Why Me?
“The Kingdom of God is forcefully advancing and forceful men lay hold of it!”
The last thing that Jesus Christ said when He left this earth was this:
“Therefore GO and MAKE disciples of all nations, BAPTIZING them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and TEACHING them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
-Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV)
What is the Mission?
To Prepare the Way of the Lord!
To go into all nations
To train up Passionate-Hearted Disciples.
Passionate-Hearted Disciples are those who will give their lives to see the Kingdom of God forcefully advance. This mission is not for the faint of heart. It will cost you everything. But remember, as you go into the world making disciples, baptizing them and teaching them, Christ’s promises He will always be with you.
There are three important questions you need to ask yourself. The answers to these three questions will help you on your journey to accomplishing your mission. When you can answer these three questions yourself, you will grow as a Pasionate-Hearted Disciple. Then you will catch the vision for the mission; raising up other Passionate-Hearted Disciples.
1. QUESTION OF EXISTENCE: WHY AM I ALIVE?
“Why was I born? Was it only to have trouble and sorrow, to end my life in disgrace?”
-Jeremiah 20:18 (TEV)
“The Lord has made everything for His own purpose.”
-Proverbs 16:4a (GW)
“Long before He laid down earth's foundations, He had us in mind, and settled on us as the focus of His love, to be made whole and holy by His love.” -Ephesians 1:4 (Msg)
“I WAS CREATED TO BE LOVED BY GOD!”
2. QUESTION OF SIGNIFICANCE: DOES MY LIFE MATTER?
“My work all seems so useless! I have spent my strength for nothing and for no purpose at all.”
-Isaiah 49:4a (NLT)
“I am your Creator. You were in my care even before you were born.”
-Isaiah 44:2 (CEV)
“You... scheduled each day of my life before I began to breathe. The very day was recorded in your book!”
-Psalm 139:16 (LB)
"His plans endure forever; his purposes last eternally."
-Psalm 33:11 (GN)
“MY LIFE MATTERS TO GOD!”
“When this tent we live in—our body here on earth—is torn down, God will have a house in heaven for us to live in, a home He himself has made, which will last forever.” -2 Corinthians 5:1 (TEV)
“Leave your impoverished confusion and live! Walk up the street to a life with meaning."
-Proverbs 9:6 (Msg)
God sent His only Son Jesus to lay down His life for you.
God clearly communicated your value through the sacrifice of Jesus His Son.
3. QUESTION OF INTENTION: WHAT IS MY PURPOSE?
“Why did you create us? For nothing?”
-Psalm 89:47 (NCV)
"Knowing God results in every other kind of understanding."
-Proverbs 9:10b (LB)
“I FIND MY PURPOSE IN GOD!”
“For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible…everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him.”
-Colossians 1:16 (Msg)
“It's in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for...part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.”
-Ephesians 1:11 (Msg)
“It makes no difference who you are or where you're from—if you want God and are ready to do as he says, the door is open.”
-Acts 10:35 (Msg)
"You (God) created everything, and it is for your pleasure that they exist and were created."
-Revelation 4:11b (NLT)
“Love the Lord your God... This is the first and greatest commandment.”
-Matt. 22:37-38 (NIV)
You were created to bring honor to God!
Application
1. When did you first know God loved you? Explain:
2. What were the circumstances in your life before you knew His love?
3. Write down your experience of receiving God’s love:
4. What difference has His love made in your life?
5. What does Jesus Christ’s life and sacrifice mean to you? Explain:
6. What do you think God would say about your significance?
7. What is your purpose?
The Kingdom of God is forcefully advancing in you .... lay hold of it!
The Leadership Road Less Traveled
The Road Not Taken
Robert Frost
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth.
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same.
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
All leaders are faced with daily decisions - choices whose sum total determine the direction and effectiveness of our lives and ministries.
It seems most important ministry decisions have to do with control.
How, when, and where should we inject our power and influence?
Where do we give slack by granting trust, and where do we reign in and exercise our authority?
