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A Chastisement for the Called: Hold the Rope!

A Chastisement for the Called: Hold the Rope!

I felt the sweat gathering at my temples. We’re just 525 feet below the surface. The 120-year-old coal miner’s elevator rattled and jerked with every descending moment. “Go to Slovenia,” they said. “It’ll be fun,” they said.

I attempted to adjust my position in vain as the other 12 occupants of the small ‘elevator’ pressed against each other. Nervous laughs and words of affirmation fell on deaf ears as I tried to talk myself into posing a somewhat courageous smile.

It was my fourth day in Slovenia for a mission trip when our team’s hosts took us to the coal mine museum of Velenje, Slovenia. Once the rattling elevator made it to the bottom of the mine I felt as though someone had placed a 100-pound weight on my chest.

I’m not a very squeamish or cowardly person. That being said, rather than make known my fear of the dark, I chose to “tough it out.” As we followed the guide we rounded a corner where I came to face one of the greatest (and most irrational) fears of my life – wax figures.

The tour seemed to last hours as I hung toward the back and shrank against the wall. Every dark corner, every wax eyeball brought a stabbing fear to my heart. I nervously chuckled when jokes were made and nodded my head as I pretended to hear what the tour guide said.

Sweet relief finally came when we went back up the elevator, and I stepped into the middle of the museum. Sunlight flooded through the windows, filling the room. The people around me were only that of flesh and blood. I can now breathe.

About a week later, after I had returned to the United States, I read a story of well-known British missionary William Carey. “The Father of Modern Missions,” as Carey was called, was meeting with close friends before he was to move to India as a missionary when he made the following observation. He drew a beautifully-worded comparison between the commissioning of a missionary and the lowering of a miner into a mine. As I kept my experience in a coal mine, just the previous week, in mind, I eagerly read the following excerpt from one of Carey’s friend’s recollection:

“Our undertaking to India really appeared at its beginning to me somewhat like a few men, who were deliberating about the importance of penetrating a deep mine which had never before been explored.  We had no one to guide us; and, whilst we were thus deliberating, Carey, as it were, said, ‘Well, I will go down, if you will hold the rope.’  But, before he descended, he, as it seemed to me, took an oath from each of us at the mouth of the pit, to this effect that ‘whilst we lived, we should never let go the rope.’”

After hearing this story from Carey’s friend and experiencing the darkness of the mine myself, I had to ask what it looks like to “hold the rope” across the world today? There are three specific objects and representations when a missionary is sent over seas, or rather being lowered into the mine as it were.

First, let’s observe the mine itself. Just like my experience in the mine, there are several fears and joys that will be experienced. As I saw glimpses of light in my travels through the tunnels, likewise a missionary will often come across fellow believers. These glimpses of hope and brotherhood bring such relief from the darkness! However, with every glimpse of light came a clear view of one of the horrendous wax figures. I have resolved that, for missionaries, the wax figures must symbolize those who are lost and without the Gospel. They are merely shells of a person. Inside they lack life, ultimate reconciliation.

Second, let us see clearly the rope being tightly grasped on each end. On one end is either a shaky and new missionary, fresh to all the responsibilities of a Salvation miner, or a seasoned, coal-darkened missionary, quite familiar and confident in the darkness of the mine. On the other end, above the surface of the mine, is anywhere from a sixth-grade boy with his Bible to an 86-year-old woman with her praying hands. While both ends may vary in age, gender, occupation and denomination, the rope stays unchanged.

The rope stands for spiritual support. It can look like daily prayer from a church in rural Arkansas lifting up a struggling missionary kid in South America. It can look like a letter from a church in Texas sent to a missionary in Florida. It can look like a care package from a couple in Montana mailed to a single missionary at Christmas time in Spain. It might even look like a college student giving up their summer to help homeschool a missionary kid in Central Asia.

The support comes in so many different forms; it would never do justice to the rope to specifically identify it. It is significantly missed when absent and life-changing when present.

Lastly, we must also observe the facet of the illustration that is not physical- the call. The call looks different for many. It may be to go. As the last chapter in Matthew commands, “Go into all the world!” You may be called to go overseas or next door in an evangelistic or disciple-making way. We are all called! The call for others may be to stay and support. There is much ministry to be had at the stationary end of the rope!

The title of this blog is to insinuate the chastisement of the called, be it to stay or go yet not obeying! To chastise is to chide. I now give a charge to two of those that are called.

I ask those of you that are called to go- who is holding your rope? Are you allowing believers to support and encourage you? Humble yourselves to ask for aid and encouragement. Are you thanking and praying for those that do already?

