In the early part of 2009 I answered the call of God to go to the inner city and begin what He said would be a reformation of the church and a revival of the land. The call was to train and relocate missionaries to America’s inner cities. This did not excite many that were part of my “church” at the time and many of them no longer speak to me today. The call was not to take them along. This call was specific to my wife and me. We were to go even if no one else came with us.
We started out with no other direction than to serve the people and listen to the Holy Spirit. Over the course of the next year we met many people and learned a lot about our city that we never knew before. We picked up trash, helped with a Christmas party for the poor, met the homeless and the drug dealers, cleaned the park, and most importantly we prayed.
One year into our mission we were given a building. It was to become a place of Opportunity. It would not be a traditional church, even though believers would gather and worship together there. It would become an economic tool to free the missionaries from traditional bi-vocational ministry. It took us until May of 2010 to get the building cleaned out and passed its inspections so we could occupy it.
Since that day we have worked diligently to establish a base of operations in the area. Yesterday we celebrated our first anniversary of opening the Opportunity Center. It gave us time to reflect on what God has accomplished in the past year. Here is a short summary.
We have 12 missionaries dedicated to relocate to the area. We have new Christ followers from the neighborhood. We have established the beginning of the way in which many of the missionaries will make their living. They will work with their hands in the wood shop or sewing center as they minister side by side with the lost in the community. We have built working relationships with churches and organizations that cross a wide spectrum of society. These groups range from secular to Christian and are as varied as the people that have become supporters of our work. We have been accepted and supported by the political leaders. We have been granted access to all levels of city government to express our call and mission. We have gained the respect of the business community. We have been granted the opportunity to lead town meetings in prayer and proclaim the Gospel through music in the public arena. We have preached a gospel of reformation and total dedication to serving Christ with our lives.
As I look forward to the next year and can only be excited about what I see God doing in my midst. The Master Builder has solidly built the foundation. Today we hit the streets preaching the Gospel and fully expecting the signs and wonders of God to follow. We look forward to meeting the next group of missionaries that God is preparing to bring into this work.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Finding the Right Path to Your Ministry
As I read the New Testament I see many times where a progressive path is laid out. I see in Corinthians where the path for establishing the church is laid out. I see in Peter a path for disciple making. I also see in Peter a path for each of us to find our ministry. When I refer to finding our ministry I am referring to the Ephesians 2:10 works that God has made for us to walk in from long ago. Here is a passage from 1Peter 5.
“Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.”
Look at the process. It requires us first and foremost to walk humbly under the mighty hand of God. This is such a difficult thing to grasp and explain. God is a master builder. He seeks those who will allow Him to build without interference. This means we may not see the results we are looking for in our efforts. The requirement for humility is tested in us as we selflessly serve others and wait for God’s plan to unfold.
The second instruction is to be alert. Many times our enemy can destroy us because he catches us off guard. He will attack us in our results. He will tempt us to try to move faster, to get us to value results over process. If we humble ourselves under the hand of God it requires us to turn over the results to God. He builds His church. He is the only one that can transform a life. Only God can restore His Spirit to man no matter how hard we try.
The third instruction regards suffering. Many misunderstand the context of suffering because of the way it is taught today. Many see it as suffering in this present life like losing your job or getting ill. I think the suffering referred to in Scripture has more to do with spreading the gospel and what is required of us to live a set apart life. If we are truly to live differently than the rest of society then suffering will be a natural result. After suffering to be set apart we see the explanation of the process.
Peter says that after these things God Himself will perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. What exactly do these terms mean for us?
Perfect – To set free from sin and guilt. To break our bondage of the past. It is the Freedom that is referred to in Galatians. To be perfected is to be free to walk in the Spirit.
Confirm – We are established in our faith as we discover our spiritual gifts. God confirms our place in His household as He works through us in His power. If you don’t discover and use your spiritual gifts then you lack this confirmation.
Strengthen – We are strengthened as we walk in our freedom and our gifting. Through our use of spiritual disciplines we grow in the grace and knowledge of God. This strengthening enables us to engage in Spiritual warfare. Without being strengthened in our inner man, as Paul puts it, we lack the ability to take on our role in the battle against our enemy. This strengthening occurs as we put to death the things of the flesh and this world in our lives and rely more wholly on the Spirit.
Establish – This is where your ministry takes shape. The discovery of your Ephesians 2:10 works. If you try to shortcut the system then you end up producing wood, hay and stubble.
Here is the progression. Humble yourself under God’s hand. Be patient and wait for Him to exalt you at the right time. Don’t be anxious. Be alert and watch out for the devil’s schemes. Resist the devil and stand firm in your faith. Seek freedom from sin and your past. Seek to understand your spiritual gifts. Put on the full armor of God by establishing yourself in a spiritually disciplined life. At the proper time God Himself will exalt you and establish you in the work He designed for you to do.
This is the promised rest in Christ. This is the path of discipleship. Are you on the right path to your ministry? Is someone helping you find the way?
“Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.”
Look at the process. It requires us first and foremost to walk humbly under the mighty hand of God. This is such a difficult thing to grasp and explain. God is a master builder. He seeks those who will allow Him to build without interference. This means we may not see the results we are looking for in our efforts. The requirement for humility is tested in us as we selflessly serve others and wait for God’s plan to unfold.
The second instruction is to be alert. Many times our enemy can destroy us because he catches us off guard. He will attack us in our results. He will tempt us to try to move faster, to get us to value results over process. If we humble ourselves under the hand of God it requires us to turn over the results to God. He builds His church. He is the only one that can transform a life. Only God can restore His Spirit to man no matter how hard we try.
The third instruction regards suffering. Many misunderstand the context of suffering because of the way it is taught today. Many see it as suffering in this present life like losing your job or getting ill. I think the suffering referred to in Scripture has more to do with spreading the gospel and what is required of us to live a set apart life. If we are truly to live differently than the rest of society then suffering will be a natural result. After suffering to be set apart we see the explanation of the process.
Peter says that after these things God Himself will perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. What exactly do these terms mean for us?
Perfect – To set free from sin and guilt. To break our bondage of the past. It is the Freedom that is referred to in Galatians. To be perfected is to be free to walk in the Spirit.
Confirm – We are established in our faith as we discover our spiritual gifts. God confirms our place in His household as He works through us in His power. If you don’t discover and use your spiritual gifts then you lack this confirmation.
Strengthen – We are strengthened as we walk in our freedom and our gifting. Through our use of spiritual disciplines we grow in the grace and knowledge of God. This strengthening enables us to engage in Spiritual warfare. Without being strengthened in our inner man, as Paul puts it, we lack the ability to take on our role in the battle against our enemy. This strengthening occurs as we put to death the things of the flesh and this world in our lives and rely more wholly on the Spirit.
Establish – This is where your ministry takes shape. The discovery of your Ephesians 2:10 works. If you try to shortcut the system then you end up producing wood, hay and stubble.
Here is the progression. Humble yourself under God’s hand. Be patient and wait for Him to exalt you at the right time. Don’t be anxious. Be alert and watch out for the devil’s schemes. Resist the devil and stand firm in your faith. Seek freedom from sin and your past. Seek to understand your spiritual gifts. Put on the full armor of God by establishing yourself in a spiritually disciplined life. At the proper time God Himself will exalt you and establish you in the work He designed for you to do.
This is the promised rest in Christ. This is the path of discipleship. Are you on the right path to your ministry? Is someone helping you find the way?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
