Top 5 Things Missionaries who are Stateside miss about a Thanksgiving Overseas

I've read several posts this season about what missionaries miss about Thanksgiving while overseas, so I thought I would write a short list looking at the same issue but from the other direction.   Here we go with my list of 5 things I miss about celebrating Thanksgiving while overseas:

1) The very clearly defined and deep sense of a truly thankful heart - (There are many things for which to be thankful, but here are a few highlights from those living and serving overseas: your sustenance in lands where plenty is rarely an option; for safety and not from the "Black Friday" mass of holiday shoppers; for signs of movement toward a relationship with Jesus among your people group; for the closeness that being in a foreign culture brings to your immediate family; for the wonderful opportunity that God has given you to truly see and learn about the real world we live in.)   

2) The closeness of your mission "family", gathered together somewhere in true koinonia (fellowship) and worshiping God.

3) The substitute turkey - in the form of chicken if you are lucky.

4) The introduction of your favorite holiday to your "National" Christian brothers and sisters - who always immediately sense its importance, and then watching them introduce this same holiday into their culture.

5) The almost frantic pre-thanksgiving holiday search for any of your favorite thanksgiving foods that you might prepare in order to remind you of "home."

Blessings and be truly thankful for what we have been given.

Steve

   

3 Steps to Penetrate the Community

“With Jesus in my heart and a Bible in my hand, I have more than I need to do whatever Jesus expects me to do.”    And with that phrase ringing in his ears, a rookie missionary was sent to reach the lost among people he had never met, in a language that he didn't know, and in a land that he had never seen.   Eventually that missionary – me – learned that Ken Sorrell was on to something very true.  So the question is: How can a follower of Christ penetrate a community with the life-changing message of Jesus?   

  

1. Get into the community.   I didn't have to learn this, because I knew it already.   I knew that I had to turn the TV off and leave my comfy couch to go into the community.   Few strangers were jumping at the chance to sit on my couch and watch a TV show with me that they couldn't understand.   The cold hard fact is that it is terribly hard to reach someone with a life changing message while you are sipping an iced tea watching the Amazing Race.   (My current favorite TV show, by the way.)   Common sense says, that for the Gospel to be shared one must be in a position to share it.   Paul said it this way in Romans 10:17, “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” (ESV)    How can they hear without being with them where they are to share it?   Some will say by internet, TV, print media, and radio.   Well, OK I’ll give you that, but are you absolutely certain that they heard it and understood it?   The message is just too important to leave to a chance encounter with a website.

2.  Connect with the community.  Quite often I would go into communities and hand out tract after tract – thousands and thousands of them over the years literally.   Sometimes as I was heading off to another destination in order to pass out even more tracts I would pass by people reading those tracts.   Good!  The Bible says in Isaiah 55:11, “so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”  (ESV)  Here is the thing though, after leaving the community I never knew what happened with the truth I shared.   It wasn’t long at all until I realized that I needed to stay awhile in order to see the fruit of my tract distribution.   Also after staying awhile I discovered that I was blessed deep inside somehow when I learned the names of those with whom I had shared a tract.   It might interest you to know what I did while “staying in the community.”  Well, honestly I did what I do best – hang out.   I have to admit, I am always a little bit envious of those missionaries who can bring really cool things to the game.   Some of them play football (soccer) really well, and they will play for hours with people in the park.   Well, I am certainly not an athlete. Others were farmers who know enough to hang around helping in a field.   Others were crafty type people, and can do all sorts of manner of interesting things using nothing more than bits of discarded boxes, palm branches, lip stick and Elmer’s glue.   I am definitely not crafty.   Some would teach English – always a good job hunting skill for those in a foreign land, but if you are reading this then you already understand that English is not particularly my strong suit.   I even know of a doctor or two that will give medical or dental help.   I have a lawyer friend who gave legal advice.   There were some rich missionaries who could give out lots and lots of rice and beans.   And then there was me – about the best thing I can do is drink coffee and make small talk, but people really seem to like it when they heard me mention their child’s name as I prayed for them before heading back to my comfy couch for the night.

