Archive for February 10th, 2009

Another Long One

Tuesday, February 10th, 2009 | Author:

Dear, Wonderful Reader-doers,

I am just amazed.  Here we tried to get smaller and we are now more than double.  Over 400.  All these people who want to DO God’s Word.  Thank you.

We are working hard to make the whole community more interactive, and to start helping each other.  But please be patient.  It’s 10PM here.  I have been at this since 6AM, plus teaching and all the other tasks for many days.  I’m getting very tired and tomorrow I go to New York for 3 days of teaching.  Then overseas again.

If it takes awhile to get back to you, don’t be discouraged.  Don’t give up.  I am just overloaded.  Every one of you matters to me.  I read all the comments even if I can’t get to all of them.  I’ll catch up soon, I hope.

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Worth Considering

Tuesday, February 10th, 2009 | Author:

John McCastle, a faithful reader involved in orphanages in Africa, sent me this.  I thought you might like to consider what it implies in terms of willingness.  It moved me, too.

Perspectives™ on the World Christian Movement

Worth Keeping: A little creativity can bring great results

Indeed, creativity in mission giving is not lacking Northeast India. The case study below illustrates how local churches there raise money to support their missionaries.  

    Below in an excerpt from Worth Keeping: Global Perspectives in Best Practice in Missionary Retention 

A little creativity can bring great results

Mizoram is a state in the remote mountain region of the Northeast of India. Due to its extreme geographical location and its delicate security situation (hemmed in between Bangladesh and Myanmar), this region has been basically excluded from the economic development of India.

The mission secretary of the Presbyterian churches, Reverend Vanlalhruaia, says: “Our state is poor. We are not able to export anything of economic value, but, we do export one thing for which we are very proud. That is the Gospel.” The churches in Mizoram are sending missionaries in an impressive way. The synod of Presbyterian churches alone has sent about 1,000 missionaries.

The church in Chanmari has 1,855 members, and it is supporting 120 missionaries that it has sent out. A couple of months ago, I met the mission secretary Reverend S. Nengzakhup. He told me more about the impressive missionary movement of evangelical churches in Mizoram, and how the economically poor churches are supporting their missionaries.

How do the poor churches in Mizoram support so many missionaries? They do so mainly through very creative ideas, which have grown out of their love for Jesus and a burden for the lost. These poor churches are a great example to all of us.

1.       Vegetable gardens: Many churches have set up a church garden where they plant vegetables, bananas, oranges, grapes, ginger, rice, or teak-trees. Church members work there voluntarily. All the profit goes to mission.

 2.       Chickens for mission: Farmers keep some extra chickens (clearly marked as “missionary chickens”). The money from the sale of eggs and meat goes to support the missionaries.

 3.       Portion of the field: Farmers designate a portion of their fields to mission. The entire profit from it goes to mission.

 4.       Collecting firewood: Women collect firewood in the woods or straw on the fields. They carry the goods to a place at the entrance of the village from where it is sold from time to time. The money they earn goes to mission.

 5.       Collecting crabs and snails: Women collect crabs and snails at the river banks. They sell these at the market as a delicacy. They donate whatever they get to mission.

 6.       Market stalls: Churches open a shop or a market stall to sell tea. All the money earned goes to mission.

 7.       Wholesale shopping: Church members buy goods in bulk (e.g. a sack of salt or whole animals to slaughter) and then they sell in small portions. All of the profit goes to mission.

 8.       Donation of work: Church members collect stones, work as carpenters, do embroidery, etc. They donate this extra income to mission.

 9.       Rent for missions: Churches build a shop or flat into their church building and the resultant rental income goes into the mission box. Some church members reduce their own living space so that they can rent out a room in their home. The rent goes to mission.

 10.   Part of salary: Civil servants and employees give the seventh part of their wages, because they get paid for Sundays without working.

 11.   Small loans: Church members receive a small amount of money (5 to 100 rupees) and they do business with it. Any profit they make goes to mission.

