Equipping local churches for God-centered missions mobilization.
Read this riveting account of a Cambodian believer who forgives the man who was instrumental in the murder of his father during the Khmer Rouge regime.
O the grace that only Jesus can provide to move a man to forgive his father’s murderer! What a great Savior!
Source: IMB Asia
Tentmaking ministry goes back a few years…2000+ years actually, back to the time of the apostle Paul who funded his gospel ministry through manual labor rather than burden those to whom he was ministering.
This 15 minute video shares an overview of what tentmaking is, some difficulties tentmakers face, and how churches can equip believers for effective, God-honoring tentmaking ministry.
Some additional items addressed in the video include: the importance actively making disciples, teamwork, financial and prayer support, identity (to yourself and to others), time management, expectations, and means of evangelizing.
Though dated (1995) and a bit fuzzy in picture quality, this video paints a helpful picture of what tentmakers do and how churches can best support them.
[RSS Readers: Click through to view video.]
Direct link to video: http://www.tangle.com/view_video?viewkey=d40c0ad0e2c5b65a7bd1
Jeff Brewer shares 10 helpful suggestions that he would like to give to missionaries.
Brewer is currently a pastor, but previously served as a missionary in a 10/40 window country, so he has the experience from “the other side” to back up his comments.
His 10 points specifically focus on the missionary’s presentation before a local church of their ministry. Here are a couple:
His thoughts are helpful for missionaries, pastors, and church members to think through. We all could improve on how we serve each other in this regard.
Read all 10 items at Jeff’s blog Church Plant Pastor.
HT: JT
An M Trivia question was asked in the latest edition of the MM Express, a regular email update sent out by Missions Mandate. The title of the email was “Reverse Culture Shock,” the emotional (and often physical) effects of transitioning back to your host country after spending years overseas. Our cross-cultural workers face this phenomenon and is something that we, as their senders, ought to be aware of. (I recently found this helpful article on the concept of reverse-culture shock from a study abroad website.)
M Trivia for MM Express 2.6: According to an online etymology site, what was the original, literal meaning of the word “culture” in Middle French and Latin?
Correct answer: According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word culture was derived from the Middle-French word culture, meaning “the tilling of the land,” which was directly taken from the Latin cultura, meaning “a cultivating, agriculture” literally and “care, culture, an honoring” in the figurative sense.
The article also states that the term culture was first used in the sense of “the intellectual side of civilization” in 1805 and in the sense of “collective customs and achievements of a people” in 1867. (Anyone know what work or event occurred in 1867 that resulted in the definition of culture used today? “The Manifest Destiny” era? Charles Dickens’ first public reading in the U.S? Purchase of Alaska territory - Seward’s Folly? I’d be curious to know what event or study produced this definition.)
Out of the correct answers submitted, a winner was selected at random. She has been notified via email and will receive a free copy of Re-Entry: Making the Transition from Missions to Life at Home. Re-Entry presents
Sign up to receive the MM Express and participate in the next M Trivia!
National Public Radio recently broadcasted a piece on the rise of Christianity in China entitled “In the Land of Mao, A Rising Tide of Christianity.”
To some it seems surprising to see these reports in such mainstream media outlets, but media highlights of Christianity in China are increasing as well.
Here are a few stories presented by various media outlets that have been highlighted on the MM blog:
HT: Dave Doran
My church is hosting The Egypt File Vacation Bible School this week. One of the elements that we have incorporated into the day is a mission emphasis. The children have heard messages about the need for gospel evangelism in Morocco and about the life of young William Carey (did you know that God used his severe allergies when he was young to expose William to the gospel?).
Solid, biblical education of our children must be a priority of local churches, and this includes missions exposure.
The “Stand 4 Kids” organization has several lists of missions resources geared toward children. Items on the lists include:
View these and more at the “Stand 4 Kids” resources page and the “Stand 4 Kids” blogsthat highlight important aspects of ministry to children.
A missionary recently informed me that missionaries can receive a 50% discount on all Betty Lukens’ Bible felt figure sets. The popular, visual-aid flannel graph kit has been used for years to illustrate biblical stories to young people around the globe.
Here are a couple reviews of the Betty Lukens materials:
Apparently the most common downsides to the 600+ piece deluxe kit are the price ($360 retail for the large deluxe kit) and the fact that you have to cut out all of the pieces by hand! (As well as the fact that Jesus is portrayed as pale white and having feminine hair, especially when compared with the disciples).