Who owns this ministry, this church, this mission?
You? Or Christ?
Frost's lighthearted but profound observations sound the depths of our personal styles of leadership.
As leaders within the Church, we are repeatedly forced to choose between building and strengthening and protecting a hierarchical institution, or building and strengthening and protecting a relational organism.
The hidden cost: with each choice, you are not only choosing your venue, you are choosing the long term fruit of your ministry.
Choose wisely.
The Heart of the Matter
Jesus has called us.
That is primary.
It is His Call that grants us the authority to minister in His Name, the Right to go.
There is no greater name under Heaven by which we are called.
The Call creates need and desperation.
The Call requires more of me than I have, and therefore it is not a Call to Do more, but a Call to Be more.
That Be-ing is realized only in a vibrant relationship with the Caller Himself.
That is why He came, why He died, and why He calls... to draw all men to Himself.
With the Call comes an offer of Himself, and we never move beyond that dependence.
At the center of the mission dynamic sits a white hot coal of personal discipleship in the heart of a believer who is deeply in love with Christ and what He has done in his life.
Fan that flame.
That is primary.
It is His Call that grants us the authority to minister in His Name, the Right to go.
There is no greater name under Heaven by which we are called.
The Call creates need and desperation.
The Call requires more of me than I have, and therefore it is not a Call to Do more, but a Call to Be more.
That Be-ing is realized only in a vibrant relationship with the Caller Himself.
That is why He came, why He died, and why He calls... to draw all men to Himself.
With the Call comes an offer of Himself, and we never move beyond that dependence.
At the center of the mission dynamic sits a white hot coal of personal discipleship in the heart of a believer who is deeply in love with Christ and what He has done in his life.
Fan that flame.
Missions Reorg
We have chosen to focus on relationships, rather than programs...
On development, rather than aid...
On calling, rather than herding...
On long term strategy, rather than short term projects...
So how do we begin to flesh out this vision?
When we read the Book of Acts, we see patterns and models for missions that are deeply and firmly rooted in a spirit-led community of missional disciples.
Our present structures reflect the influence of corporate hierarchy, more than this biblical pattern emphasizing community, and still we hope for - maybe even want or expect - fruit similar to that produced by the Acts model.
Here's where we've been, working with a hierarchical structure:
It's fascinating to do a word search in the Book of Acts for every reference to "send", "sent", "went", "gathered", and so on.
Here is one concept we find in Acts:
The Incubator is a spiritual greenhouse that dovetails perfectly with the church's discipleship efforts and worship focus. It's purpose is to create a community environment with optimal growing conditions for missional disciples. The disciples gathered regularly for encouragement, food (yeah!), to learn from each other, and to pray with each other.
The Training area focuses not on classroom lectures, but on sharing experiences and reflective learning. By meeting in small groups to draw out of each other what we have learned from our cross-cultural and ministry experiences, we naturally begin to relate to each another as Paul's, Barnabas', and Timothy's.
The Sending arena allows us to mitigate legal and financial risks to the church institution when the church itself authorizes and endorses missions travel. It is a dynamic mix of administrative details and personal coaching, and provides rich experiences which feed back into the Training and Incubating arenas.
This is not a static model - it is a dynamic, constantly revolving model in which members move freely from one circle to the next and around and around. This movement from Incubator to Training to Sending and back creates velocity and momentum within the organization, strengthening the group as a whole.
This model is also more inviting to leadership development than the traditional hierarchy. Experienced leaders who just show up in this community can be recognized for their prior experiences related to missions without having to climb a corporate-style ladder in order to gain influence. New leaders find their ideas gaining traction based on whether they fit with vision and actually work in the field.
There are two keys to success with this model:
1. Retain deep overlap among the three areas - any separation risks divergent efforts and loss of focus on the purpose and mission of the church.
2. Retain a deeply committed, experienced group of missions leaders at the core of this community, a team that is capable of keeping the missional flame white hot in each of these three areas.
On development, rather than aid...
On calling, rather than herding...
