My thoughts lately have focused more on the subject of leadership. In our NFI retreat a week ago, we discussed the importance of developing indigenous leaders who become self-supporting. This follows Paul’s model who made tents as his main source of income. Though he received gifts from the Philippians (4:14-18), he never asked for support nor depended on it for living or doing ministry.
Money should never be the central subject of our thinking, conversation, or ministry. In Paul’s pastoral letters, he warns about the dangers of money when it becomes our focus instead of contentment! (1 Timothy 6:6-10). Most of his focus is on character issues that make a leader effective in the Lord’s work and the gospel of grace. Peter is concerned about the same issues. “Shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock” (1 Peter 5:2–3). The means of this attitude is humility (5:6). If we put Scriptural emphasis in our lives and ministry, it will show in the fruit that is produced. Money will never develop integrity.
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We are very thankful that Tom and his wife returned from Cuba with good news of what God is doing in this Caribbean island. Sadly, they both fell sick once they got home. On top of that, Tom was scheduled to leave today for Ecuador to follow up with a new contact that was given him several months ago but could not travel for health reasons. Thankfully, Tim was able to go in his place.
I report these details because it gives me great joy that there is flexibility with our team and a desire to work together without consideration for who gets the credit for what is done. What is important is that God’s work is done. This trip is essential as Tim meets with this new contact who is very interested in our Spanish book, God’s Plan for His Disciples. They asked that we introduce this training resource to a group of believers south of Guayaquil. We have no clue how they heard about our resources or got a copy of GPHD, but that does not matter. What is important is that they desire to be established deeper in the Word of God. In view of the political unrest in Ecuador, we ask for your prayers for Tim and those he will be with. I received a message from a dear friend who is having great difficulty waiting for God to answer his many prayers about a specific situation. This is not new to most of us. When circumstances seem very difficult and solutions are few, we tend to get very tense when answers do not come when we want them.
David was familiar with moments like this, but in them learned to wait on the Lord. “Make me to know Your ways, O Lord; teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; for You I wait all the day long” (Psalm 25:4–5). Andrew Murray comments on these verses by saying, David “knew that for the right spiritual apprehension of the truth, and for the right personal application of it to his own particular circumstances, he needed a direct divine teaching.” (Waiting on God, Renaissance Classics, 2012, page 9). If you are in God’s ‘waiting room,’ be sure that He will answer when the time is right. Check your heart to be sure you are waiting for HIS truth, not just what you want. Tom and his wife returned from Cuba last week after four days packed with opportunities. They had never met these contacts before. They are involved in many different ministries in their area. One of them is spreading the gospel in a community that practices witchcraft. His daughter who was the translator, and her husband, minister in several communities, reaching children for Christ. His youngest daughter helps where she is needed.
Pastor Alexis told Tom there was a need for discipleship material in Cuba. The link to God’s Plan for His Disciples (GPHD) in Spanish was sent which he looked over and wanted Tom to come and introduce it. He asked Tom to come back at the end of November to have a graduation for those who completed GPHD and introduce it in several other locations. There is a huge need for materials that disciple children. When they saw the link to God’s Plan for Young Disciples (GPYD), they got excited, especially when the daughter saw the pages for children to color. Next trip, they will provide the book and crayons which they do not have due to the pervasive poverty. Please be in prayer as this new opportunity develops according to God’s will and plans are made for getting training resource there. Saturday evening, we concluded our two day retreat for New Foundations International. It ended with a Celebration Dinner with about 65 in attendance. It was a wonderful time of thanking the Lord for what He has done over many years and renewing our trust in Him for what is ahead. Even as we presented so many areas of this mission ministry, we were amazed at how God has allowed us to join Him in so many areas of the world. From such a small group and so few resources, NFI has:
This is only because of God’s overflowing grace. Will you celebrate with us and pray for this work to leap over every obstacle so that every people group who have not heard the gospel of God’s grace will hear and be saved. One of our partners in Uganda is truly a godly leader who is impacting other leaders in the continent of Africa. He sends out text messages to encourage other leaders, and in a way, keeps them accountable to each other for their walk with the Lord and the spiritual condition of their lives and ministry. Here is one of his text messages:
“Ultimately, leadership is not about glorious crowning acts. It's about keeping your team focused on a goal and motivated to do their best to achieve it, especially when the stakes are high, and the consequences really matter. It is about laying the groundwork for others' success, and then standing back and letting them shine. Have a blessed Sunday.” -Rogers We will never know the value of our encouragement of others until we give it. Yesterday I pointed to Paul’s humble attitude toward what God had accomplished through him. We must take on that same spirit toward what God is doing through NFI. But there is much more to Paul’s approach to God’s grace in ministry.
“Thus, I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else’s foundation, but as it is written, “Those who have never been told of Him will see, and those who have never heard will understand”” (Romans 15:20–21). Paul always pushed on into territory he had never been in. He had even planned to go as far as Spain (15:24) and wanted these believers in Rome to help send him off in that direction. It never happened. The point of this is that we must adopt Paul’s vision for harvest fields that are beyond where we are. We can trust the Lord to work out the details as we work toward the goals that have been set. What goals have you set because of the glorious gospel of grace? We have gathered as a team to review the wonderful things God has graciously done through this ministry. None of the accomplishments have been because of anything deserving in us or in our work. We say with Paul, “I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed,” (Romans 15:18).
This should not only be the attitude of every missionary, minister of the gospel, and pastor, but it should be the attitude of the whole Church. At the end of Paul’s marvelous unfolding the “mystery…that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel” (Ephesians 3:6), he burst out in praise; “to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen” (3:21). It is extremely difficult to restrain ourselves when we take time to review the majesty of what God has done to glorify Himself through dispensing grace to those who deserve nothing! How do you react to such divine love and grace? Follow this blog tomorrow and see what Paul did. In a world where truth is terribly distorted and even rejected, we need to hear the words of Paul who kept things in the eternal perspective.
“As it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9, Isaiah 64:4). He places this quote i a letter to a church that was desperately in need of correction. There is something important we can learn from this. Correction should always be in view of experiencing greater glimpses of glory! Think for a moment about 1.64 billion people who have never heard the gospel and have no access to it. What would they see if their eyes were opened through new birth and the regeneration of the Holy Spirit? Is there one thing you could do where you are that costs only a little time? Stop what you are doing and follow through with God’s prompting. “The Moravian missionaries held that they were willing to become slaves if it was the only way to reach the slaves. Many sources claim that they actually followed through, sold themselves, boarded a ship, and were never heard from again. In fact, after being sent out by Count Nicolaus Ludwig Zinzendorf, the two missionaries traveled from Herrnhut to Copenhagen, Denmark, where their plan initially met with strong opposition. When asked by a court official how they would support themselves, Nitschmann replied,
“We shall work as slaves among the slaves." “But,” said the official, “that is impossible. It will not be allowed. No white man ever works as a slave.” “Very well,” replied Nitschmann, “I am a carpenter, and will ply my trade.” After some difficulty, the missionaries found support from the Danish Queen and her court, and although the Danish West Indian Company refused to grant them passage, a ship was eventually procured. Leaving Copenhagen on Oct 8, 1732, they arrived in St. Thomas two months later on December 13. While in St. Thomas, they lived frugally and preached to the slaves, and they had a certain amount of success. By 1734 they had returned to Germany, but other Moravian missionaries continued the work, establishing churches on St. Thomas, St. Croix, St. John's, Jamaica, Antigua, Barbados, and St. Kitts. Moravian missionaries baptized 13,000 converts before any other missionaries arrived on the scene.” (Wikipedia) What sacrifice will we make to reach the lost? |
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