  

3. Share the message.   Isn't it amazing what God can do?   The Bible says in, Romans 8:28, “All things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.”   (ESV)   I am astounded that God even blesses my love of coffee and small talk.     By sticking around a community for a bit I will meet someone and we will drink coffee and chat, and after a while we will know all sorts of interesting things about each other.   Eventually I might even be invited home with them, and before long they want to know why I am their friend drinking their coffee.    And my answer is always this, “Jesus sent me here to be your friend so that you will listen to the message He wants you to hear when I decide it’s a good time to share it with you.”  They inevitably ask, “What’s the message?”  Then the Gospel message that can change their lives they will hear, and many many times they will believe.    And once they do I will tell them, “Now it is your task to share this with everyone you know.”   It is wonderful when they will, and then I can move on to somewhere else in order to meet more friends, drink more coffee and make even more small talk.   The truth of the matter is this: few people will believe a message from a communicator that they don’t trust – some might for sure, but very few.   Trust takes time to develop.   Usually trust comes through a good relationship.   Few of us are in a position where real people with real needs believe that we have the message that can change their lives – perhaps Billy Graham has that kind of reputation, but normal people don’t.   I certainly don’t.   And here is the kicker – when we remain sitting on our couches watching our TVs then they are absolutely sure that we don’t have the answer for their need.   When we drop by their community for a minute or two and just leave something with them, then more often than not they are confused about what just transpired.   When we stay though – then relationships happen.   By staying for a time it may mean that you discover some real needs that you can address rather than what you guess might be their greatest stumbling block to the message of Jesus.   When we stay we are blessed with new friends and usually with new believers who also want to follow Jesus.    

So what Ken taught that naive missionary a long time ago was very true.   It’s not expensive to penetrate a community.   I didn't and don’t need new and better equipment.   I didn't and don’t need buildings or a big budget.   I didn't and don’t even need boxes of Bibles to give away.    All those things were and are very nice and when they come along I will never turn them down, but I don’t need them.    On the missionary field I learned that all I need is the love of Jesus to motivate my going to a community, a cup of coffee to make a new friend while I am there, and a Bible to show others the way to him.    So I suppose after all that I did change a little of what Ken taught, although the essence is exactly the same, so I don’t think he will mind too much: “With Jesus in my heart and a Bible in one hand and a cup of coffee nearby, I have more than I need to do whatever Jesus expects me to do.”   In that sense I have more than the Apostle Paul and the original 12 when they went along their way, which is real good because I ain't in their league.   You see for them the Bible wasn't quite completed yet, and coffee wasn't discovered until the fourteenth century.    

Until He comes… GO and DO!

What have we been up to?

“What have I been up to?” I was asked recently.   Well, it is simple really. . .   Retooling.  Rediscovering my passions.   Praying.   Following my heart.  Preaching and teaching a good bit.  And writing – a lot.    Much of this you will be able to read over the course of the next few months, as things get proofed and much editing is completed.   As well, a new ministry has been born – strategiChurch ministries.   The mission of this new ministry is to do whatever is necessary to help pastors and churches reach the unchurched and dechurched individuals who reside in their communities.    Just imagine the possibilities if a church and a pastor had a strategic consultant, who knows and understands the culture of the local church, walking with them as they look at their changing communities in order to discover how to penetrate it with the Gospel that so desperately needed.   Another part of the ministry will be intentional transitional pastoring, where one goes into a church for a set amount of time helping the local church transition to a new future.   I trust that through all this that God will be glorified as souls are saved and lives changes, because bottom line this is our desire and the purpose of our lives.  

Brochures will be available in a couple of weeks; business cards will be ready next Wednesday I believe, and our website is up and running, although much of the resources that will be free and available are still in the editing stage.   Please go ahead though and take a look.   Drop us a note we would love to hear from you.   The web address is: www.strategiChurch.net.   And don’t forget the new phone number at (470) 328-1838.  

Please keep us in your prayers as we begin this new direction for our lives and ministry.  

Blessings,

Steve DuVall 

Uniquely and Happily Married. . .