On long term strategy, rather than short term projects...
So how do we begin to flesh out this vision?
When we read the Book of Acts, we see patterns and models for missions that are deeply and firmly rooted in a spirit-led community of missional disciples.
Our present structures reflect the influence of corporate hierarchy, more than this biblical pattern emphasizing community, and still we hope for - maybe even want or expect - fruit similar to that produced by the Acts model.
Here's where we've been, working with a hierarchical structure:
It's fascinating to do a word search in the Book of Acts for every reference to "send", "sent", "went", "gathered", and so on.
Here is one concept we find in Acts:
The Incubator is a spiritual greenhouse that dovetails perfectly with the church's discipleship efforts and worship focus. It's purpose is to create a community environment with optimal growing conditions for missional disciples. The disciples gathered regularly for encouragement, food (yeah!), to learn from each other, and to pray with each other.
The Training area focuses not on classroom lectures, but on sharing experiences and reflective learning. By meeting in small groups to draw out of each other what we have learned from our cross-cultural and ministry experiences, we naturally begin to relate to each another as Paul's, Barnabas', and Timothy's.
The Sending arena allows us to mitigate legal and financial risks to the church institution when the church itself authorizes and endorses missions travel. It is a dynamic mix of administrative details and personal coaching, and provides rich experiences which feed back into the Training and Incubating arenas.
This is not a static model - it is a dynamic, constantly revolving model in which members move freely from one circle to the next and around and around. This movement from Incubator to Training to Sending and back creates velocity and momentum within the organization, strengthening the group as a whole.
This model is also more inviting to leadership development than the traditional hierarchy. Experienced leaders who just show up in this community can be recognized for their prior experiences related to missions without having to climb a corporate-style ladder in order to gain influence. New leaders find their ideas gaining traction based on whether they fit with vision and actually work in the field.
There are two keys to success with this model:
1. Retain deep overlap among the three areas - any separation risks divergent efforts and loss of focus on the purpose and mission of the church.
2. Retain a deeply committed, experienced group of missions leaders at the core of this community, a team that is capable of keeping the missional flame white hot in each of these three areas.
The Wikichurch - Part One
Missions is concerned with expanding the Church to every tribe, tongue, and nation.
It's long been my conviction that this can only be accomplished by "non-professional" (read: unpaid) ministers, since there just aren't enough "professional" ministers to get the job done (do the math).
Most of us have heard of Wikipedia.org - the volunteer-driven, online encyclopedia whose content is entirely owned and developed by the general public.
It's an incredible concept, and it's success flies right in the face of our "don't trust the unwashed masses - leave ministry to the professionals" attitudes about church leadership.
(By the way - "Wiki" has absolutely no relationship to wicca - the occult practice - so relax, we are God-fearing, Jesus-loving evangelicals here... not witches.)
I'm reading a book called Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything, which has been widely praised as an accurate assessment of the cross-organizational public collaborations that are transforming high tech marketplaces around the world. This is more than just globalization or democratization - it's about giving the unwashed, unproven masses a serious chance to contribute. (Gasp!)
Here's an excerpt from the book's Introduction:
"Throughout history corporations have organized themselves according to strict hierarchical lines of authority. Everyone was a subordinate to someone else... There was always someone or some company in charge, controlling things, at the "top" of the food chain. While hierarchies are not vanishing, profound changes in the nature of technology, demographics, and the global economy are giving rise to powerful new models of production based on community, collaboration, and self-organization rather than on hierarchy and control."
Fascinating. Now, without getting too personal - does that sound like your local church?
Next, check this out:
"As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen."
Check out the pronouns: "each one", "one another", "anyone".
This instruction comes from Peter - who was First of All the Unwashed Ministers. Think about it... Who were the disciples? They were the religious refugees, the Border People on the outskirts of a Pharisaical order. Yet Jesus made Peter the rock on which His Church was founded. And He did it in three years.
Ministry skills can be taught and learned - and I believe it is the job of local church leaders to train and release the willing, without regard to their social, economic, or educational background.