I ask those of you that are called to stay- whose rope are you holding? The International Mission Board alone has 3,590 workers across the globe. Each has concerns and worries, joys and celebrations! Who is holding their rope? Jump headfirst into the ministry of support. How will you get involved?

Brothers and sisters, let us answer the great call in whatever way possible, on both ends of the rope! Do not forsake the very thing for which the Lord created you.

Casualties of Christian Community

Casualties of Christian Community

Community – it’s what every church says they offer, and it is what every Christian knows they need. Yet it seems to be as elusive as Bigfoot.

Let me be clear, community isn’t just time spent in the fellowship hall eating potato salad until we can’t move, although as a Baptist that is a big part of it. Christian community is composed of submission to Christ, submission to each other, accountability and forgiveness.

How many times have you been shocked to hear of yet another seemingly healthy couple announce a sudden divorce. So many people have put on their Sunday best, smiled and nodded politely, all while hiding the darkness deep within. These people are the causalities of our current model of community.

If we are going to find real community, we are going to have to be willing to take some punches. Community is rare because it is so emotionally expensive. There is a toxic mentality that blocks the front door to healthy community, and it’s something we all do.

We want grace when we mess up and justice when someone wrongs us. This combination keeps people from opening up because the fear of retribution is all too real.  So struggling people get trapped between desiring community while fearing vulnerability and true openness. So, they resort back to the Sunday morning head nod and smile that lets those around them know everything is fine until one day they become just another victim of unhealthy Christian community.

Paul’s letter to the Colossians has helped me grow in this area. In the third chapter he tells us some of the attributes that come along with being a mature Christian. He tells us to be kind, humble, meek and forgiving. What’s interesting is that every single one of those can only be expressed in community. You can’t be kind and forgiving if you are isolated.

He then gave some examples of different types of community that we are in. It starts off with just general community then dives deeper into the husband and wife relationship and the parent-child relationship. Paul ends with what I think is the deepest level of community, the bond servant and master relationship.

It is this relationship between slave and master that we all enter into when we become Christians. Either we are slaves to sin or we are slaves to God, purchased with the price of the blood of Christ.

Unlike other slaves, though, we are declared by God to be adopted into the family, but the slave and master relationship still remains. So we are slaves who are also sons and daughters of our master. This is important for community because if we don’t acknowledge that we all have the same master, some people in our group will try and master the others.

Marriage relationships often get dominated by the most selfish person in the group. But if we are all slaves, then we have no choice but to obey our master when it comes to resolving conflict and healing wounds.

Community brings with it the same joys and trials as marriage. It shows us areas where we are weak, but gives us a group of people who are willing to stand by us as we grow.

So, if you long for community, I encourage you to find a group of slaves to fellowship with. Just because some people might know the Bible or have been in church for a long time doesn’t mean they are trustworthy when it comes to being in a healthy community.

You must be willing to submit all your worries and concerns and disappointments at the feet of the Master. When someone wrongs you, you are commanded to forgive. When someone shares their darkness, we are commanded to be light and love. This type of community builds a church instead of a church trying to simply create community through programming.

And if you can’t find this type of place, you may have to be the first one to role model openness and vulnerability, and others will follow. We are all just waiting for someone safe to talk to about the struggles that are real, raw and hidden.

Millennial Monday : Evangelistic Listening.

Millennial Monday : Evangelistic Listening.

Recently I had the privilege of hearing Cris Lowery speak on listening. Apparently I am one of the few Oklahoma Baptists to have not heard his famous talk about evangelistic listening. Man, have I been missing out!

It was at Spring Retreat at Falls Creek a couple of weekends ago now, for 18-24 year olds, that I heard the talk. Lowery, who is the state Baptist Collegiate Ministries director, talked about how most people today just want to be heard. So, as Christians, what an evangelistic tool we have with our ability to listen. That is, if we choose to listen.

I am guilty of this myself. In a conversation with someone, I will hear one thing they say, pick up on that and my mind will travel to a similar experience of my own, and before I know it, I’ve completely stopped listening to what it is they are sharing with me.

How can we truly relate to non-believers or how do we expect to build relationships with them if we are not willing to listen? Does it really matter if we have a better story than one we’ve just heard? In order to grow closer to people, we must listen.

Another valuable point Lowery made was that it isn’t very hard, most of the time, to get someone to talk about themselves. People love it! It’s a part of our makeup as a human being, we love ourselves. One point Lowery made was whether we voluntarily give up information about ourselves or not.

It’s easy to tell in a conversation in which you are listening, to whom you’re talking, what information they voluntarily share. Often times, they share a lot. When it comes to the touchy subjects or things they don’t wish to discuss, this is where the good listeners find who is willing to open up.