Next week -- on the 27 of July -- my bride and I will enter into our 28th year of marriage.    I have been kidding her publicly about celebrating the milestone at the Waffle House -- a fine American eating establishment.   She has countered that she would rather go to the Varsity. (For those of you who don't know, the Varsity is a famous Atlanta, Georgia landmark offering the greatest in Chili dogs and FOs -- Frosted Orange shakes.  "What'll ya have; what'll ya have?"  is their famous and registered catch phrase.) You may not believe it, but I am being completely honest here, we would both really enjoy either of them. You see we have never been a couple that needed somewhere "magical."   We have always found the "magic" by just talking.    Simply driving in cars long distances has been many of our favorite memories over the years, and well neither one of us have ever felt the need for something expensive and fancy in order to validate who we are to each other.   On the occasions when we have done those sorts of things, we usually think afterwards -- "We paid this for that!"   People may think that we aren't very exciting, but that is who we are, and from the looks of things that is who we come from as well.    Today my parents - Windol and Evelyn - completed 61 years of matrimony.   They are currently celebrating with matching Doctor's appointments, and if they feel like it afterwards they are going to John Boy's All You Can Eat Buffet.  It seems they have never been ones to spend much on celebrations or presents either.  But our marriages are a blessing in other ways.   I haven't asked my dad, but I can say for me that my marriage is great, satisfying even, and well it is just pleasant to be married to my best friend.   It might even be said that our relationship is almost perfect.   I've noticed through 28 years that our marriage often mirrors our relationship to God.   Another pastor Stewart Ruch III said it this way, "marriage with God is a dramatic biblical metaphor for God's relationship with his people.  He chose spiritual marriage, the great marriage of our souls with God, as a kind of beatific vision, the end goal of all of our personhood."   I liked how he said that. It was well worded and beautiful and very true.         

Most people know what I am -- a pastor -- so over the years I have dealt with I don't know how many exactly but let's just say a whole lot of people struggling with their marriages. People have come to me complaining about their spouse spending way to much.  I have heard countless "cheating" tales.    And from the cheaters, I have heard the, "they don't fulfill my needs" stories.   (Over the years it seems that the stories have gotten more graphic, but in any event I listen to all of them.)   I offer whatever advice and wisdom that I can give them and highlight various passages from scripture that I think might help them.   As well I give them the card of a professional counselor that I trust where they might find further help.  And I always, always pray for them in person, and they may not know this but I continue to pray for them daily and often more times than that.    You see my heart breaks for their pain, and so often unless we get the relationship fixed it ends in divorce with even more pain and poverty even.      

The statistics on divorce are incredible.   I saw the other day that  41% of first marriages end in divorce; 60 percent of second marriages end in divorce; 73% of third marriages end in divorce. (http://www.mckinleyirvin.com/blog/divorce/32-shocking-divorce-statistics)   I wasn't astounded because I have heard those numbers before.   It seems that a little over 1/2 of all marriages end in divorce, and that stat has held true for about the last fifty years.   I find it interesting that over 1/2 of all those who have been divorced wish that they or both of them had tried harder to fix things before d-day.    I have book after book on the shelves about why marriages fail, and they all say about the same thing, and let me just summarize them with this quick little list.  

1. Lack of commitment
2. Too much arguing
3. Difficult finances
4. Infidelity
5. Marrying too young
6. Unrealistic expectations
7. Lack of equality in the relationship
8. Lack of preparation for marriage
9. Abuse

I have heard all those reasons -- everyone of them in fact.   Often people will list three or four when we talk. And again, my heart breaks for their suffering, but I honestly don't believe any of those are the actual reason for their marital pain.   I believe they are symptoms of the real reason.   I am about to write something that many will find controversial.    There will be those who send nasty comments my way, but it is the truth, and I am bound by who I am to share it like it is.   Are you ready? Here we go: the real reason for all those symptoms listed above is selfishness on at least one, but usually both partners in a committed relationship.    "I want', I want" characterizes who we have become in our nation.   We all want the best.   We all want more.   We have taken wanting to a new level.  I believe this has occurred because it has been possible in the USA up until recently to continually increase in our consumption and ownership of things. The American dream is dying now, but it was alive and well.  If we couldn't outright pay for something then credit was the available answer, and all the time "I want. I want more." is on our minds.   How often have you heard this, "I want my spouse to complete me."    "I want someone to make me feel special."   "I want someone to just love me for who I am."   Stop for just a minute and think about those three little statements. . .   Well, selfishness is the root of all of them.   Let's take them one by one.   