Let me be clear: I am NOT advocating a democratic theology, nor a democratic church leadership; John 1 and Ephesians 4 leave no gaps. And I am not pointing fingers - WE are the Church, and we Westerners bear the stains of materialistic consumerism that keep us in our chairs.
But what I am ABSOLUTELY advocating is the abolition of the glass ceiling that keeps proven, mature believers within our church from sharing in the ministry of the Church, whether on the streets in the mission field, or in the pulpit at home.
The Western Church has focused for decades on gathering and nurturing the "unwashed masses". Our next challenge is to release these "unwashed masses" for whom Jesus died as redeemed ministers. It takes more time and true leadership skills to train and release ten "non-professional" ministry leaders, than to control and rein-in a thousand "nice people" as spectators.
I believe the administrative task before the Western Church remains one of refining our organizational structures to look less like Corporate America, and more like the forms and functions found in Scripture. Like Michelangelo said, when he was asked about his magnificent carving of David the Shepherd King, "The image is already in the marble, all I do is cut away everything that is not the image." We must love the Image of the Church within the cold stone our fathers have left us.
Over 100 years ago Dwight Moody said, "The world has yet to see what God can do in, and with, and through a man or woman who is totally dedicated to Him."
And if Jesus doesn't care whether they're on staff, or dress like us, or talk like us, then neither should we.
The Picture I Promised I'd Never Show
It was a stereotypical African missions scene...
Riding in a white SUV through a dusty impoverished village in sub-Saharan Africa...
Two white Americans, a black Xhosa, and a Coloured.
As soon as the SUV stopped, little kids came running towards from every direction, yelling, "Photo! Photo!"
So what did the white American pastor say? "Hey, let's get a picture!"
I caught the look on the face of the national pastor who was hosting us, whose truck we'd been riding in, and whose church plant leadership team we were about to meet.
Typical American missionaries.
Typical abuse.
Typical misuse.
Typical stereotypical [sic] approach to missions.
Find poverty, drama, need... Take pictures with the poor children... then go home and use them to raise money - for OUR projects, for OUR programs.
Go home and back to work... eat your food... sleep in your nice bed - never mind that you just embarrassed the heck out of an entire village, a new church plant in that village, and the very pastor who is hosting you.
So I promised our friend, the national pastor, that I would not use that photo.
We had no relationship with these kids.
No ministry took place with them.
We didn't know their names, their parents, their language, their needs - it was a total hit and run.
To use that photo would have been hypocrisy at it's finest.
I'm breaking my promise...
Here's the photo... with the proper caption:
Exploitation is not just for colonialists anymore.
American short term missions teams have perfected the art, to the detriment of the Name of Christ.
Not cool, dude.
Riding in a white SUV through a dusty impoverished village in sub-Saharan Africa...
Two white Americans, a black Xhosa, and a Coloured.
As soon as the SUV stopped, little kids came running towards from every direction, yelling, "Photo! Photo!"
So what did the white American pastor say? "Hey, let's get a picture!"
I caught the look on the face of the national pastor who was hosting us, whose truck we'd been riding in, and whose church plant leadership team we were about to meet.
Typical American missionaries.
Typical abuse.
Typical misuse.
Typical stereotypical [sic] approach to missions.
Find poverty, drama, need... Take pictures with the poor children... then go home and use them to raise money - for OUR projects, for OUR programs.
Go home and back to work... eat your food... sleep in your nice bed - never mind that you just embarrassed the heck out of an entire village, a new church plant in that village, and the very pastor who is hosting you.
So I promised our friend, the national pastor, that I would not use that photo.
We had no relationship with these kids.
No ministry took place with them.
We didn't know their names, their parents, their language, their needs - it was a total hit and run.
To use that photo would have been hypocrisy at it's finest.
I'm breaking my promise...
Here's the photo... with the proper caption:
Exploitation is not just for colonialists anymore.
American short term missions teams have perfected the art, to the detriment of the Name of Christ.