 12.   Christmas Feast: Families do without their Christmas dinner and presents. Instead, they give the money to the missionaries.

 13.   Imaginary field visit: In their imagination, people visit their missionary in his country of service. They calculate the cost for travel, accommodation and food. Then they give this amount to mission.

 14.   Short term mission trip: Church members make a short-term trip to the missionary and help him to build his house, a school or a church. Through this, they can help with their gifts and experience, while deepening the personal relationship with the missionary.

 15.   Thank-Offering box: church members bring collection boxes from house to house and they ask for donations.

 16.   Day of fasting: Many Mizos fast one day per week. They give the saved amount to mission.

 17.   Portion for the chieftain: In former times the chieftain in a village received a quarter of the meat of a hunted animal. Today this portion is given to the missionaries.

 18.   A handful of rice: When preparing a meal, a housewife puts a handful of rice to the side before preparing a meal. This amount saved goes for her missionaries.

 These creative ideas, coupled with the ardent desire by families and churches to give as much as possible to mission, characterize the Mizo mission movement.

Good practices in Mizoram

Many believe this impressive movement began with the good practices of the first missionaries to Mizoram: James Lorrain and Fredrick Savidge. They had taught the Mizos to become self-supporting right from the beginning. They had handed over leadership responsibility for churches, schools and for evangelism as early as possible. By 1953, an indigenous mission committee had been founded. In 1961, this was enlarged to a missionary society (SBM). Mizoram was, until recently, a restricted military zone. Foreigners could not enter the state, so the churches had to work without foreign help. In addition, there were several revivals since 1906, through which a great part of the population became Christians. Thus, the local believers depended on their local resources, and they encouraged and supported one another.

Their mission movement is built on the traditional values of their culture such as helping people in need, doing good and sharing generously (even competing with one another for the privilege of giving). The high standard of education (schools had been introduced by missionaries) contributed to good theological training. Mizos have an emphasis on lay preachers, God’s love and prayer, writing their own songs, the expectation of Jesus’ Second Coming, and thankfulness for their salvation.

Out of their poverty and need, the Mizoram churches have been involved in world mission. Pastor Nengzakhup writes: “Mizos have never considered poverty an excuse to avoid participation in world evangelization. If the church in Jerusalem had looked at its poverty and concluded that it could not afford to send out missionaries, the Gospel would not have gone out from that city. It is not affluence but zeal and gratitude to God that drives Mizos to maintain their enthusiasm and active participation in world evangelization.” And he concludes that: “Any church can be a missionary church, irrespective of its economic situation. Poverty need not inhibit a church from participating in world evangelization. This attitude is biblical. Although money plays a vital role in missions it is not the primary need.”

By Bloecher, Detlef – “A little creativity can bring great results.” Worth Keeping: Global Perspectives in Best Practice in Missionary Retention, eds. Rob Hay, Valerie Lim, Detlef Blocher, Jaap Ketelaar, and Sarah Hay. Pasadena, William Carey Library: 2007. Pgs. 357-359

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Combat Zones

Tuesday, February 10th, 2009 | Author:

 

Psychological and physiological deterioration in the constant presence of life threatening conditions is well documented.  When we are subjected to an environment of fear, uncertainty, hostility and aggression over a prolonged period, defense mechanisms come into play that are not exhibited under “normal” circumstances.  In war, we see human beings on the edge.  From battle fatigue to vengeful atrocities, the human system succumbs to numbing disconnection or reveals its darkest regions.  Concentration camp behavior often reduces us to animal instincts.  But not always.  Victor Frankel’s powerful insights into the strength of the human will still hold up a torch of humanity even in the most hideous circumstances.

