(Part two)
Exactly how fast can one build a house? One key answer might be in the form of two additional questions: How strong do you want it to be? How long do you want it to last?
From my vast construction background I can tell you that many excited homeowners exhibit signs of much impatience, because they want to be in that new home…yesterday. Can you blame them? However, if it’s a custom, quality-built home you’re after, impatience becomes the enemy. You’ve heard the expression: “Rome wasn’t built in a day”, such is the case when attempting to build relationships in another country.
Extreme flexibility must be present when on another’s soil. It’s been my experience that “what you planned” seldom works out exactly the way “you planned it”. Frustration will raise its ugly head – and our self-absorbed focuses will be rather quickly exposed.
Be careful not to push too hard – too fast. Building a lasting, eternal work (that will hopefully outlast you) does not happen by simply “snapping a finger”. To say the least, it has been embarrassing at times for my friends to say, “Please, do not bring that person when you return to our country” because of impatience, the lack of preparation, and inflexibility.
There will be much investment to make. Immediate results are not always the “lasting ones”. You’ll be dealing with hundreds or even thousands of years of unrighteous history, culture and taboo.
Please remember, that when controversial questions are asked (and surely they will be asked, just like Jesus), always remain in a biblical position. You are not there to colonize the country and make people conform to the Western Church. That kind of arrogance is often stomach-turning to the other nations of the world. Be careful not to enforce your convictions upon others. You don’t know the entire truth – you just know the One Who is Truth. He has promised to guide us all into the truth…together.
An example of this would be: strong drink. While I could never drink beer or wine because of my personal convictions, in Germany beer is more common than water; even among Christians. In France, wine is the accepted drink at the dinner table, again, even among Christians. I believe that in one of the Scandinavian countries, drinking coffee is considered a sin, but not beer.
If God calls you and me to one of these nations, are we there to “straighten them out”? God forbid! We are not the Kingdom enforcers. Everyone must work out their own salvation with fear and trembling. God desires for us to be an example, not a hindrance.
Do your homework. Do a demographical study. If you do some investigation before going to the nations, some of these potential “cultural traps” can be sprung ahead of time. The Lord can defuse any present indignation beforehand too.
Oh…yeah…eat what’s set before you. My experience has been that people will generally give you their absolute best. It is better to have to suffer regurgitation than risk offending a dear brother or sister in the Lord. If your stomach is just too weak to handle unusual foods, you’re better off to stay in the hotel room or not board the plane. After all, someone has to stay at home and help pray! Right?
While it is often unfair to be categorized as a “rich” person because we live in the Western world, we don’t want to confirm that we were born with a “silver spoon in our mouths”. If we can afford an airplane ticket to their country, they can view us as “rich”. So, if we refuse their food, then their judgments are confirmed. Hearts will be closed to the Gospel. What a sad thought. You don’t want the Lord to remind you of that on the Day of Reckoning.
Simply put, Open Hearts = an Open Gospel. This is why I am so convinced of building relationships. I am building for eternity. How about you? It’s much bigger than you and me. I believe that entire nations will bow their knees before the Christ. Surely, the families of the nations are being gathered to worship Jesus! Shall we build together – with the One who is the Master Architect, Jesus?
9/16/07
How Does A Nation Find Its Way Into Your Heart? (part one)
“For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Luke 19:10
“…but by love serve one another.” Galatians 5:13b
Today, it is more popular than ever to take short-term missions trips into so many places around the world. While the potential to win the masses to Christ is great, there is yet another element of missions which should be explored: this is called relationship.
Today, it is popular to go on these short-term missions trips. This has become a viable option for the majority, for most of us cannot commit to living in a foreign country for months or years at a time. The short-term option, though, does not mean we can’t commit to the relationship with those we've been called to for the long-term.
I have traveled to Mexico a total of twelve (12) times since 1999; into some fairly remote places. In the picture above, I hold in my arms a child that had been dedicated to the Lord that Sunday morning. The child is the grandchild of Eva, a restaurant owner, who is deeply offended if we do not have dinner with her on the very night we arrive in Perote, Veracruz.
Today, it is popular to go on these short-term missions trips. This has become a viable option for the majority, for most of us cannot commit to living in a foreign country for months or years at a time. The short-term option, though, does not mean we can’t commit to the relationship with those we've been called to for the long-term.
I have traveled to Mexico a total of twelve (12) times since 1999; into some fairly remote places. In the picture above, I hold in my arms a child that had been dedicated to the Lord that Sunday morning. The child is the grandchild of Eva, a restaurant owner, who is deeply offended if we do not have dinner with her on the very night we arrive in Perote, Veracruz.
