What's Wrong with Me?

The other day, while I was talking with someone they mentioned they were content. Under my breath I said, “I’ve never been contented in my life.” Honestly, I didn’t want anyone to hear that comment. It just sort of came out, but this person being the person they are wouldn’t let that comment go, and he forced me to explain. I tried to use my political avoidance type speech, but he wouldn’t have it, so eventually I had to expound. 

I know what the Bible has to say about contentment. I really do.  Hebrews 13:5 Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have. 1 Timothy 6:6 Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment. . . But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.  Philippians 4:11 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.  This is just three quick little verses, but you can trust me on this - the Bible has a lot to say about contentment, and contentment is not my strong point.  

I was not talking about nor currently writing about contentment with physical things. Honestly, I have lived with a lot, and I have lived with very little yet found life wonderful both ways. I’m talking about internal contentment in a psychological or sociological or maybe even a theological type thing.  For instance, several weeks ago I was set to speak in a church, and its pastor told me he was looking forward to today, because the “house was going to be full - packed even.”  A few days earlier another pastor showed me his sanctuary and described how many people would fit.  Both times, the massive number that was outside those walls and would never come inside was very heavy on my mind. When I served a going and growing church in Florida and we baptized many every Sunday, the people on the streets that I passed daily bothered my soul. A church where I served in Alabama that was growing like a weed was never enough for me.  God has given me 280 million people (280,000,000) to lead closer to Him, but it’s not enough. I lie awake a night thinking about them, and I just want more. I am not content. What is wrong with me? Why can't I just be content?

Blessings,

Steve DuVall

www.imfcworld.org

More Relevant than a Beard

Yeah, I know I am behind the times, perhaps an ancient cog in a mighty big old wheel, but I try to stay relevant, so I grew a beard. That should be enough, right? 

You see I had heard about Black Friday.  In our family it once was a tradition that Deb, her mom and her sister left the house around 11:00pm on Thursday - Thanksgiving Night - to go shopping for all the Christmas “deals.”  They would return looking like they had done battle around noon on Friday to recover. Dad and I stayed home and watched the news reports about all the crazy people grabbing this, that or the other thing. We laughed one night when we watched a live news report of a female fist fight in the shoe department at Macy’s - downtown Atlanta. For a moment we were concerned about the safety of our women, and then joked to ourselves about which one of them had caused the fight over shoes.  I still giggle a little while thinking about my tiny little wife playing keep away with a pair of red pumps in the middle of the night. She claims it wasn’t her, but when kidding Deb, why should I let the truth to get in the way. Then a few years ago along came Cyber Monday. I am a little fuzzy on this one, but I think if you do your online ordering by today, which is Cyber Monday, then delivery will reach you in plenty of time before Christmas to get everything wrapped and delivered to where it belongs. Ok, that makes sense to me, but it's a sad sign of the times for the mom and pop shops that are not so relevant anymore. Then a couple of months ago I heard about a new thing - Giving Tuesday.  I heard about it while talking to our website developers.  Apparently, Giving Tuesday was developed by someone ten years or so ago, who wanted to change the Christmas season focus from material possessions to helping others. Well, OK then — this is something I can really get behind, and tomorrow is Giving Tuesday, so let's consider the IMFC. 

Most of you who are one of the IMFC or follow the field work closely know what goes on. You know that three thousand people per month are fed by the IMFC as we work to transform their lives by teaching them how to begin and sustain a business. You know about the lives saved through the MAMA Kit distributions, or changed through the sanitary pads “trainings.” You have read the stories from the prisons, or participated with us as we disciple behind the bars and razor wire. If you know about those, then you know about the discipleship movement going on right now among the refugees. You would also know that Kenya and the Congo are begging for more Discipleship books. Wow, thousands of people are running with the Gospel. The Gospel is still relevant today! Who knew? 

Every one of us who are a part of the IMFC in both hemispheres believe God has called us to make a bigger difference. We completely understand running with the Gospel. I am sure that most of us want to live life being more relevant than a beard, so if you feel you need to do more and complete God’s purpose for your life then follow one of the links below.  

• Walk Dusty Roads
• Join IMFC's Brand New Prayer Team
• Donate for Giving Tuesday
• Create your own fundraising team for one of the IMFC ministries

I do look forward to working with you more closely.