 

Our greatest problem in these conditions is not survival.  Like all living organisms, humans have an intense desire to survive.  Our biggest problem is awareness.  What I mean is that in some forms of combat we are often unaware of what is happening to us and that fact alone makes us vulnerable to abnormal behavior.  It is awareness of the enemy that keeps me from acting with survival responses or disintegrating into psychic numbness.  In order to be a fully functioning human being in these situations, I must be mentally engaged at a higher level than normal, not a lower reactionary level

 

We are quick to acknowledge the need for higher awareness in the face of the visible stress of war.  But we rarely think of our ordinary lives in terms of high stress combat.  That is a grave mistake.  It is a mistake that comes about because we are unaware of the scope of the battle.  The result is that we are often confused, disoriented and off-guard when we are suddenly confronted with enemy action.  We did not realize that we were in combat until the attack came upon us.  But we should have.  Our leader made it very clear. 

 

“Remember the word that I said to you, ‘ A slave is not greater than his master.’  If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you;”  John 15:20

 

“An hour is coming when everyone who kills you will think that he is offering service to God”  John 16:2

 

“I have given them Thy word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world”  John 16:14

 

The early generals heard the battle plan and gave us their orders.

 

“to those who reside at aliens”  1 Peter 1:1

 

“since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same purpose”  1 Peter 4:1

 

“do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you”  1 Peter 4:12

 

“Therefore, let those also who suffer according to the will of God”  1 Peter 4:19

 

“Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm”  Ephesians 6:11

 

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world-forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places”  Ephesians 6:12

 

“But remember the former days, when after being enlightened, you endured a great conflict of suffering”  Hebrews 10:32

 

The imagery is clear.  We are at war.  It is not simply a declaration; it is a real time battle.  To forget that we are engaged in this moment-to-moment conflict is to fall prey to enemy propaganda.  The soldier is lulled to sleep when he does not perceive the imminent threat.  In this world, “normal” life is enemy dis-information.

This is what Paul has in mind when he exhorts us to “not be conformed to this world”.  We are still in the world.  In fact, we are called to be in this world as beacons of light in the dark.  But we are not to participate in the patterns of this world.  We are not to be suschematizesthe with this world.  If you look carefully at this Greek word, you will see the English word “schematic”.  The word means, “to be fashioned together with”.  That’s it!  Don’t be cut from the same cloth.  Don’t follow the same plan.  Don’t do what everyone else is doing.  Don’t come from the same mold.

 

We tend to interpret this as morality issues but there are a lot more patterns in this world than just moral rules.  Paul is calling us to become aware of the deep values that infect our thinking.  Renewal of the mind is much more than changing moral behavior.  He wants us to challenge, question and pray over those ordinary assumptions about life that guide our behavior.  Life’s true value patterns are found in God’s Word.  But unless we understand the patterns of this world, we will unintentionally and unconsciously adopt them in spite of these strong warnings.  Why will we do that?  Because the patterns of this world are such “common sense” things.  Unless we base our deepest commitments and guidance on these patterns, we will simply absorb the enemy’s dis-information.  We will be soldiers asleep on duty.

So, the first step is an examination of the “normal” assumptions.  Patterns are subtle ways that the world captivates our thinking and replaces God with ego.  They are far less obvious than debates about abortion or gay life styles.  And the less obvious ones are far more deadly.

 

For example, consider the New Testament view of security.  Paul commands us not to place our security in the uncertainty of wealth.  Adeloteti is the Greek word for “uncertainty”.  The root behind this word describes things that are covered up or not revealed.  Security placed in wealth is security that stands on something hidden.  We all know that this is true.  No matter how much money we have, it provides no real protection in life.  Cancer, calamity, natural disaster, accident and death cannot be thwarted by wealth.  Neither can divorce, despair or depression.  Robin Leach’s version of the rich and famous hides lives of desperation.  We all know this, but we all act as though money is the answer to life.  More people believe they will find happiness by winning the lottery than by working where God has placed them.  Here is a pattern of this world that destroys every particle of peace with the life God gives.  Paul reminds us that riches are the least tangible of assets.  They are a vapor of economic agreement, subject to every kind of market, social and political pressure.  Paul says nothing more than Jesus.  Real treasure is what God values, not Man. 