I have been going to the Philippines since 1978. In my thirteen (13) excursions, I have built long-standing relationships with many pastors, their families and their churches. There is a history. I know their names, their children’s names and can even name some in their congregations. On the flip side, they also have met my wife, Lynda, and most of our five (5) children. The same is true for Mexico, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Indonesia. We have played games together; laughed and cried together; prayed together; worshiped together; and built relationship.
The eternal purpose for taking the Gospel to the nations is to: seek and save…that none should perish! But sometimes it takes 2, 3, maybe even 4 trips into a nation just to lay a foundation of relationship for the Gospel message to be maximized. This foundation of relationship largely involves the further building of trust and finding open hearts to you and the Gospel. As this happens, more and more doors will open to meet local, regional and national leaders.
I have experienced the servant position of washing the feet of pastors; I have stood on second-story balconies with mayors of cities to celebrate their national holidays; I have stooped to help the poor, blind and unclothed; I have sat in round-table discussions with educators and decision-makers. This did not happen in one trip to a foreign land. It took a commitment to going once or twice a year for several years to find these relationships and open hearts.
Jesus’ heart was tremendously stirred by the condition of the people and culture of Jerusalem when He said, “O Jerusalem, O Jerusalem, you who kill your prophets”, further stating, “How often I would gather as a hen would gather her chicks, but you would not let Me” and “You are like sheep without a shepherd”.
In essence, Jesus was the first missionary. But the true heart of God delivered through this Missionary was to demonstrate a willingness to identify with those He was called to (you and me… and the rest of the world). I guess identification is a major point to make here.
In my thirty-one years of preaching the Gospel, I have met plenty who use missions’ trips as a means to brag about where they’ve been and what they’ve accomplished. For those, it became a feather in their cap, or, like a gun-slinger for the Old West, notches on the gun barrel. They were not really all that interested in identifying with the people. Someday, I hope, the thought will dawn on them that Jesus was and still is all about relationship. Surely, He did the miracles just to display God’s goodness and to once and for all - capture their hearts.
When you go to these nations, you may experience an array of emotion when presented with issues, like:
The eternal purpose for taking the Gospel to the nations is to: seek and save…that none should perish! But sometimes it takes 2, 3, maybe even 4 trips into a nation just to lay a foundation of relationship for the Gospel message to be maximized. This foundation of relationship largely involves the further building of trust and finding open hearts to you and the Gospel. As this happens, more and more doors will open to meet local, regional and national leaders.
I have experienced the servant position of washing the feet of pastors; I have stood on second-story balconies with mayors of cities to celebrate their national holidays; I have stooped to help the poor, blind and unclothed; I have sat in round-table discussions with educators and decision-makers. This did not happen in one trip to a foreign land. It took a commitment to going once or twice a year for several years to find these relationships and open hearts.
Jesus’ heart was tremendously stirred by the condition of the people and culture of Jerusalem when He said, “O Jerusalem, O Jerusalem, you who kill your prophets”, further stating, “How often I would gather as a hen would gather her chicks, but you would not let Me” and “You are like sheep without a shepherd”.
In essence, Jesus was the first missionary. But the true heart of God delivered through this Missionary was to demonstrate a willingness to identify with those He was called to (you and me… and the rest of the world). I guess identification is a major point to make here.
In my thirty-one years of preaching the Gospel, I have met plenty who use missions’ trips as a means to brag about where they’ve been and what they’ve accomplished. For those, it became a feather in their cap, or, like a gun-slinger for the Old West, notches on the gun barrel. They were not really all that interested in identifying with the people. Someday, I hope, the thought will dawn on them that Jesus was and still is all about relationship. Surely, He did the miracles just to display God’s goodness and to once and for all - capture their hearts.
When you go to these nations, you may experience an array of emotion when presented with issues, like:
Culture shock- unfamiliar sights, sounds, smells, food, language, weather, etc.
Atmospheric conditions (both physical and spiritual)- altitude, climate, etc.
Overwhelming Doubts- “Why am I here?” “Do I really have anything to give?”
Please remember the basic premise from which Jesus came: He came to seek, to save and to serve. If service remains your purpose, the other challenges will quickly fade into the distance. Put your heart out there and build relationship with people. This is the beginning of answering the question: How does a Nation find its Way into Your Heart?
9/7/07
Faithfulness: is it "what God does" or "Who He is"?