In order to receive the discount, missionaries simply need to indicate their status when ordering the material from the Betty Lukens store. The discount is offered directly from the Betty Lukens company, so don’t expect to receive the same deal from other retailers.
I trust that this will be helpful to many who minister to children in cross-cultural contexts.
Via baranabasaid:
A dynamic Christian pastor has died after being shot in the head as he was leaving church, in what is being seen as a bid to intimidate converts from Islam in the strongly Islamic republic of Dagestan [federal subject of Russia located in the northern Caucasus region].
Artur Suleimanov (49), himself a convert from Islam, was murdered by a gunman who approached and opened fire as the pastor got into a car outside Hosanna House of Prayer in the capital, Makhachkala, on Thursday 15 July. He died from his wounds in hospital around an hour later. Nobody else was injured in the attack. Pastor Suleimanov leaves behind a wife, Zina, and five children, the youngest of whom is twelve years old.
Barnabasaid also gives several aspects believers can pray to God about regarding this situation:
I attended a workshop at a conference last month that was considering the issue of different cultures and the spread of the gospel in the book of Acts. As the speaker began talking about the church at Antioch, I realized something about the account in Acts 11:19-30 that had not occurred to me before. I’d always assumed that the reason the believers at Antioch were the first to be called Christians is that they were excellent examples of following Christ. However, I saw that there is more to it than that.
The church at Antioch was probably the first multi-cultural church in the New Testament. Though Hellenistic Jews, Samaritans, and a handful of Gentile converts were a part of the church at large, it seems that Antioch is the first church with both an emphasis on ministering to Greeks (11:20) and a diversity of leadership (13:1). Until this time it would have been easy to view the disciples of Christ as merely a subset of the Jews, but now it was becoming clear that they were something more than that.
What was it that united this group? They did not share a common religious background, ethnicity, or nationality. Thus, a new term had to be used to encompass this diverse group. The fitting term was “Christian,” because the only thing they shared with one another was their commitment to Christ.
One of the reasons I am excited about urban ministry is its great potential to display this same phenomenon. Cities around the world house a great diversity of peoples, many of whom would not normally be found together. But the gospel has the power to break down the common barriers that divide people. Thus, urban churches have the potential to unite people with different religious, ethnic, educational, and economic backgrounds because of their common commitment to Christ.
Churches are not meant to simply gather people who are already like one another, but to assemble people who have been made one through Jesus Christ. And when a diverse group of people gets together like that, the only appropriate label is “Christian.”
For those interested in learning the basics of Islam from a Christian perspective, while in a structured environment, you can listen to Timothy Tennent’s “Introduction to Islam” course. In this free, 24-lecture, 16 hour course, Tennent provides a historical, theological, and cultural overview of the religion of Islam.
Here is the course description:
The purpose of this course is to provide an introductory study of the structure, beliefs and practices of Islam. Special emphasis will be placed on a study of the theology of the Koran. The student will read and study the entire Koran along with important selections from the Hadith, Shari’a material and Sufi writings.
The actual historical manifestations of contemporary Islam will be explored with a special emphasis on Islam in the African context.
Throughout the course there will be a concern to demonstrate how Islamic thought is different from Christian thought and how the gospel can be most effectively communicated to members of the Islamic faith, the second largest and fastest growing religion in the world today.
Here are the lecture topics (you can listen to individual lectures):
Dr. Timothy Tennent is a former professor at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (where he served as professor of world missions and Indian studies) and is currently the president of and professor of World Christianity at Asbury Theological Seminary.
HT: JT
Those of you going on summer missions trips or heading overseas for long-term missions work and in need of a passport, might want to apply soon!
According to the U.S. Department of State, the fees for new and renewed passports ares set to increase next Tuesday, July 13.
New passport applications will jump from $100 to $135, passport renewals will jump from $75 to $110, and extra visa pages will jump from free to $82, according to a CNN.com feature.
A fascinating discovery for missions and history buffs, a letter written by the missionary-explorer David Livingstone that was rendered indecipherable due to age has recently been examined by scientists and its contents have been revealed.
Read the BBC’s account of the story. An excerpt from the article:
It condemns slavery, relays details of Africa and reveals his ill health.