• I want my spouse to complete me.   I'm sorry, but if you are not a complete person going into the marriage then you will never be completed by a mere human being.   No human has the power to complete you.   Nobody, and I don't care who they are can do that -- no matter what the musicians and poets make you think.   Only God can complete the hole in your heart.       
• I want someone to make me feel special.   Well, what makes you feel special?   Things?  Time?   Words?   Physical touch?   Respect?   Honestly everyone wants at least one of those, but it is tough to ever "get enough" or "give enough".    
• I want someone to just love me for who I am?   Let me just ask you this, are you all that "lovable" all the time or do you need to make some changes?   Shave.  Take a bath.  Use perfume.   Stop arguing and wanting your own way.   I don't know.   Do you need to consider who you are?       

Here is what God says about selfishness in a love relationship, 1 Corinthians 13:4-6 "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking [Emphasis mine], it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth."   Did you read that? God says there is no selfishness in love.   There is no selfishness in the love you give or the love you receive.   The perfect relationship with a spouse is where both partners are completely and wholly devoted to the other.  A great relationship is one where both partners are always looking to please the other.   A satisfying relationship is one where both partners want the absolute best for the other.   A pleasing relationship is one where each partner sacrifices their own will, their own wants for the other's.   No wonder there are so many hurts and so much anger and discouragement in marriage relationships; its hard to live that way.   It is hard to not be selfish.   

That perfect, great, satisfying and pleasing relationship is the kind of relationship that God wants to have with you, but the sad fact is that most of us bring our own wants -- our selfishness -- into this relationship with God.   Just like in our own relationships with our spouses we want the wholehearted blessings that He can give while returning only a half-heart or even less to Him.    When this applies in our relationship to God, we get the same results with Him as we find in our flesh and blood marriages -- pain, frustration, anger and hurt. Ultimately we will find divorce with Him as well.   

Blessings and write me if you need me.   

Steve 

I Am Called . . . For What?

Final Part 4

While answering Edgardo’s question – how does a missionary know where to go? – a deeper one arose, which was, how does someone know they are called?    Many pastors and theologians will tell you – “You’ll know.”    But I have learned that this answer is not adequate for most people so let me share with you my story of answering the call and perhaps it will help you.  

Several years ago, I had this deep gut feeling that God wanted me to do something.   I could never get away from thinking about it no matter what I did, where I went or who I was with.   That nagging thought never left my mind.   I knew deep down that what I was feeling was not indigestion, and I didn’t need a doctor.   I knew from the core of my being that God was telling me something, and if you want the truth I really knew what He was communicating to me, but I just didn’t want to admit it - - - OUT LOUD!   You see if you admit something like that to the whole world you get different responses from those around you and most of them aren't exactly positive. 

Some of those responses might be from:

1) People who don’t know Jesus as their personal Savior and have very little understanding of spiritual things will automatically think you to be crazy saying such amazing things like “God called me to. . .”  

2) People who do know Jesus and are actively living out their faith sometimes surprisingly will respond like this: “Why Lord?   I don’t want to lose my son – daughter – husband – brother – cousin – friend - _______.”  

3) People who do know Jesus but don’t really live like it will respond like this: “That’s nice.  You are going to get a real job right?”  
4) People who have answered the call and feel quite beat up and used will respond: "Oh, I am so sorry.   I'll pray for you."
5) But there are some who will say: "Great, I will guard you in my prayers every day and anxiously wait to hear the good news about how God is using you."     (BTW: Make sure these people's contact information is safely stored in your contact list.   Just trust me on this.) 

