A Short Talk with the Students at LIFE Pacific College
Here is a short video of a talk I gave at LIFE Pacific College on the power of saying “Yes” to the call of God to reach the world. I hope you enjoy it.
Running Through Time.
This morning I went for run in Spantov, Romania. Spantov is a Roma (Gypsy) village of about 5,000 people 79 km southeast of Bucharest. We are not far from the border with Bulgaria.
I ran to the next village a few kilometers away. It was a run through time. I ran past homes with no indoor bathrooms. Horse drawn carts hauling wood, workers, and whatever else needed moved. They would stop to stare at me. Maybe it isn’t everyday some American comes running through their village wearing a running outfit my son says looks like something from a Brüno movie.
I ran past old men sitting on benches, grandmothers sweeping their walk paths with tree branches bundled together to make a broom, a man on horseback wearing a traditional hat, a young girl riding a bicycle. I was running through time.
Running gives me the feeling birds must have when they fly. It is strange and invigorating. It cleanses my mind and emotions. I see things, feel things, experience things differently when I run. Today was no different.
This morning as I ran through time I also saw I was running through eternity. Every place and every person shares a common set of needs rooted in their need to be connected to God. They don’t necessarily know it but they have been unhinged from the Eternal One. The human longing for beauty, meaning, significance, purpose, peace, joy, forgiveness, love, and compassion are all heart cries for God. These are longings for our Eternal home. And God has made a way home.
Mission work is not the job of a missionary; it is the job of the Body of Christ.
February has been a full and fruitful month. We have been in the US speaking at churches and conferences. It has been a wonderfully refreshing time connecting with some great churches like Taulatin Foursquare Churchin Taulatin, Oregon, pastored by Bill Jastram; New Heart Foursquare Church in Altadena, CA, pastored by Joel Galindo; and New Hope Foursquare Church, in Salem, Oregon, pastored by Abe Pfeifer. We were also able to minister at two mission conferences, one in southern California and one in the Northwest. Both were great. It really is a great time of relationship and partnership between US local churches and Foursquare Missions.
Upcoming Events and Prayer Needs. Your prayers are needed and appreciated for my upcoming ministry schedule:
· Grace while I travel during March covering over 15,000 miles and five nations (Romania, Albania, Bosnia, Ukraine, and Russia).
· Pray for Debbie while I am away. I don’t like being away from her.
· Pray for our work among the Romani (Gypsy) people in Romania.
· Pray for the advancement of Foursquare’s work in Albania.
· Pray for effective doors of ministry to open in Bosnia. I am going to explore opportunities to expand our Foursquare work in this nation.
· Pray for the continued development of Foursquare church planting movement in Ukraine.
· Pray for Russia. In March they will elect a new national leader for Foursquare Russia.
While you are praying for us, remember to pray for these as well:
· The pioneering of Foursquare in Sweden.
· The continued development of Foursquare in the Russian-speaking nations of the world.
· Our missionaries serving throughout Europe. We are hosting a missionary retreat for them. If you would like to help support this financially, click here.
Follow me on Facebook and Twitter for blow-by-blow updates.
Open Dates: I still have a few open dates for ministry in the US during 2013. Let me know if you are interested.
Thank you for your prayers, partnership, and financial support. We love working with you to reach the world with the Good News of Jesus Christ.
You Must Help Us By Prayer…
It is a dilemma I have not been able to solve: How do I build a community of people committed to praying for us and with us in this work of making disciples and planting churches throughout Europe?
I have thought of email, maybe setting up a Facebook page? Maybe I can just post my prayer needs through email, my website, Facebook, and Twitter and pray people pray? Does this create a community murmuration of prayer?
Murmuration is defined as a low continuous indistinct sound or the sudden occurrence of an audible event.
In nature a murmuration is when hundreds, if not thousands, of birds fly together. You have seen it before, but perhaps you did not know what it was called.
This is what a murmuration looks like:
I think Spirit-led prayer is like this murmuration. Today, we would say it is when prayer goes viral. That is what I am longing for: a murmuration of the body of Christ praying for the advancement of the Gospel. Like the starlings in the video, there is leadership but no leader, the Spirit leads and we dance with Him.