 

This pattern is so difficult to counteract.  We see its simple truth and yet we all tend to view our lives on the measurement scale of buying power.  That leaves us in a constant state of fear, far from the God of peace.  In order to let God remove this pattern, we must believe what He says, not what we see.  But isn’t that what faith requires?  His word is certain.  The rest is only false “common sense”.

 

Perhaps we need to ask ourselves some important questions about other patterns we seem to take for granted.  Perhaps the questions are actually more important than the answers (for the time being). 

 

1.      Is life really about being “balanced”?  Do you think that Paul and Jesus and Jeremiah and Moses and David were “balanced”?  Is the Greatest Commandment myopic in its focus?  If we agree that God is to be the absolute priority of life, does that commitment have a direct and immediate bearing on every other aspect of living?  Is God the active agent in my work life, my family, my leisure choices, my investments, my buying decisions, my emotional attachments?

2.      Do you really feel free?  Or do you just feel that your sins have been forgiven but the rest of your life is still a heavy load?  What does it mean to be “free indeed”?  Does the freedom of Jesus liberate you from your past?  Does it free you from your desires that oppose God’s wishes?  Does it release you from ego issues like power, money, influence, status and reputation?  Are you free to be nothing so that God can use you for anything?

3.      Are you aware of God’s immediate, intimate, active presence in everything that you do, even the “bad” stuff?  Or do you think that God just shows up when He wants to or when we call Him or on Sundays in church?  Do you “feel” God’s presence in your life no matter where you are and what you are doing?

4.      Do you hear God?  Do you have the calm and quite center that is tuned to God’s whisper?  Do you practice solitude?

5.      Are you confident that you are living God’s agenda?  Or do you wonder if you aren’t trying to get God to help you with yours?

6.      Do people actually experience the presence of Jesus when they are around you?  If they don’t, what can it mean to say that Christ lives in me?  Did you miss something?

7.      Are you afraid?  Why?

8.      Are you anxious?  Why?

9.      Do you think that you need to be in control?  Why?

10.  Did Jesus rescue you from a horrible, traumatic, self-destructive death spiral?  Or did you only need him to fix a few things?  Do you serve a Redeemer or are you on an Emily Post Better Life program?

11.  What is the difference between repaying someone who saves your life and tipping someone who helped you make better choices? 

12.  Does God scare you?  Do you tremble in terror before Him?  Or do you treat Him more like your grandfather?  Why do Isaiah and Peter and John and Saul quake in fear if God is so kind and friendly?

 

The Word of God addresses each of these questions.  It suggests that God’s perspective is not at all similar to the commonsense perspective that typically guides our decisions.  The combat picture of the Bible is like this:

 

1.      You have been rescued from behind enemy line where you were a prisoner bound for destruction

2.      As a result, you are now an alien in foreign territory, assigned to your station by God, intended to carry our your mission as part of His purposes

3.      The territory you occupy is hostile, filled with the enemy’s weapons, the most devious of which is mis-direction and dis-information

4.      The game plan of the enemy is to convince you that you are not in a combat zone and to persuade you that the things you see around you and the behaviors that are touted as important are ordinary, normal and acceptable goals for living.  This enemy propaganda is designed to weaken your diligence and resolve

5.      As a soldier, your first task is to become aware of the enemy and the threat

6.      God has provided you all the intelligence information necessary to keep you aware, equipped and ready

7.      You bear the responsibility of operating at a distance from command headquarters, but you are never out of contact with the Commander

8.      God guarantees your victory if you follow His strategy.  He does not guarantee a life free of attack, injury or hardship but He does guarantee that He completely controls the level of combat and will never allow it to overwhelm your devoted reliance on Him

9.      Every time someone appeals to commonsense as a method of convincing you to act, you must examine the appeal for its real source.