Do I care about what the people are saying? Do I want to hear them? Or am I just here to talk about myself? These were questions I asked myself while in the discussion. What if I am the only person who will take time out of my day and listen to what it is they are saying?

I thought about Jesus and how He listens to me talk ALL THE TIME. He is the champion of listening, and He doesn’t speak just to hear Himself talking. This made me want to imitate the Lord with a new fervor.

This is one of the simplest evangelistic strategies I have ever experienced. All I have to do to begin building a relationship is to simply listen. Lowery brought up other helpful tips in the art of listening, including a good firm handshake when meeting someone for the first time. Stand at an angle, not too close to the person you are talking to, but not too far. Make eye contact, but not the entire time.

All of these pointers to me point to one word that is key in building relationships with non-believers: intentional. They require an intentional spirit. We must intentionally listen, ask intentional questions, and seek an intentional relationship with our Savior.

Do we as Christians go out of our ways to make sure the lost world is heard, regardless of how worldly they may be? This is my challenge to myself and you this week: that you focus on listening rather than hearing your own voice.

Missional…How is your A.I.M.? Part 3

Missional…How is your A.I.M.? Part 3

In this, our last installment of the A.I.M. series, where “A” stands for being Authentic, not hiding our love for the Lord and who we are in Christ, and “I” means being Intentional in how we live so that we intentionally honor God, on purpose, in whatever we do. “M” represents being Missional.

It has been a while since I have blogged. We are all busy, but the last several months have been crazy in a lot of ways. Often Satan will use the busyness of life to throw us off our game or our “mission.” That is still no excuse for this blog being so overdue. See my past blogs for more in depth information on Authentic and Intentional.

What does “Missional” look like? What does it even mean? An easy place to start is in the last chapter of Matthew. Known as the Great Commission, I will often ask groups I am speaking to who tend to be very knowledgeable in what the Bible says, to quote it for me.

They usually begin like this, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations…” At which point I stop them, because they begin in verse 19 of the 28th chapter. Christians hang their hats on the Great Commission, but we tend to underwhelm our faith with the focus.

If we were a corporate entity, our product would be ….wait for it … Disciples!  That is what Christ called us to make.

We play a role in kingdom work. It requires a missional mindset to fulfill it. The challenge we have as believers is we have a perspective of going when God wants us to have a perspective of submitting. The Great Commission does not begin in verse 19. It begins in verse 18. Jesus steps up and holds the scepter in front of our eyes and says “All authority has been given Me in heaven and on earth.”

Wow!  Therefore….we go.  We don’t go because we have all this power and ability to lend God a hand in His effort to get more people to love Him. We go because (or therefore) we submit to the universal and total authority of Christ. We don’t go because we are told to go. We go because of Who told us to go.

I am bombarded with requests, directions, instructions and expectations from all types of external influences from family to supervisors. I have to prioritize and manage my time and efforts and determine what has the greatest impact on me, my family and others. What does God want me to do? You see, I need to do what God wants me to do, and consequently, I should want to do what God needs me to. More importantly, I should live this Authentic, Intentional and Missional life daily.

A.I.M is really Luke 9:23 put into action.  Being Authentic as Christians is “Denying ourselves.” Aren’t we really fake when we hide our Christianity and faith outside the walls of the church?

Being Authentic is denying the temptation to blend into the world and take the path of least resistance.

Being Intentional is deciding to “take up our cross daily.” When do Christians accidently talk to someone about Jesus or accidently pray for someone or accidently perform an act of Christian charity? Being Missional is “follow Me.”

When we submit to His authority, obey Him (Great Commission) and follow Christ in His mission, we are Missional. Jesus told us why He came (Luke 19:10 “…to seek and to save that which was lost”). When we realize we can never follow someone we don’t allow to lead, only then will we truly be Missional.

Here is what that might look like at your church: A Restaurant Outreach Ministry

Order some business cards for prospects, listing service times and types on the back and a matte finish on the front which is easily written on*. Then encourage your people to engage their server when they go out to eat in an Authentic, Intentional and Missional way. You might ask questions like these:

“When we pray over our meal – how can we pray for you?”

“Where are you from?”

“Any kids?”

“We have a great ______ at our church”

“Here is a card with the worship times”

“When you come to church – find us/ask for us”

The “easy math” for a church would assume 100 people/families eat out at least 3 times per week. That is over 1,000 encounters per, month or 12,000+ encounters per year. If 99% of those encounters fail to produce a member, you still grow by at least 120 members and families in one year – just from restaurant outreach. By most people’s definition of failure, your church can grow by more than 120 members per year. Who wouldn’t want that?