The letter was written when Livingstone was stranded as a virtual prisoner in extreme environmental conditions at Bambarre in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Online virtual keyboard for any language
For those looking for a Windows-based tool that enables typing in a foreign language in a word processor program, Keyman Desktop is the best product on the market. I have used their Greek and Hebrew keyboards with great success while typing seminary papers and projects.
And now you can use the excellent features of the Keyman Desktop in numerous web applications - email, Google search, Twitter, other social networking sites, Wikipedia, chat, etc. - with the Keyman Web application. Over 600 languages are accessible, without needing to install special fonts, hardware, or software.
And, the best feature is that the KeymanWeb basic subscription (up to 5 keyboards) is free.
Additional features include: website subscription that allows visitors to interact in multiple languages on your site; universal bookmarklet, allowing you to type in text boxes in multiple languages; Wordpress application, allowing visitors to contribute to your blog in their own language. View the complete list of features.
More information about the makers of Keyman, Tavultesoft, and testimonials from happy customers.
[Technical information: Keyman operates on the unicode standard font system. For more information on unicode fonts as it relates to biblical research, read Rod Decker's thorough article on the subject. He also provides helpful links for Mac users.]
This program is great for those who are learning a new language (you can type your own vocab cards while learning Bangandu, spoken in Cameroon!), conducting research in a foreign language, translating documents or the Bible into a different language, or creating an evangelistic website in a non-English language. God is gracious in giving us such wonderful tools at our fingertips!
For those who travel for missions work on a regular basis, Mashable lists 10 social media travel resources. Here are a few of the most useful resources (in my opinion):
We believe the Bible clearly teaches that men and women are equal in worth and essence but they have distinct roles in both the home and the church. This viewpoint is called the Complementarian position (www.cbmw.org has many helpful resources on this). In the church both here and abroad (missions included), God has called men, not women, to preach, plant and pastor churches. Women can joyfully fulfill vital roles according to their giftedness in their family and churches worldwide as well.
The April 2010 issue of Evangelical Missions Quarterly (I confess, I am behind reading one issue), while, as usual having some very helpful articles, had one article which needs addressed. It is titled, “Innovation in Mission: Women Workers in the Harvest Force” by Leanne Dzubinski.
Dzubinski begins with a true and helpful statement about women’s roles in movements: “Women have often been the ones to initiate reform programs for social good and gospel awareness” (150). She mentiones the temperance movement, the early Sunday School movement and the Salvation Army as examples. She states as well “there is strong evidence to indicate that women’s integral involvement in the work of missions can be quite fruitful” (151)–again, quite true, and we are thankful for this!
However, at this point in the article the examples and exhortations take on a clearly Egalitarian point of view. The Egalitarian perspective, as opposed to the Complementarian view, holds that “men and women are equal in value, but all roles in the home and the church are determined by gifts, abilities, and preferences, not by gender.” Quoted is Carol Davis who writes that “women often make the best church planters” (151). She positively cites the Yoido Church in South Korea’s example of putting women in leadership of cell groups. She cites a comment on a Baptist Pastor’s blog: “during times of Baptist expansion and spiritual awakenings, women inevitably become active in preaching, teaching, and leading the assemblies of believers” (151). Dzubinski calls for a paradigm shift in missions in “how women harvest force workers are empowered to do ministry” (151).
Missions organizations and churches need to recognize, respect, and promote female giftedness and service. Dzubinski has some very helpful suggestions, corrections, and cautions in this regard in the end of her article (154-156). However, roles must be fulfilled within biblical boundaries such as 1 Tim 2:11-15; 3:1-7, and this excludes women being involved in preaching, teaching and leading church plants. In this regard, Dzubinski (in my opinion) has departed from a biblical position in her article.
- PLJ
From the BBC:
They face arrest, deportation, and death threats. Their work is so sensitive that few are prepared to talk about it.
But for this programme - our religious affairs correspondent, Christopher Landau - has persuaded some of them to speak: the missionaries who carry the gospel to countries which are hostile to Christian mission. Countries where evangelising may put them, and those they lead to Christ, in mortal danger.
In this audio documentary, missionaries ministering in various regions across the globe - including Muslim and “creative access” nations - are asked questions regarding why they risk their lives to tell others about Jesus.
They tell of carrying Bibles into dangerous places, leading a man to Christ only for him to be murdered a few days later, and the implications of a person converting to the Christian faith in a country hostile to the gospel.
The author also interviews some Christian aid workers who aren’t too happy with the outright, zealous evangelism of some that has caused them to undergo resistance in their humanitarian aid, and in some cases resulted in their expulsion from the country.