As well, if you admit something like that out loud for all the world to hear then you know that at that point you have to really do something about it or the whole Christian world will see you for what you really are – frightened, confused, worried, and helpless.   So more often than not the one with those feelings will do just what I did.   Internalize them.   Keep them hidden.   Get a little bit angry with the world.   Avoid church and church friends or go the other way and become clingy and never absent from church.   But however you handle the feelings the problem persists.   The problem grows.   It does not go away.   For me it got to the point where I couldn't sleep at night.   I couldn't eat.   I was rather grumpy and gloomy.   But still I thought to myself that maybe I have my feelings wrong.    So you think maybe if I go to some religious authority then they will tell me that I have it all wrong and that I really do have bad case of indigestion, and if you take some antacid pills and read a Psalm or two then the feelings will go away.   And that is just what I did.   I called a friend of mine and our church’s minister of education – Keith Smyser (a great American and a heck of a baseball player) and made an appointment to take him to lunch in order to talk about some things.   And when we sat down at the BBQ restaurant and chatted a little bit, I finally found the courage to ask him outright, “How do you know if you are called to the ministry?”   Keith laughed and said, “Is that all you wanted to know.   I thought it was something like you and Debbie were having problems.”   He then said, “You are called Steve.   I have known it for a long time.   I’m glad you are finally doing something about it.”   And that was it, I suppose in that BBQ restaurant with Keith I announced it to the world.   “God has called me to do something.”  

And the thing is.   Once you have answered the call of Jesus then you get started.   You begin preparing yourself and making yourself available for opportunities and unless you absolutely can't then you never say no.    God will direct your paths.   He will open the doors.   He will make it work out right.   If you are reading this you may be thinking, "but I want more.   I want specifics."   Just hang tight.   I'll get to that.   

Over the years there have been many people who have asked me the very same question that I asked my dear friend Keith.   And here is how I almost always answer them.   “You are called.   If you have ever said, ‘Yes, Jesus I will follow you.’  If you have ever listened to a sermon, read your Bible or gone to Sunday school then you are called to do something.”     In Mark 2:14, Jesus asked Levi to ‘follow Him.’   And in every verse you read, and in every sermon you hear: He is asking you to do that as well.”    What does FOLLOWING JESUS mean?    It means living by the principles that He taught.   It means serving others.  It means giving your tithes and offerings.   It means loving those that hate you.   It means going somewhere to share what Jesus did for you with others.   It means encouraging them to also make their walk with Christ real.   It means doing the right thing even though the right thing is costly, difficult and hard.    It means relinquishing your wants and desires to Christ, and loving Him so much that His wants and desires become yours.    When you do all that then my bet is that you will start feeling more and more the best place for you to be and with whom you need to share and what you should do.   

But still some people feel they need to know even more specifically than what I just shared.   Some people feel that they need something like a billboard experience before they will serve.  (A billboard experience is something so incredible and profound that you know that it must be from God.   For instance, driving along a road and reading a passing billboard that says: "Go to Ninevah" or something like that.)    And occasionally God may provide that for you, but more often than not it is a still small voice or feeling deep inside that you ought to go here and do that.   Sometimes it is simply an open door versus a closed one that will guide you.    I don’t know how God works specifically with everyone, but I do know that He does.   I do know that He wants to use you.   I do know that if you tell Him yes, and I will follow you, then you ought to get a passport because you are going somewhere.   I don’t know, it may be just across the street.   But you are going somewhere.   God wants to use you.    And to follow or not that is your only response.   

Some of you reading this will think "Well, I'm not qualified for this or that."   And here is the response to that fear.   Get qualified.   Get prepared.  Don't just sit there.   Do something.   

I was reminded of all this in a recent sermon I listened to.   And I don't remember who it was and I am just too lazy to go and figure it out, but the preacher said something along these lines,  “Jacob was a cheater; Peter had a temper; David had an affair and arranged for the murder of her husband, and Noah got drunk.   Jonah ran from God; Peter had a temper.  Paul was ugly and a murderer as well; Gideon was insecure; Miriam was a gossiper, and Martha was a worrier. Thomas was a doubter, Sara was impatient; Elijah was moody; Moses stuttered; Zacchaeus was too short; Abraham was too old and Lazarus was dead.  God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called!"  

Go and do. . . 

What to Do When You Don't Know What to Do!

Part 3

Edgardo in Honduras asked this question and it was a good one.   I liked this question so much I framed a sermon around it, and I was going to deliver that message last Sunday, but I changed the topic at the very last minute.   But to get back to the question.   Well, there are several things that you can do.   And here are a few of the best ones.