It’s great to have friends that daily encourage us in the Lord. One such friend of mine is Josh Lindquist, owner of Quist Design, our ministry’s website designer. Even though Josh lives hundreds of miles away, he chats with me over the internet everyday. Below is one of our most recent chats that spawned this week’s devotional!
Bill: He (God) is faithful....even when things don't seem to be going the way we think they should
Josh: Amen
Bill: The fact that He is faithful is more dependent upon His character and "who He is", instead of "what He does or doesn't do". That would be a distant second
Josh: That is solid
Bill: That is "truth" to live by
Bill: Maybe I should write something about that for the next weekly devotional
Josh: That would be great
Bill: K
Our view of God largely determines how far we’ll walk with Him – especially when the storm is raging all around us! How many people do you know whose confidence and “faith in God” has been severally shaken, only to reveal their theology was based upon “experience” rather than “truth”? Let’s call this “conceptual theology”. The temptation exists to also determine God’s “will” and “heart” according to our circumstances.
The real big problem with a “conceptual theology” is that ones view and opinion of God will be like the wind – constantly changing – dependant upon what they’re going through at the time.
Let’s look at some real, hard-core Bible truths to live by:
1. God cannot change- For I am the LORD, I change not; Malachi 3:6
2. God cannot lie- In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began; Titus 1:2
3. God cannot fail- He will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, Deut. 31:6
If these core beliefs are true (and we know they are), then they are based upon character, not duty. God cannot be sized up by what He “does” or “doesn’t do”. Our concept of God must reflect “Who He is”, not just “His power or ability”. Otherwise, we can be more focused upon seeking His hand, instead of His face. How can we confidently declare His beauty, unless our gaze has been set upon His most holy, lovely face?
We must look at the things that characterize God as “Who He is”. For example:
1. God is LOVE. Therefore, He loves us. (I John 4:8)
2. God is LIGHT. Therefore, He lights up heaven and the earth. (John 8:12; I John 1:5)
3. Jesus is the BREAD OF LIFE. Therefore, He feeds us. (John 6:35)
4. Jesus is the DOOR, the GOOD SHEPHERD, the VINE, and the WAY. Therefore, He shows us the way to the Father. (John 10:4, 7; 14:6)
5. He is the RESURRECTION and the LIFE. Therefore, He brings God’s life to us. (John 11:25)
6. Jesus is TRUTH. Therefore, He teaches and reveals Truth. (John 14:6; Rev. 3:14)
7. God is FAITHFUL. Therefore, He faithfully provides for us. (Deut. 7:9; Rev. 3:14)
There you have it! God’s will and ways are not determined by current circumstances. We mustn’t allow human deduction and earthly wisdom to form our theology. Those that come to God must: first, believe that He is; second, we must believe that He rewards us as we diligently seek Him; third, without faith, it is impossible to please Him (Hebrews 11:6).
Let us not have faith in our doctrine, but rather, let us place our faith and confidence in our God, Who will do what He said, because He is Who He said. Remember, Truth, Faithful, etc. speak of God, as a person. If you do “think upon these things”, it will influence the platform from which you worship. It will not be just from the position of “what God has done for you”, but your worship will most definitely include: God, I love You, if for no other reason than just because of Who You are. This will begin to change everything, including your theology. Can you handle that? Bet you can…and will!
Bill: He (God) is faithful....even when things don't seem to be going the way we think they should
Josh: Amen
Bill: The fact that He is faithful is more dependent upon His character and "who He is", instead of "what He does or doesn't do". That would be a distant second
Josh: That is solid
Bill: That is "truth" to live by
Bill: Maybe I should write something about that for the next weekly devotional
Josh: That would be great
Bill: K
Our view of God largely determines how far we’ll walk with Him – especially when the storm is raging all around us! How many people do you know whose confidence and “faith in God” has been severally shaken, only to reveal their theology was based upon “experience” rather than “truth”? Let’s call this “conceptual theology”. The temptation exists to also determine God’s “will” and “heart” according to our circumstances.
The real big problem with a “conceptual theology” is that ones view and opinion of God will be like the wind – constantly changing – dependant upon what they’re going through at the time.
Let’s look at some real, hard-core Bible truths to live by:
1. God cannot change- For I am the LORD, I change not; Malachi 3:6
2. God cannot lie- In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began; Titus 1:2
3. God cannot fail- He will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, Deut. 31:6
If these core beliefs are true (and we know they are), then they are based upon character, not duty. God cannot be sized up by what He “does” or “doesn’t do”. Our concept of God must reflect “Who He is”, not just “His power or ability”. Otherwise, we can be more focused upon seeking His hand, instead of His face. How can we confidently declare His beauty, unless our gaze has been set upon His most holy, lovely face?