Not cool, dude.
Which is more important... Local or Global?
A few weeks ago, someone wrote in response to one of our missions newsletters: "I feel frustrated because it seems the entire focus of this mission newsletter is on missions to other places. Yet, we have such a HUGE need right here in our back yard."
Most Western/American missions activities are focused on crossing cultural boundaries in order to EXPAND the global Church. This is indeed part of Christ's mission to the world ("Go into all the world and preach the gospel…").
But we also believe that every local church exists to be a positive TRANSFORMATIONAL force within it's own community. It is difficult for an "outsider" (a short term missions team) to address the deepest core problems in a community. We don't have the history or depth of understanding to treat both the cause and the effect, so we focus more on relief than development - on giving people fish instead of teaching them to fish.
In this tension we begin to see the beauty of God's design for the local church, and His Mission to the world. On one hand, He sends us to carry the Gospel across borders and cultural boundaries ("Go into all the world and preach the gospel…"), and on the other hand He calls His Church to address the unique needs and developmental problems within their own communities ("the essence of true religion is to minister to widows and orphans").
Christ has one Mission to the world - and we are coming to understand that modern, Western Christianity needs to embrace the fullness of that Mission. The bottom line is to make disciples of Jesus Christ, everywhere.
We believe that a single person who has deeply and passionately connected to what Christ wants them to do is much more fruitful in the long term than funneling people into our projects and our programs. We in the local church must be committed to investing in people through discipleship, and releasing them to do the ministry that God has called them to do.
Church 2.42
Church 2.42
The birth of the Church begins in the Book of Acts chapter 2 verses 42-47
"They (the Early Church) devoted themselves to the Apostles teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Verese 42 outlines four areas that the early church was devoted to that culminated with a mighty move of God of those being saved. I call these four areas the Core Values of Church 2.42.
A passionate hearted disciple holds these four values:
1. Fellowship (Hanging together)
2. Breaking of Bread (Eating together)
3. Apostles Teaching (Learning together in God's Word)
4. Prayer (Praying together)This can remembered with acronym
H.E.L.P.Hang...Eat...Learn...PrayThe early church committed to H.E.L.P.And the Lord added to their number daily those who were saved!
The birth of the Church begins in the Book of Acts chapter 2 verses 42-47
"They (the Early Church) devoted themselves to the Apostles teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Verese 42 outlines four areas that the early church was devoted to that culminated with a mighty move of God of those being saved. I call these four areas the Core Values of Church 2.42.
A passionate hearted disciple holds these four values:
1. Fellowship (Hanging together)
2. Breaking of Bread (Eating together)
3. Apostles Teaching (Learning together in God's Word)
4. Prayer (Praying together)This can remembered with acronym
H.E.L.P.Hang...Eat...Learn...PrayThe early church committed to H.E.L.P.And the Lord added to their number daily those who were saved!
Israel...Why Go?
Dan Russell said...
Mission leadership: Why is Israel significant to reaching a lost World? My wife and I will be leaving for Israel on Thursday July 19, 2007. While in Israel we will be meeting with several thousand Foursquare leaders.
The State Department has issued a warning about traveling to Israel this week."The U.S. State Department is warning Americans traveling to Israel to use extreme caution..." "The U.S. government has received information indicating that American interests could be the focus of terrorist attacks." In addition, the warning states that "large crowds and public gatherings should be avoided..."
The question has been brought up, "Why would you go?" "Why Israel at this time?" "Why meet in a public gathering with several thousand of you?" Paul wrote to a growing Gentile church (Romans 11)"Again I ask: Did they (the Jews) stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious, but if their transgression means riches for the Gentiles, HOW MUCH GREATER RICHES WILL THEIR FULLNESS BRING?
Paul later adds..."For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their accepance be BUT LIFE FROM THE DEAD?"
In 1716, Thomas Boston preached a sermon called "Encouragent to Pray for the Conversion of the Jews." He said in this message "Are you longing for a revival to the churches, now lying like dry bones, would you fain have the Spirit of Life enter in to them? Then pray for the Jews. For if the casting away be the reconciliation of the world; what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?