1. Check who influences you the most.    What in the world does this mean?   Well, we are influenced by a horde of things all around us all the time.   For instance: we are influenced by the weather.   If it is hot and sticky outside I am sure you will be influenced not to wear a heavy coat.   If it is raining then you might chose to take and umbrella with you.   We are influenced by lines painted on the floor or the rope fencing that is in your bank.   If there is a line painted on the floor we will generally follow it, or if there is rope fencing we usually will stay within its' boundaries.   We just somehow feel that we ought to.    So I believe all of us would feel comfortable in saying, "OK, I see your point."   So yes we are influenced by the world we live in.   You may not have thought about this before, but did you know that there are things that we really don't pay attention to, but they are placed into our lives to specifically condition us one way or another.   Commercials seek to influence to buy this or that.   News reports are specifically worded one way or another in order to influence how we think about this or that.   We may not even think about it, but we are subtly influenced one way or another simply by the pictures posted around it or the words they chose to use in describing it.  As well, there are some huge influencers in our lives that may have been put there by people with evil intentions.   People with the intention to do you harm and not to bless your life.  Why would they do that?   For profit.   Or maybe fame.   Or it could be that if they influence youto do wrong then there will be less shame in what they do.   Well, what could they use to influence me?

• Perhaps music.   What?   I love music.   I listen to it all the time.   I looked this morning on my phone and there are 867 songs listed in its' music library.   No matter where I am going or what I am doing, there always seems to be background music playing softly.   
• Perhaps tv/movies.   What?  I love movies -- especially action movies like the Bourne Series or Iron Man.   I just love to veg through an hour and 1/2 of action packed stunts and drama.    
• Novels - self help books.   Again -- what?   I love reading -- especially right before going to bed.   My favorites are action books.   War books.   Spy novels.   Anything by Chancey.   Those kinds of books.   

What do you mean preacher?   I just listen to those things, watch those things, and read those things they don't influence me at all.   I make my own decisions.  Well, we have all heard in interviews where musicians, actors and writers are just wanting to "push the boundaries."   Push the limits!   Why are they pushing the boundaries?   Are they just trying to advance the culture?   Or are they trying to make money by being wilder - crazier - showier?   Many of the songs that we allow into our cars, iPods, and radios celebrate pre-marital sex.  They celebrate dissolved relationships.   They sing about going your own way instead of following the rules.   On television we now allow into our homes -- into our living rooms -- porn.   When we read books before going to bed at night we are allowing thoughts from possibly unGodly people into our heads to soak in overnight.   Think romance novel.   One fantasizes about that perfect person that completes you, and desires you and says all the right things, but there you are sleeping just inches away from someone who snores and threw their socks across the room and didn't hit the dirty-cloths hamper.  We have allowed the boundaries of sinful people into our own homes, and it doesn't take long in that type of conditioning before what we used to think impossible for us is now possible.   Someone once told me that they were against pre-marital sex, but this very young lady got pregnant as a High School Cheerleader anyway.   Another once told me they were against abortions, but when they were in a position with a problem they were now considering it as a viable option to solve their problem. Well, why were they swayed from what they had been taught by mom and dad and their church, and something they themselves thought was their personal boundary? Because they were conditioned to think that certain sins were alright.   By listening to certain music and watching certain shows and reading certain books that they allowed inside their personal space.   When they did this their boundaries were subtely shifted.    And what they once thought wrong now seemed not quite so wrong.   

But there are more influencers in our lives than just those three.   Friends influence us -- usually more than we influence them.     So who are you hanging around with?   

So in order to discover what to do when you don't know what to do check who influences you first.   What are you watching or reading or listening to?   These are who you are following.    I can guarantee you this: If you spend more time listening to uplifting music; and you re-think what you allow into your home via internet or across the air-waves; and you reconsider what you read  at night, and then surround yourself with Godly men and women I promise you that you path will seem clearer, and your decisions will be more sure.

The next step to knowing what to do is to pray.    Ask for wisdom.   The Bible says that God will give it to you.  {James 1:5}   

Another step is to ask wise-counselors what they would do in the same situation.    Well, who are wise-counselors.   Wise counselors are those who have been there and done that.   Wise counselors are Jesus Followers who truly live out what they believe.   Their faith is obvious.   Wise counselors have nothing at all to gain from the advice they give to you.   Wise counselors keep confidences.  Wise counselors will not suggest anything at all that goes against the principles that are taught in the Bible.    

The last step in knowing what to do is for me the hardest step.   It is hard to wait.   Psalm 27:14 Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.   Two times David said to wait.    I suppose there is something to that.    