That is a very easy way to work on your A.I.M.

*BTW – 5000 business cards cost less than 100.00

How to teach a child to read

How to teach a child to read

Do recall who taught you to read? If you’re like me, there was one specific person—whether a parent or a teacher—who opened up the world of reading to you.

I have had the honor of tutoring in the public schools off and on (mostly off) for several years, and the major focus was helping kids learn to read or read even better. Also, for my own children, I have had the privilege of helping them learn to read.

Throughout these experiences, I have come across an excellent book that has helped in that journey. It’s called Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons. The book uses two powerful concepts. The first is a phonics technique and the second is daily learning.

If you are going to embark on a major undertaking, it’s always a good idea to break it up into small, achievable steps. The authors of the book do a remarkable job in this area. I am sure there are other great teach-your-child-to-read programs and books out there, but this one has proven to be successful, in my experience.

In my home state, we have a major problem in which children are learning to read later and later, and many older children and adults are functionally illiterate. During one of my tutoring experiences, I discovered that the child had advanced to the fifth grade but could barely read, which broke my heart. That is why I am thankful for the many wise people who have emphasized the need for literacy and have become personally involved.

When a child can read, it opens up more than their learning. There is a link, I believe, between reading and spiritual development. Not only can the child then take in the Bible, the Word of God, when he or she can read, there is a moral dimension that seems to be opened up, through the process as well.

One of the most famous Christian conversions of all time is that of St. Augustine, who tells this story of how reading led to his rebirth. He says in his famous work, Confessions:

“So was I speaking and weeping in the most bitter contrition of my heart, when, lo! I heard from a neighbouring house a voice, as of boy or girl, I know not, chanting, and oft repeating, ‘Take up and read; Take up and read.’ Instantly, my countenance altered, I began to think most intently whether children were wont in any kind of play to sing such words: nor could I remember ever to have heard the like. So checking the torrent of my tears, I arose; interpreting it to be no other than a command from God to open the book, and read the first chapter I should find. … I seized, opened, and in silence read that section (of St. Paul’s letter) on which my eyes first fell: ‘Not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying; but put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, in concupiscence.’ No further would I read; nor needed I: for instantly at the end of this sentence, by a light as it were of serenity infused into my heart, all the darkness of doubt vanished away.”

I don’t know who taught Augustine to read, but whoever did, he or she paved the way for God to use this transforming moment in his life, which forever changed the history of Christianity and the history of the world.

So the next time you want to undertake something great, teach a child to read. Only God knows the good it may do.

Should Ramadan Matter to Me?

Should Ramadan Matter to Me?

If you’re a Christian, you probably haven’t given much thought to Ramadan—one of the five pillars of Islam that began Monday, June 6. Muslims around the world will fast from the time the sun rises until sundown for 30 consecutive days. They will break their fast each evening with a large meal and then begin again the next day. Ramadan is a time of Muslims working to show their devotion to God and earn His favor. But, should Ramadan matter to you?

I believe it should. In the past few days, I’ve heard from several Christian workers who live in Muslim countries. They have reminded me of several reasons why Ramadan should be important to Christ followers. Here’s just a few:

  • Spiritual sensitivity is high during this time, and Muslims often think more about eternity and spiritual topics. It is a wonderful time for Christian to engage in spiritual conversations with Muslims. It is also a time of spiritual darkness.
  • During this time, Christians can unite and pray fervently for the salvation of millions of Muslims. Prayer is the most powerful weapon believers can practice. God hears the prayers of His people. Please pray for Christian workers in Muslim countries as they have opportunities to share the Gospel.
  • Do you know someone who is Muslim? If not, this is a perfect opportunity to ask the Lord to bring someone in your life who practices Islam. Evangelism begins when you engage with others and develop a relationship. Pray for an opportunity to share the Gospel with a new Muslim friend.

How has God already answered these prayers? According to Denison Forum, more Muslims are coming to Christ than ever before, many after seeing visions and dreams of Jesus. More than 6 million Muslims in Africa convert to Christianity every year. More Muslims around the world have become Christians in the last 15 years than in the previous 15 centuries.

One of the things I often do during this season is pray when I wake up each morning. I pray for Muslims to have visions and dreams. Why the morning? Our morning is generally evening for Muslim countries and when you pray in the morning, they are preparing for sleep. In many areas, there is no Christian witness, and God still uses visions and dreams to capture the attention of those who are in bondage to Islam.

Yes, Ramadan should be important to you. Will you pray and intercede during this time?