We must look at the things that characterize God as “Who He is”. For example:
1. God is LOVE. Therefore, He loves us. (I John 4:8)
2. God is LIGHT. Therefore, He lights up heaven and the earth. (John 8:12; I John 1:5)
3. Jesus is the BREAD OF LIFE. Therefore, He feeds us. (John 6:35)
4. Jesus is the DOOR, the GOOD SHEPHERD, the VINE, and the WAY. Therefore, He shows us the way to the Father. (John 10:4, 7; 14:6)
5. He is the RESURRECTION and the LIFE. Therefore, He brings God’s life to us. (John 11:25)
6. Jesus is TRUTH. Therefore, He teaches and reveals Truth. (John 14:6; Rev. 3:14)
7. God is FAITHFUL. Therefore, He faithfully provides for us. (Deut. 7:9; Rev. 3:14)
There you have it! God’s will and ways are not determined by current circumstances. We mustn’t allow human deduction and earthly wisdom to form our theology. Those that come to God must: first, believe that He is; second, we must believe that He rewards us as we diligently seek Him; third, without faith, it is impossible to please Him (Hebrews 11:6).
Let us not have faith in our doctrine, but rather, let us place our faith and confidence in our God, Who will do what He said, because He is Who He said. Remember, Truth, Faithful, etc. speak of God, as a person. If you do “think upon these things”, it will influence the platform from which you worship. It will not be just from the position of “what God has done for you”, but your worship will most definitely include: God, I love You, if for no other reason than just because of Who You are. This will begin to change everything, including your theology. Can you handle that? Bet you can…and will!
9/5/07
Enjoying The Process
I Thessalonians 5:23
And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Psalm 1:3
And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
While buckling my seat belt, the airplane pilot usually takes advantage of any downtime by giving vital information, like: the weather forecast and gate assignments. However, what he/she probably enjoys the most is saying, “Leave the flying to us, folks. So, just sit back, relax and enjoy the flight.” (Of course, it’s a little more difficult to relax on some of the trans-oceanic flights.)
This “enjoying the ride” is something every believer should take advantage of. We can find joy in the journey – and peace in the process. Herein lays a real challenge for most of us. Some would rather have a “snap your fingers” and “wave your wand” experience with God, but this is not God’s way. He is into “the process”. How? Thanks for asking!
In the natural, we see the four seasons of the year and the cycle of life. If one could snap his fingers and instantly move from season to season, we could not enjoy watching the process of change. Time is also a process: past, present and future.
The “test” in the testimony is the part we like the least. But how could we truly declare the “goodness and ability of God” if God does as suggested – wave a wand and get us out of our stuff? Enjoying the process definitely makes the journey that much sweeter!
(Surely, one of the major disillusions awaiting Christians today is misunderstanding “the process”. However, in this case, disillusionment can actually turn out to be a good thing. In the positive sense of the word, “disillusion” equates to being “free from illusion”. But remember: the truth will set us free!)
Another way of describing “the process” in the life of the Christian is taking a look at three specific words in our opening text: Spirit, Soul and Body. These words suggest that we are part of a Metamorphosis, or in the on-going “process of change”.
Every year the beautiful Monarch Butterfly returns to Michiocan, Mexico. It must be a sight to behold, as millions of these majestic butterflies assemble there. But if the Monarch was to allow its past to predict its future, you and I would not see its beauty. The Monarch Butterfly experiences the process of change, going from an egg, to the larvae, to the pupa, and then to the adult butterfly. 1 There are equally ugly and beautiful stages in its life.
You and I go through a similar metamorphosis, but ours is spiritual. Jeremiah 1:5 helps us to further establish this, saying, “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations”.
God foreknew Jeremiah and called him to be a prophet to the nations. So, even as a child, Jeremiah could equally say, “I am a prophet”, “I am being trained to be a prophet”, and “I will be a prophet”. Applying this biblical precedent to our life, we can say, “I am saved (I am perfect, holy, etc.)”, “I am being saved (I am being perfected, made holy, etc.)”, and “I will be saved” (I will be perfect, holy, etc.)