Blessings,

Steve

The Difference between an Apostle and Disciple

Part 2

What is the difference between an apostle and a disciple of Christ?

Wow this is a good question that Edgardo began with in Honduras.   Honestly I don’t like to get hung up on definitions; often they lead people into circles, and very little good comes from any honest discussion that just goes around and around the same thing.   But in this case I think it is important that people know that there are differing definitions of the term, for this one reason alone.    Apostles are treated differently – often very differently.  

What is an apostle? 

Some denominations – not the denomination of which I am a part – define an apostle as “a messenger from God,”   And within these kinds of groups you may hear the term apostle as an identifier for someone who may just happen to be the guest speaker at their church on any given Sunday.    Maybe this is a special guest speaker of some influence and is well respected in their denominational circles.    Other denominations will give a more specific definition. For instance, C. Peter Wagner defines an ‘Apostle’ as a: “Christian leader who is gifted, taught, and commissioned by God with the authority to establish the foundational government of the Church within an assigned sphere of ministry by hearing what the Spirit is saying to the churches and by setting things in order accordingly for the advancement of the Kingdom of God.”   The groups that use this definition of an apostle believe that all apostles share at least three basic characteristics: they are ambassadors, generals-governors, and patriarchs.    These characteristics were taught by Paul himself.   I am not going to look where, but I believe that Paul taught this in the letters to the Corinthians.   But as you might expect I have a few problems with both those definitions of the term.   One I believe is much too loose a term, and the other gives much too authority.  

The simple definition given above is the lowest denominator of the word.   I don’t feel like this definition causes any harm per se, but it often just confuses people and causes dissention among Christian brothers of the same denomination which shouldn’t be there at all.    On the other hand I see a lot potential danger in using Wagner’s definition.    Sometimes when the term is used in this way an autocratic – dictatorial religious ruler arises.    One that might be the decider of marriages and families.   One that may demand certain things from people, such as money or other very dear personal things.   I believe that those who use this definition on themselves will sometimes lead to the addition of Scriptures, and the Bible teaches us clearly that God’s Word is complete.   If you don’t believe me, then argue with the Bible itself in Revelation 22:18-19.    Let me be honest though when I have seen this happen it usually arose from someone who gave themselves that title, and who most likely began their own denomination or group.    But I also fear the way that definition says “hearing what the Spirit is saying.”   Well, a lot of people hear what the Spirit is saying.   It’s not hard to hear what God says, if you know Jesus Christ personally, and you pray for clarity and understanding when you read your scriptures.     His Truth was written down for us and it never, ever changes.    Another problem that I have with those that may use this term are those who call themselves apostles.  For instance, I have tried over the years to form friendships with some of them when I happened to be in their communities, but they have never allowed me to associate with them or spend much more time with them than what is allotted for a simple greeting.    Am I to be feared?   We may disagree with the definition of various terms, but if we are both believers in Christ, and do our best to follow him, then are we not brothers.    It seems to me that families ought to be able to share a meal with each other occasionally.   Perhaps work together on some project for the betterment of others.   For those reasons as well as a few more the definition that I use as an apostle is this: an apostle is a follower of Christ who was specifically given the task to lose his life in the pursuit of sharing the Gospel with theultimate intent of establishing the one true church.     You can read the story of the establishment of the church in the book of Acts.   You can read the corrections that the Apostles made to those churches and groups with the Letters in the New Testament.    Some theologians include early church fathers, such as: Clement, Polycarp or Ignatius as apostles because they had so much to do with the development of church doctrine.   Maybe so, I won't argue with them.   But bottom line our doctrine is established.   The church is alive.    We may still need martyrs in order to grow the church, but we don't need them to give their lives in order to create new doctrines or any new form of church governance.   My denomination doesn't add the phrase "lose their life:, but I did, because in all the traditions of the church and in many Biblical stories you will read -- the apostles gave up everything in order to establish the church.   So with my definition, do I believe that there are official “apostles” today?   No, I don’t.  They ceased to exist sometime in the second century.   By then the truth was known and a church was established to see that it spread.         

What is a disciple?