Paul told the Corinthians, “You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.” (2 Corinthians 1:11, ESV)
I wrote about this in an earlier post, “Can I Crowdsource Prayer?” I still do not have an answer. Maybe we just figure it out along the way.
Here are some things I need prayer for:
- Pray for the works that are developing throughout the Russian-speaking nations, Sweden, and among the Romani people (see “Giving Thanks for You”)
- Pray for these upcoming events in February,
- Feb 10, I will be preaching at Tualatin Foursquare Church
- Feb 15-16, Missions Intensive 2013, Pacific Coasts & Valley District, click here.
- Feb 17, Preaching at Worship Walk Foursquare Church, Burbank, CA.
- Feb 22-23, “To the Nations” Regional Conference. For more info, click here.
- Feb 24, Preaching at New Hope Foursquare Church in Salem, OR.
- Pray for our upcoming missionary retreat, April 21-23 (read more about it and how you can help, “Help Us Serve Our Missionaries”)
I would love to hear from you. Do you have suggestions on how I can use email, this website, Facebook, and Twitter to build a community of people committed to praying for the advancement of the Gospel in Europe? Let me know your ideas.
Days of Spiritual Barrenness Call for Seasons of Spiritual Boldness.
What would happen if a church arranged its finances and ministry so that half of everything it has and does went to mission outside itself: To feed the hungry, to serve the poor, send missionaries to reach the nations, to care for widows and orphans?
The question just popped out of my mouth as I was talking with a pastor friend.
As the words came out I thought, “I hope this doesn’t come across as an accusation or judgment.” Like so many times before, I found myself wishing I could put my words back in my mouth.
It really was a question in my own mind. I pastored a local church for more than 20 years and I am still struggling with how small minded I was at times (see my post, “Confessions of a Former Pastor”).
My question was not driven by judgment or accusation. The pastors I know want to serve the purpose of God. They are men and women of great integrity. They lead churches in faithful obedience to Jesus. I have tremendous respect and appreciation for them and their churches. Yet, the question still burned in my mind. More than that, it burned in my heart. It still burns. I am still wondering what would happen.
Drastic situations call for drastic measures.
Fearful days call for brave deeds.
Days of spiritual barrenness call for seasons of spiritual boldness.
Today is a day to pray bold prayers,
“Your kingdom come, Your will be done.”
“The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into his harvest.”
Pray with faith, asking great things of God! Let us ask God for laborers to go into the unreached cities, nations, and people groups of the world.
Today is a day for bold giving.
Generosity is critical to revival.
What would happen if a church arranged its finances and ministry so that half of everything it has and does went to mission outside itself: To feed the hungry, to serve the poor, send missionaries to reach the nations, to care for widows and orphans?
Today is a day for bold involvement.
Get involved yourself. You cannot outsource your obedience. Obedience is intimately personal. Every deed, both small and great, done in loving obedience and Christ-like compassion, moves the world closer to the heart of God.
“What would happen if a church arranged its finances and ministry so that half of everything it has and does went to mission outside itself?”
When my conversation ended with my pastor-friend I was humbled when he said, “I want you to come preach this at our church.” Here is a pastor willing to take bold action. What will happen? Maybe revival.
What do you think?
HERE ARE SOME PRAYER NEEDS:
- Pray for the works that are developing throughout the Russian-speaking nations, Sweden, and among the Romani people (see “Giving Thanks for You”)
- Pray for these upcoming events in February,
- Feb 10, I will be preaching at Tualatin Foursquare Church
- Feb 15-16, Missions Intensive 2013, Pacific Coasts & Valley District, click here.
- Feb 17, Preaching at Worship Walk Foursquare Church, Burbank, CA.
- Feb 22-23, “To the Nations” Regional Conference. For more info, click here.
- Feb 24, Preaching at New Hope Foursquare Church in Salem, OR.
- Pray for our upcoming missionary retreat, April 21-23 (read more about it and how you can help, “Help Us Serve Our Missionaries”)
Thank you for your continued prayers and financial support.
Debbie and I serve as the FMI Global Associate Director for MENACA and Europe. We focus on cultivating disciples, leaders, and church planting movements.
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