10.  Every time you overthrow a piece of the enemy ideology, angels cheer, God is elated and Jesus applauds.  This action causes turmoil in the territory, not least of which is the accusation that you are strange, a fanatic, mistaken or wrong.  But Jesus has bound the strongman and therefore the strongman’s house is open to plunder

 

Here are typical propaganda messages found in the hostile territory.

 

1.      The American Dream is the true meaning of success

2.      Freedom is the inalienable right of human beings

3.      The goal of life is to be happy

4.      Following God will result in a better life

5.      Suffering is evil

6.      What I choose to do with my possessions, money and relationships is up to me

7.      Hard work pays off (I must earn my own way)

8.      Life must be lived by the rules

9.      There is always someone to blame

10.  I can never undo my past

 

Following Jesus is an invitation to think deeply about life.  Simple faith is far from simple-minded.  Combat without thought is pointless reaction. 

 

The next time you turn to the Word of God, look for His combat instructions.  Lock and load. 

 

THINGS TO DO IN COMBAT

 

1.      Celebrate those who do the right thing no matter what the results

2.      View the field of battle only from the eyes of the commander; don’t get distracted by the propaganda

3.      Serve to please the One in charge

4.      Measure victory only in terms of revealed values, not in terms of apparent changes

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Rush Hour

Tuesday, February 10th, 2009 | Author:

“They are Your servants and Your people whom You redeemed by Your great power and by Your strong hand.”  Nehemiah 1:10

Rush Hour

Servants -  Life can be terribly frantic, can’t it?  There are days when it just seems that you will never catch up.  In fact, one of the systems of this world (those things Paul tells us not to be conformed to) is speed.  There are a few powerful spiritual amnesia narcotics in the culture and the rush hour rate of life is one of them (prosperity tends to the another).  Maybe that’s why God requires a Sabbath rest.  He has to force us to see that life is not about how fast we can keep going.  It’s wonderful that the first thing Adam did after his creation was rest, not work. 

We need to have this perspective when we come to the word eved in Scripture.  It’s the word that means “servant” or “slave.”  Of course, slavery in the Old Testament is not the same as the kind of human degradation that occurred in the rest of the world’s history and is still occurring in the world today.  In this verse, avadeikha (Your servants) is really a humble self-designation before the Lord.  We are His servants.  We bow before the King of the universe.  We belong to Him, not simply as His loved, adopted children, but also as His slaves.  It is only our cultural heritage that makes this term seem onerous.  We must overcome that cultural revulsion, for being a slave of the great I AM is the most wonderful role we could ever have.

What does it mean to be eved before the Lord?  Well, for one thing, it means that the Lord’s reputation is at stake in me.  When I place myself under His ownership, He takes responsibility for me.  When I confess that I am His servant, I imply that He acts as my protector and provider.  His honor is involved in my well-being.  Therefore, I am justified in calling on Him to uphold me.  He cares about His slaves because He is benevolent (but never forget that He is also the King).

So, what implications can we draw from this?  First, we should notice that those who are not His slaves cannot expect His protection and provision.  They don’t belong to Him.  This is what Yeshua meant with the phrase, “Why do you call me Lord, Lord and do not do what I say?”  Anyone in that group isn’t His.  What right do they have to ask for His help?  None!  His honor is not at stake in their lives.

But for those who do belong, life is very different.  That doesn’t mean that life always works the way we want it to.  It means that the circumstances of our lives are under His command – for His purposes.  There are no accidents in the lives of His servants. Furthermore, we don’t have to worry about how crazy life might be.  We are not in a hurry.  We are in obedience.  Rush hour isn’t part of our day.  We are called only to obey His directives, not to make it all happen.  The secret to a life of shalom is listening before acting.  The master doesn’t expect the slave to know the game plan.  He only expects the slave to carry out his orders.  So, relax.  Life comes according to His terms.  Do what He says.  That’s enough.  All the rest is a reflection of His honor – and He won’t be insulted!

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