Jonathan Edwards saw that the coming of Israel to faith "will be BEFORE the glory of the Gentile part of the church shall be fully accomplished, because it is said that their coming in shall be life from the dead to the Gentiles."
Charles Spurgeon said, "Matchless benefits to the world are bound up with the restoration of Israel; their gathering shall be as life from the dead."
As a Church, we are standing with Israel. We are standing on the promises of God for the Jewish people. We are contending for the resurrection of the Jewish believing community as promised by God. Israel was chosen for God's blessing.
Israel is to be light to the rest of the world. Isaiah 42:6"I the Lord have called you into righteousness. I will take ahold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be covenant for the people and A LIGHT TO THE GENTILES."
We live in a great time. Jesus reminds us that we will be His witnesses to the ends of the earth. (Acts 1:8)Jesus said He would return when the Gospel of the Kingdom has reached every people group of the world. (Matthew 24:14)The light being shown to all the world is deeply connected to Israel and their return to the Lord. Again...The fullness of the Church and the return of our Lord is intertwined with Israel.
And the great news: Jewish people are opening up to the Gospel in ways we have not seen since the beginning of the Church. We are seeing nations in the world that were once dark and far from God rapidly receiving God's grace through Jesus. And the Gentile church, with an anti-semitic past, is now joining with our Jewish brothers and sisters.
We live in a great time in the history of the Church. Yes, we see a terrorized world. There is no nation confronted with terrorism more than Israel. Nations like Iran spout a venom of removing Israel from the face of the earth. These attacks are nothing more that a distraction from a mighty move of God taking place.
The Church is called to stand and contend for Israel in this time. Don Finto in "God's Promise and the Future of Israel" asks three pertinent questions.
1. How are we to respond to God's work in the context of a terrorized world?
2. How can Jewish people receive our love and blessing when many of our forefathers in the Church have been the very cause of their suffering?
3. How can we genuinely bless the Jewish people who disagree with our faith in Jesus, while we joyously fellowship with those who have embraced it?
This gathering in Israel, in this time of terrorist radicals, is a small but important statement of our Church blessing Israel. It is a declaration of God's Mighty Hand moving in our time. My wife and I are expectant and we are anticipating the Lord to show up in significant ways while our Church meets in Jerusalem.
This day and age is no surprise to God. Jesus points to a world of terrorism without boundaries. His description looks alot like the world we now live in. Luke 21:25-28.There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Men will faint from "TERROR", apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. WHEN THESE THINGS TAKE PLACE, STAND UP AND LIFT UP YOUR HEADS, BECAUSE YOUR REDEMPTION IS DRAWING NEAR.
This is not a time to cower at terrorist actions. It is not a time for us to faint or to live in fear of the world's plan. It is not a time to be distracted. My wife and I, with our church, will stand up and lift up the name of the Lord when the world would want us to hide. This is the time to declare CHRIST'S REDEMPTION DRAWING NEAR.
We will bless what God has blessed and contend for the fulfillment of His promises to the people of Israel. YES...Greater riches come to the Church through the fulfillment of God's promises to Israel. YES...the world will know that Jesus is Lord and His promises are true.
As you think of us in Israel, stand up and lift up the name of the Lord. Pray for the fullness of God's promises to Israel and for the world to receive Jesus the soon coming King.
Two personal stories connected to Israel and the intensity I feel for standing up for this nation in this day.
First, I was in Poland coaching our USA Wrestling Team a few years ago. While I was there I arranged a day to go to see Auschwitz Concentration Camp. The Israeli National Team Heard that we were going and they asked me if they could join us. I witnessed first hand the deep pain that was endured during this recent dark period of our history. I heard personal stories from the Israeli team and their feelings from visiting this place of unbelievable horrors. The impact of that day is forever etched into my memory.