Until Jesus Comes - GO,
Steve DuVall

This Is Weird

Hmmm. This is weird; I’m very confused. Well, it’s not weird that I am confused, this is something that happens to me quite often. The current problem is that I don’t know if I am grateful or thankful.  Grateful and thankful are both positive feelings of gratitude with the difference being that grateful implies that you need others to be happy, while you can be thankful all by your lonesome.  

I’m thankful that my wife loves me enough not to kill me in my sleep even though I probably deserve it much of the time.  

I’m grateful that Debbie consented to marry me.   

I’m thankful that together we have a wonderful, smart, talented and beautiful daughter.

I’m grateful that Hannah’s sense of humor mirrors mine.

I’m thankful that I have a job that positively affects hundreds of thousands of people of many different races and cultures.

I’m grateful that my little family has plenty of food, clothing, and shelter - much of the world, especially where I work doesn’t. 

I’m thankful that I have more real friends than I can count who live all around the world - on every continent -  and many, many of them I will call them very close friends.  Well that's not quite true - I don't think I know anyone at all living on Antartica.  

I’m grateful that a dear husband of one of those friends who passed away just last night is walking with Jesus today, speaking with Moses, Paul, my mom and dad, and he no longer has to fight a disease that robbed him of all his memories.  He is whole today.  

I'm both grateful and so very thankful that so many of my friends and family are becoming partners with the IMFC reaching the poor and displaced people of the world, so I guess I am not confused at all, rather I'm just a very happy, contented and blessed man.  Hmmm. I guess though that in this day and age being happy, contented and blessed is a very weird thing.    

Happy Thanksgiving all y’all.  

Steve D

www.imfcworld.org

SHAKING YOUR WORLD

This is huge. This is a game changer. This is the truth.

Do you know why the church isn't growing? Because it's the church that is trying to do the growing. It's the church trying to reach the lost ones in the community. It's the church trying to go to the ends of the earth.

Are you ready for the game changer: THE CHURCH WAS NEVER MEANT TO DO THE GROWING. 

Jesus commissioned His followers to go into all the world. Jesus commissioned you and me.

Now the church is a huge part of that individual's efforts, but it is ultimately up to the individual to go and teach. The church grows because of the individual's efforts.

If you don't believe me look it up. 

Blessings,
Steve

Papa, Why Are You So Silent?

Papa, why are you so silent? I have heard over and over again, through messenger, Whatsapp, and emails, and I have not answered until now. I should probably stay silent a bit longer. I know that Jimmy would, but he is always silent unless there is something deep and profound that needs to be said. The thing is most people know I am usually anything but silent, but one of the boys in Africa asked me Saturday if I still loved them, and so here I am confessing, "Yes, I still love you." The reason for my silence is simple - the men and women who associate themselves with the IMFC are running with the Gospel so fast that we have to change things on our end in order to keep up.

Our organization is plenty sufficient to do nothing more than what we are doing right now.  Uganda is very well covered, and we are a legal NGO (Non-Governmental Organization) in Kenya now, with amazing indigenous leadership, but with the Gospel spreading to Tanzania, the Congo, South Sudan, Barundi, and other places - internally we must change.  The guys and gals are planting churches and making disciples by the thousands, and there are needs. Kenya needs the Manna Ministry. Pregnant women need MAMA kits. Some of the guys need cell phones and motorcycles - maybe a couple of vehicles. Therefore the US administration side will be making changes. Our board of directors needs to increase. We have many volunteers throughout Africa and the US, who need to be unleashed to do what they need and want to do. They have been asking for years, "Can we do more?"  The answer is yes, so we need to get out of their way, so they can change the world.

Soon, my silence will be exchanged for something loud and clear, but the organization is not quite ready for the voices to be unleashed. Right now Jimmy and I are consulting with accountants and attorneys and consultants - the paperwork is mind numbing. A new interactive website is in the works.  The IMFC has done amazing things in Eastern Central Africa, but what about home here in the USA?  A plan for helping US churches reach their community is in the making. I am not promising anything, but don't be surprised if there is a short book that you can read on how to make disciples who make disciples. For the first time in the history of the IMFC we are going to launch a major Campaign. We are keeping it simple though - Launch Kenya! Be ready for it in mid-November. A peak into the future will come out shortly after the reveal of Launch Kenya! Currently it's being called Vision 20/20. Could the IMFC become a mission "sending" agency?  Shh. I've said too much.