The spiritual life of a Christian is all about the process of “becoming what I already am”, or “I am what I shall be”. The Bible states that we go from: glory to glory, strength to strength, and faith to faith. If we understand it’s all about the process, we won’t totally lose heart when we mess up the next time. Yes, the goodness of God leads to repentance. But God doesn't condemn us. His love understands the process and easily says, I forgive you". This is part of the check and balance system God offers in His kingdom.
One last thought: according to Psalm 1:3, the phrase – “And he shall be like a” – comes from the Hebrew word “Hayah”, meaning “it shall come to pass”. If we can get a vision for where we are going and whom God has called (and declared) us to be, the Lifter of our heads, Jesus, can help us to see the many pitfalls before us. God watches over His Word to perform it. “It shall come to pass”, because He is doing a great work in us, as we are going through "the stuff".
Whatever your “stuff” is, you can go through it much easier when you know God is working His good pleasure in you. Say “Hayah” to your neighbor. He or she might think you’re talking Karate language or something, but them the truth: “It shall come to pass”. See ya 'round the victory circle!
1. http://www.earthlife.net/insects/lifecycles.html
And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Psalm 1:3
And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
While buckling my seat belt, the airplane pilot usually takes advantage of any downtime by giving vital information, like: the weather forecast and gate assignments. However, what he/she probably enjoys the most is saying, “Leave the flying to us, folks. So, just sit back, relax and enjoy the flight.” (Of course, it’s a little more difficult to relax on some of the trans-oceanic flights.)
This “enjoying the ride” is something every believer should take advantage of. We can find joy in the journey – and peace in the process. Herein lays a real challenge for most of us. Some would rather have a “snap your fingers” and “wave your wand” experience with God, but this is not God’s way. He is into “the process”. How? Thanks for asking!
In the natural, we see the four seasons of the year and the cycle of life. If one could snap his fingers and instantly move from season to season, we could not enjoy watching the process of change. Time is also a process: past, present and future.
The “test” in the testimony is the part we like the least. But how could we truly declare the “goodness and ability of God” if God does as suggested – wave a wand and get us out of our stuff? Enjoying the process definitely makes the journey that much sweeter!
(Surely, one of the major disillusions awaiting Christians today is misunderstanding “the process”. However, in this case, disillusionment can actually turn out to be a good thing. In the positive sense of the word, “disillusion” equates to being “free from illusion”. But remember: the truth will set us free!)
Another way of describing “the process” in the life of the Christian is taking a look at three specific words in our opening text: Spirit, Soul and Body. These words suggest that we are part of a Metamorphosis, or in the on-going “process of change”.
Every year the beautiful Monarch Butterfly returns to Michiocan, Mexico. It must be a sight to behold, as millions of these majestic butterflies assemble there. But if the Monarch was to allow its past to predict its future, you and I would not see its beauty. The Monarch Butterfly experiences the process of change, going from an egg, to the larvae, to the pupa, and then to the adult butterfly. 1 There are equally ugly and beautiful stages in its life.
You and I go through a similar metamorphosis, but ours is spiritual. Jeremiah 1:5 helps us to further establish this, saying, “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations”.
God foreknew Jeremiah and called him to be a prophet to the nations. So, even as a child, Jeremiah could equally say, “I am a prophet”, “I am being trained to be a prophet”, and “I will be a prophet”. Applying this biblical precedent to our life, we can say, “I am saved (I am perfect, holy, etc.)”, “I am being saved (I am being perfected, made holy, etc.)”, and “I will be saved” (I will be perfect, holy, etc.)
The spiritual life of a Christian is all about the process of “becoming what I already am”, or “I am what I shall be”. The Bible states that we go from: glory to glory, strength to strength, and faith to faith. If we understand it’s all about the process, we won’t totally lose heart when we mess up the next time. Yes, the goodness of God leads to repentance. But God doesn't condemn us. His love understands the process and easily says, I forgive you". This is part of the check and balance system God offers in His kingdom.
One last thought: according to Psalm 1:3, the phrase – “And he shall be like a” – comes from the Hebrew word “Hayah”, meaning “it shall come to pass”. If we can get a vision for where we are going and whom God has called (and declared) us to be, the Lifter of our heads, Jesus, can help us to see the many pitfalls before us. God watches over His Word to perform it. “It shall come to pass”, because He is doing a great work in us, as we are going through "the stuff".
Whatever your “stuff” is, you can go through it much easier when you know God is working His good pleasure in you. Say “Hayah” to your neighbor. He or she might think you’re talking Karate language or something, but them the truth: “It shall come to pass”. See ya 'round the victory circle!
1. http://www.earthlife.net/insects/lifecycles.html
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