Secondly, I was coaching a a World University Team with the World Championships being held in Cairo Egypt. That year an Israeli Wrestler won the World Title. As is the custom, He got to stand on top of the award stand and have his flag raised while his National Anthem played. Every World Champion is honored in this way at every World Championship. This was the first time I saw the world's view of Israel at close range. Every other World Champion had an entire gymnasium stand in silence as their flag was raised and Anthem played. When the Israeli World Chyampion took to the podium the gymnasium was filled with loud jeers and obnoxious whistling. Items were being thrown down on to the gym floor in protest. (I was standing on the main floor with things being hurled in my direction.) An Egyptian band played as loud as they could to cover up the playing of Israeli National Anthem. With the World participating in the Championships, only three countries stood to honor the Israeli World Champion as his flag was raised; Israel, USA and Germany. The rest of the world was either booing or doing nothing at all. One section of the gymnasium was filled with Egyptian military in full dress with weapons and all. Standing in the middle of that gym floor in front of this angry mob was a dangerous act.
It is important to stand up for injustice. It is important to let Israel know that they are not alone. It is important that they know that God has given up on them. It is time to stand up and contend for God's promises to be fulfilled.Why Israel when things are so tense with terrorists running rampant? When would there a better time to communicate the Heart of God? Standing up in Israel in this day communicates deeply to a people the world would rather see eliminated. I am proud that our Church plans to stand up for Israel in the midst of these difficult times. I am excited to stand and to witness this action.
It is a prophetic moment with eternal consequences.
Mission leadership: Why is Israel significant to reaching a lost World? My wife and I will be leaving for Israel on Thursday July 19, 2007. While in Israel we will be meeting with several thousand Foursquare leaders.
The State Department has issued a warning about traveling to Israel this week."The U.S. State Department is warning Americans traveling to Israel to use extreme caution..." "The U.S. government has received information indicating that American interests could be the focus of terrorist attacks." In addition, the warning states that "large crowds and public gatherings should be avoided..."
The question has been brought up, "Why would you go?" "Why Israel at this time?" "Why meet in a public gathering with several thousand of you?" Paul wrote to a growing Gentile church (Romans 11)"Again I ask: Did they (the Jews) stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious, but if their transgression means riches for the Gentiles, HOW MUCH GREATER RICHES WILL THEIR FULLNESS BRING?
Paul later adds..."For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their accepance be BUT LIFE FROM THE DEAD?"
In 1716, Thomas Boston preached a sermon called "Encouragent to Pray for the Conversion of the Jews." He said in this message "Are you longing for a revival to the churches, now lying like dry bones, would you fain have the Spirit of Life enter in to them? Then pray for the Jews. For if the casting away be the reconciliation of the world; what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?
Jonathan Edwards saw that the coming of Israel to faith "will be BEFORE the glory of the Gentile part of the church shall be fully accomplished, because it is said that their coming in shall be life from the dead to the Gentiles."
Charles Spurgeon said, "Matchless benefits to the world are bound up with the restoration of Israel; their gathering shall be as life from the dead."
As a Church, we are standing with Israel. We are standing on the promises of God for the Jewish people. We are contending for the resurrection of the Jewish believing community as promised by God. Israel was chosen for God's blessing.
Israel is to be light to the rest of the world. Isaiah 42:6"I the Lord have called you into righteousness. I will take ahold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be covenant for the people and A LIGHT TO THE GENTILES."
We live in a great time. Jesus reminds us that we will be His witnesses to the ends of the earth. (Acts 1:8)Jesus said He would return when the Gospel of the Kingdom has reached every people group of the world. (Matthew 24:14)The light being shown to all the world is deeply connected to Israel and their return to the Lord. Again...The fullness of the Church and the return of our Lord is intertwined with Israel.
And the great news: Jewish people are opening up to the Gospel in ways we have not seen since the beginning of the Church. We are seeing nations in the world that were once dark and far from God rapidly receiving God's grace through Jesus. And the Gentile church, with an anti-semitic past, is now joining with our Jewish brothers and sisters.