Still, the committed evangelists say that they have no choice but to obey God and tell others about the good news, even if it means being martyred for it.
Muslim scholars and leaders are also asked about the presence of evangelical missionaries in Muslim-dominated countries and share their thoughts on this sensitive issue.
The BBC summary concludes:
Hear their stories, and find out about the huge ethical dilemmas they face. And discover how their work looks from a Muslim perspective.
This is a helpful piece in understanding how the world perceives Christian missions. It also illustrates the fact that many will never understand why followers of Jesus would give their lives for the name of Jesus Christ.
Indeed, “the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God,” to quote 1 Corinthians 1:18.
The World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) website is currently offering about 30 missions books from their Resources page - for free! The books are published either directly by WEA or by William Carey Library.
Among them: To Valuable to Lose, Global Missiology for the 21st Century, Doing Member Care Well, Establishing Missionary Teams, etc.
Though some are more technical than others, a pastor, teacher, or other believer who wants to know how he can fit into his/her church’s gospel ministry can benefit from these books.
Most of the resources are in PDF format, while others are Word documents or PowerPoint presentations. Simply add the resource to your cart, checkout, and download the resource for free (no credit card information required).
Here’s an example of one of the books available. I downloaded and glanced through the book Doing Member Care Well. It has tons of helpful information about how to send and support missionaries in a way that glorifies God. The multiple authors tackle issues as they would affect ministers in each continent. Brazilian missions has a different focus than Arabic world missions.
The chapters are full of eyewitness testimonies of dealing with the stress and uncertainties of ministering the gospel in a foreign land and context.
While this book has more emphasis on modern psychology than I am comfortable with, it provides helpful information in thinking through the ramifications of sending or going as a missionary to a foreign context.
Conclusion: Well worth your time. It is most valuable as a resource to pick and choose issues that are most relevant to the situation that a missionary or church would face.
Search from the 30+ resources and download a book that will help you better understand your role in the spread of the gospel, from your church to the world.
HT: Brigada
I highly recommend that all believers, and especially church and educational leaders, read Alejandro Mandes’ article “Thinking Theologically About Immigration“ (pp. 4-5, 9) in the Spring/Summer 2010 issue of Dallas Theological Seminary’s Kindred Spirit magazine.
Dr. Mandes acknowledges the tension American believers face when thinking through the sticky issue of immigration. But is the immigration question unique to our times? What does the Bible have to say about immigration? He challenges believers to hold the Great Commission (Matt 28:19-20) and the Great Commandment (Matt 22:37-40) before them as they work through their personal response to immigration.
In response to the question “How do we live out our biblical mandates?”, Dr. Mandes gives three responses:
He goes on to describe Paul’s actions regarding a runaway slave, Onesimus as recorded in Paul’s letter to Philemon. He concludes that “Paul, rather than turning in Onesimus or staying aloof from him, stayed on mission. The result was fruit. And the result was obedience in all spheres - first to the gospel, then to compassion, then to civil law” (p. 5).
Dr. Mandes concludes with extended thoughts summarized in the following key words: speak, pray, love, serve, share, enjoy, envision.
Read the entire article (pp. 4-5, 9).
The Q & A interview “Good Migrations?” with Michael Pocock is well worth your time as well. He gives examples of immigrants in the NT: Mary and Joseph in Egypt and Jesus’ alienation as a carpenter from lowly Nazareth. [Others would include Israel's tenure in foreign lands, Nehemiah, Daniel, Paul's journey in foreign lands, the Jewish diaspora across the Roman world due to persecution, etc.]
Pocock also points out that Americans aren’t the only ones dealing with immigration issues; 35% of global migrants end up in Europe, while 23% end up in America.
He concludes that
whether it is hospitality to strangers (Rom. 12:13), or entertaining those who cannot repay us (Luke 14:12-14), doing good to all persons (Gal. 6:10), or considering all people equally no matter their culture or ethnicity (Col. 3:10-11), the Bible speaks to our attitude toward those of other races and cultures. We should be very careful not simply to go with the conventional wisdom of people around us, nor should we follow racist thinking. We should love our neighbors as ourselves, not intellectualizing nor spiritualizing, but in concrete expression to whomever is in our community on whatever basis.
Read all of Dr. Pocock’s interview (pp. 6-9).
