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. (John 15:20)"

How does this apply to our usual topic of the least reached?  Simply put, there is a cost involved in reaching the least reached.  It can be anything from leaving friends, family, or comfortable surroundings to paying a high price.  Within my circle of friends there are those who, while working in these areas have been imprisoned, found themselves on a terrorist organization's list of kidnapping targets, and another who walked through the death of his infant son.  The common theme is that, while walking through difficult situations, they all saw the kingdom of heaven advance in dark places.  I think one of the big reasons we haven't been more faithful in pursuing our biblical mandate to "bless all the families of the earth (Gen 12:3)" is this:   

We have counted the cost.... and found ourselves unwilling to pay it.   

Quote of the Week

Last week we looked at the idea of attempting things that are impossible without God's help.  Our quote this week addresses how we look at people who do exactly that.  Often when hearing about what we do, missionaries get responses along the lines of, "That's crazy, I could never that" or other statements describing how unusual it is for someone to live their life that way.  This is not how it should be! Every follower of Jesus, whether ministering cross-culturally or working a "normal" job in their home country, should be living their life in such a radical manner. 

"Lukewarm people call radical what Jesus expected of all His followers."

Francis Chan

Happy Birthday Sage

Today is Sage's 4th birthday.  I can't believe how quickly time has flown by.  She is such a blessing to our family and I'm excited for the person Father has made her to be.  Look out world.

Recommended Reading

From time to time I enjoy sharing resources that I've learned a lot from or been challenged by.  While  these have primarily been books, I have something new to share with you today.  If you enjoy, or are challenged by what you read here, I suggest you also check out my good friend's blog at davidjoannes.com.   I have known Dave for about ten years and we've spent nights playing cover songs at Chinese college bars,  countless hours bowling, and shared a passion for Chinese street food.  He and his wife are currently involved in mobilizing and training Asians to reach the least reached.  I find his posts both insightful and thought-provoking, and I think you should check them out.

Reviewing the SOFM: Week 6

Earlier in the SOFM we had spent a week digging into principles of church planting movements.  This week we focused on developing a biblical view of the church.  One of the most important aspects of this, in my opinion, is developing a clear understanding of the varying levels of authority regarding church practices seen throughout church history.  The first and most important are New Testament commands.  These are the non-negotiables, things all believers are expected to do ie. sharing the Lord's Supper together.  The second level are New Testament practices.  These are things we see the church doing in the New Testament that are permissible for the church, but are not commanded ie. greeting each other with a holy kiss.  The third level are human customs.  These are things that aren't bad for a church to do, but are open for each church to be led by the Holy Spirit whether or not to follow ie. only using grape juice for the Lord's Supper.  The reason this is such a vital concept to grasp is that it helps prospective missionaries unpack their own culture's expectations of what a church should look like, which is incredibly freeing. The goal is not to transplant our childhood church in a far away locale, but rather to see a church started that is true to who the locals are, while still being honoring to God.   This might mean the setting, worship style, order of service, etc. look very different from what we're used to.  But that's not a bad thing. 

Quote of the Week

Our quote this week comes from Hudson Taylor, one of the pioneers who began the era of missions leaving the coastlands and moving to the inner, more difficult to reach regions of nations.  I love the thought here, because too often when assessing a possible path or calling the first thing we ask ourselves is if we are capable of doing it.  If our desire is to see amazing things happen and the Kingdom advance where it already hasn't, we need to stop attempting the things that are possible in our own strength and start attempting things that are impossible unless God shows up. 

"Unless there is the element of extreme risk in our exploits for God, there is no need for faith." Hudson Taylor