This is something that most Christians can agree upon at least enough so as to not argue very much.   But with that thought in mind, let’s sit camp here for a moment or two.    A disciple is someone who follows a person or an idea according to the dictionary.   But for the disciple of Christ this idea goes much deeper and becomes a lifestyle instead of just a path to follow.    A disciple of Christ embraces all that Jesus was and is and tries to live his life following His principles, and because of the principle that Jesus taught to share the Gospel with others a disciple of Christ will go and make more disciples.   What this means is that if you are not actively sharing the message of Jesus Christ with others then you are not a disciple.   Let me add this, a casserole that you baked for the sick cousin down the street is very nice and very hospitable, but it is not sharing the message of Jesus Christ unless you explained the ulterior motive behind bringing the casserole to them.   

Just saying. . .

Steve DuVall      

Training a Church Planter

Part 1

Recently, I was asked by Parkwood Baptist Church out of Gastonia, North Carolina to do a little consulting work for them.   Several years ago they accepted the call to become a Church Planting Strategist Church for the International Mission Board and their people group is the Maya-Chorti of Western Honduras.   You might know the Maya-Chorti because they were recently in the news because they were the actual indigenous people who created the Maya calendar a few thousand years ago, which had so many people around the world worrying about the end of all time.   It was interesting to me that the Maya-Chorti weren't worried at all, but they did see it as a money making opportunity, but I digress.

So let me return to the reason for this post.  Parkwood found a national church planter, who was named Edgardo.   Edgardo is a good Christian man, father and would really like to help his people -- the Maya-Chorti, but Edgardo never had the opportunity of formal training.   He never had a church to attend that taught Sunday school.   He never had the opportunity to be mentored by a pastor, or a Christian mother who knew Jesus for real.   What Edgardo did have was a personal testimony of receiving Jesus Christ into his heart, and the opportunity to observe some other real Christians who tried to live correctly.  And Edgardo asked Parkwood for training, and so I entered into Parkwood's plan.   Specifically they asked me to train him for one week.   I asked them what should I train him do.   They really didn't know.   So I asked, "does he need spiritual-doctrinal training?"  Yes, was the answer.   I asked, "Does he need technical training?"  And again the answer was yes.   Well, from years of doing this type thing I knew that I probably ought to just start at the beginning of it all -- "Following Jesus," and then go somewhere from there.   So I also prepared to teach him what should be the next step for any follower of Christ: "Reaching People Jesus' Way."

When I met Edgardo we talked for a little while and got to know each other a little bit.   We shared testimonies.   We traded funny stories, and then we began with "Following Jesus."   Edgardo stopped me after about 4 minutes and said, "This is real nice, but I have some questions."    And my week drastically changed.   His questions on day one were very practical: 
1) What is the difference between a disciple and an apostle?
2) If a lady is living with a man who is not her husband and they have children together, but he has not yet believed, but she has, should I baptize her?
3) How can I share the Gospel when there are so many socio-economic needs to handle?
4) What do I do when I don't know what to do?

We spent about 5 hours talking through those questions, and I realized what Edgardo needed, and it wasn't what I was prepared to do, so we talked that afternoon where we needed to go for tomorrow's discussion, and we developed together 5 questions for day 2.
1) How does a missionary know where to go?
2) What is the definition of success for a missionary?
3) With all the socio-medical-economic needs that you see how do you know where to start?
4) When does a missionary know when the help you give hurts more than it helps?
5) When does a missionary know when the work is done and it is time to go?

The questions for our final day arose out of what we both sensed he had to have immediately, and we discussed at length just 2 topics: 
1) Ordination, what is it; what does it mean to the one being ordained; what does it mean to the ones watching the ordination; and I then explained a standard Baptist process for the ordination.
2) How to develop a strategy plan that will reach the lost Maya-Chorti, plant multiplying churches, and leave an economically self-sustainable community.  

Edgardo had some great questions, and we had greater discussions.   I never gave him an answer, except really on our final day together when we discussed the two topics, but rather we talked through them.   You see I wanted him to figure out how to answer his questions when there is no one around he trusts.    I originally posted these questions as an update for the folks who were interested in my journey through FaceBook, and several people wanted me to answer those questions, and then discuss them, so my next several blogs will tackle each question one at a time.   I do look forward to the discussions that follow.

Blessings,
Steve