So long for now. . .

Blessings,
Steve

PRINCIPLES FOR MISSIONAL LIVING

1. Pray
2. Be a blessing (always - even when you don’t feel like it)
3. Ethics and morals matter
4. Kindness wins
5. Sin kills
6. Show up
7. Always be training - don’t go alone 
8. Always move with certainty 
9. It’s alright not to know
10. If you don’t know what to do, just pray, and leave it at that
11. Very few problems need “your” solution
12. Not every problem needs a solution
13. Do not make promises you cannot keep.  This includes prayer.  If you promise to pray, do it right then in their presence
14. Do what you say you will do
15. If someone else is doing something - let them
16. If someone else “can” do something - encourage them
17. Start slow
18. Always think - better, faster, cheaper
19. Simple is always best
20. With Jesus in your heart you have all you need to reach that person in front of you
21. Share always - their choice is your responsibility 
22. Their decision is not your responsibility 
23. Leave well

Suspicion of Fraud

I was trying to purchase online a travel VISA for Uganda. Simple task really. Uganda has a very user friendly website. Actually I enjoy using it, because whoever created it was a genius - he/she was no average government employee. Just fill in a few blanks, upload a .jpg of your passport, yellow fever docs, and a passport size recent photo, put in your credit card numbers, and voila - VISA application completed. Then 24 hours later a VISA is issued. The system functions beautifully. But wait. . . My credit card company denied the charge as being potentially fraudulent. Apparently, purchasing airfare on the same credit card to Uganda is not necessarily a good indicator of needing a VISA to the same country. I'm not sure why. Immediately after the Card's rejection, I receive a phone call from the fraudulent department asking if I made that purchase.  After proving that I did, they said I should contact the merchant and resubmit. I did, and this was when I first learned that Uganda doesn't let you resubmit, nor let you redo your entire application in order to resubmit. Oh, no. . .

Well, after several weeks of long distance phone calls to an office building somewhere in Jinja, Uganda, emails to the embassy in Washington, and prayers I finally could resubmit. The IT worker's beautiful handiwork caused me to pause just a brief moment before hitting the payment submit button, and during this short pause I decided I would call the Credit Card company first just to let them know that I am about to make this purchase by pushing this button. A very nice lady with an accent that I couldn't quite place answered the call, and she made notes on my account to that effect. Here is the rest of the conversation:

   Nice Bank lady: "Go ahead and make your purchase."

   Me: "Great." [Push submit button]

   Web Bill Pay: "DENIED SUSPICION OF FRAUD"

   Me: [Throws my baseball cap across the room while a deep guttural "AARRRGGG" emanates from somewhere deep inside. The cap hits my guitar. The guitar is ok.] 

   Nice Bank Lady: "Expect to receive a phone call from the fraudulent department verifying your purchase in just a few moments, and then you can resubmit your purchase with the merchant."  

   Me: "There is no merchant.  It's a foreign government.  There is no resubmitting or reapplying."

   Nice Bank Lady: "Well then, if I can be of further service please let me know."

   Me: "No, you've done quite enough."

Two days to go before leaving on a jet plane, so, I think I'll take a few new and crisp $50 bills and hope for the best with the guy at immigration control. I suspect this whole episode will soon become a sermon illustration, what do you think?

No Small Thought this Morning

I was studying along with some anonymous worldwide friends in a Social Media Group to which I belong.   The question was raised by one, why is the cross the symbol of the faith rather than the empty tomb.  The responses were amazing.  Many were well thought out.  People referenced articles that they had read.  A couple of the guys theological explanations were way above my pay grade in being able to understand them.  One of the guys, tongue in cheek said, "The cross looks better on a necklace than a rock with a hole in it."   Well there is that, but as I was reflecting on all the answers I read - especially those that were well thought out, I remembered a professor telling us in class in one simple phrase all that I think we ever need to know about the most powerful symbol of Christianity.  He said, "On the cross grace was given.   In the empty tomb hope was given."    It's not one symbol over the other - its all of it.  The only way to get to the empty tomb is by way of the cross.   We so often believe there are other paths, good works, donations to worthy causes, socio-economic station in life, but there is only one path.   Asking the only Savior to forgive your sins, and knowing that it is Jesus alone who holds securely to your soul, this is the path.   That's my thought.  Have a great day.