We live in a great time in the history of the Church. Yes, we see a terrorized world. There is no nation confronted with terrorism more than Israel. Nations like Iran spout a venom of removing Israel from the face of the earth. These attacks are nothing more that a distraction from a mighty move of God taking place.
The Church is called to stand and contend for Israel in this time. Don Finto in "God's Promise and the Future of Israel" asks three pertinent questions.
1. How are we to respond to God's work in the context of a terrorized world?
2. How can Jewish people receive our love and blessing when many of our forefathers in the Church have been the very cause of their suffering?
3. How can we genuinely bless the Jewish people who disagree with our faith in Jesus, while we joyously fellowship with those who have embraced it?
This gathering in Israel, in this time of terrorist radicals, is a small but important statement of our Church blessing Israel. It is a declaration of God's Mighty Hand moving in our time. My wife and I are expectant and we are anticipating the Lord to show up in significant ways while our Church meets in Jerusalem.
This day and age is no surprise to God. Jesus points to a world of terrorism without boundaries. His description looks alot like the world we now live in. Luke 21:25-28.There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Men will faint from "TERROR", apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. WHEN THESE THINGS TAKE PLACE, STAND UP AND LIFT UP YOUR HEADS, BECAUSE YOUR REDEMPTION IS DRAWING NEAR.
This is not a time to cower at terrorist actions. It is not a time for us to faint or to live in fear of the world's plan. It is not a time to be distracted. My wife and I, with our church, will stand up and lift up the name of the Lord when the world would want us to hide. This is the time to declare CHRIST'S REDEMPTION DRAWING NEAR.
We will bless what God has blessed and contend for the fulfillment of His promises to the people of Israel. YES...Greater riches come to the Church through the fulfillment of God's promises to Israel. YES...the world will know that Jesus is Lord and His promises are true.
As you think of us in Israel, stand up and lift up the name of the Lord. Pray for the fullness of God's promises to Israel and for the world to receive Jesus the soon coming King.
Two personal stories connected to Israel and the intensity I feel for standing up for this nation in this day.
First, I was in Poland coaching our USA Wrestling Team a few years ago. While I was there I arranged a day to go to see Auschwitz Concentration Camp. The Israeli National Team Heard that we were going and they asked me if they could join us. I witnessed first hand the deep pain that was endured during this recent dark period of our history. I heard personal stories from the Israeli team and their feelings from visiting this place of unbelievable horrors. The impact of that day is forever etched into my memory.
Secondly, I was coaching a a World University Team with the World Championships being held in Cairo Egypt. That year an Israeli Wrestler won the World Title. As is the custom, He got to stand on top of the award stand and have his flag raised while his National Anthem played. Every World Champion is honored in this way at every World Championship. This was the first time I saw the world's view of Israel at close range. Every other World Champion had an entire gymnasium stand in silence as their flag was raised and Anthem played. When the Israeli World Chyampion took to the podium the gymnasium was filled with loud jeers and obnoxious whistling. Items were being thrown down on to the gym floor in protest. (I was standing on the main floor with things being hurled in my direction.) An Egyptian band played as loud as they could to cover up the playing of Israeli National Anthem. With the World participating in the Championships, only three countries stood to honor the Israeli World Champion as his flag was raised; Israel, USA and Germany. The rest of the world was either booing or doing nothing at all. One section of the gymnasium was filled with Egyptian military in full dress with weapons and all. Standing in the middle of that gym floor in front of this angry mob was a dangerous act.
It is important to stand up for injustice. It is important to let Israel know that they are not alone. It is important that they know that God has given up on them. It is time to stand up and contend for God's promises to be fulfilled.Why Israel when things are so tense with terrorists running rampant? When would there a better time to communicate the Heart of God? Standing up in Israel in this day communicates deeply to a people the world would rather see eliminated. I am proud that our Church plans to stand up for Israel in the midst of these difficult times. I am excited to stand and to witness this action.
It is a prophetic moment with eternal consequences.
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