Another resource on this subject: “What Does the Bible Teach on Immigration? An Interview with James Hoffmeier”
Related Missions Mandate resources on the topic Immigration:
Muslim Demographics Video: Reviewed
Urban Ministry and Racial Reconciliation - particularly Jason’s message on racial reconciliation based on Eph 2:11-21
This essay from The Scriptorium provides an intriguing look at the world through the lens of the soccer (or “football” as our English cousins would inform us) World Cup. While a mostly comical look at the differences between America and England (as well as a few jabs at American’ slang), it does provide helpful insight regarding the power of sport to reveal cultural identities. E.g. his examples under the paragraphs “Sport can be the greatest unifier” and “Sport can be the greatest divider.”
In trying to learn a culture and how to reach people in that culture with the gospel of Christ, few things serve as a better ice breaker than learning that country’s sport. So put aside your annoyance with the vuvuzelas (buzzing trumpets at the World Cup arenas) and the low scoring and learn a little bit of world culture during this World Cup. Better yet, ask a foreign-born friend or neighbor to watch it with you and learn from him about his culture.
E.g. of how (sadly) “football” dominates even the church in the UK:
Sport is religion in many countries. During the 2002 World Cup which was hosted by Japan & Korea, I was living in the U.K. and I remember the first day of the tournament when the English “side” (translation: team) played at what was 8am on a Sunday morning. What happened? All the pubs opened so people could watch, and everybody missed church.
And football has even affected the Edinburgh 2010 conference which I just attended. This conference is the centenary celebration of the Edinburgh 1910 missionary conference which was held from June 14-23, 1910. Why are we celebrating it June 2-6, 2010, instead? Because the conference organizers didn’t want it conflicting with the World Cup. Again, sadly, sport trumps even theology. This never would’ve happened 100 years ago!
Related MM post: World Cup Draw (December 2009)
Update: Download Jason Ormiston’s urban ministry seminar notes.
On Tuesday, we had the privilege of hosting an Urban Ministry Seminar at the Crossroads House (the ministry center for the Wayne State University Campus Bible Fellowship) with Dr. Jason Ormiston (see bio below).
The seminar dealt with the rise of cities and the proper Christian response to them (Session 1); the issues that urban ministers must face, such as poverty and homelessness and how churches can respond (Session 2); and some suggestions for developing church leadership and adjusting seminary training to meet the needs of a growing urban world (Session 3).
With Jason’s educational background and urban church planting experience he was able to combine theological and practical issues1 in these sessions. I’m sure the audio of the sessions will be a great help in stimulating your thinking on these important matters.
Listen to the audio of the seminar:
Session 1 - The Rise of Cities and the Proper Christian Response to Them
Session 2 - Issues that Urban Ministers Must Face
(To download these mp3s, right-click the link and select the option “Save As” or “Save Link As”)
On Tuesday evening, Jason delivered a powerful message at Inter-City Baptist Church on racial reconciliation, using Ephesians 2:11-21 as his text. His broad outline was:
1. Apart from Christ we were divided (11-12)
2. In Christ we are united (13-21)
He emphasized that reconciliation of any kind is only truly possible through Jesus Christ, so to try to promote secular unity and reconciliation will ultimately prove futile. However, the blood of Christ has united diverse believers into one body, so we must live out this unity within the church. He ended with five points of application:
1. Confess your sin of racism (we may be surprised to see the prejudice in our own hearts when we are honest enough to consider it)
2. Preach the gospel to yourself daily (recognize your own sin and the grace of Christ in your life)
3. Treat others as image-bearers of God (e.g., don’t engage in racial jokes; don’t view someone as simply “the bus kid” but as someone made in God’s image)
4. Pray for unreached people groups (it’s hard to hold hatred for others when you’re praying for them)
5. Reflect on the foundational truths that are common to all mankind (e.g., we are all made in God’s image; we are all sinful; etc.)
Though this issue is not an easy one to consider, it is a very important one. I strongly urge you to listen to the message and consider how to live out these truths in your own life.
Listen to the message: “Racial Reconciliation Through the Gospel of Jesus Christ” (To download this mp3, right-click the link and select the option “Save As” or “Save Link As”)
Jason Ormiston is a professor at Bob Jones University and is leading a church plant in Powdersville, SC. He has eleven years of urban church planting experience, having helped start two urban churches in Minneapolis, MN. Jason recently completed a Doctor of Ministry in Urban Missions from Westminster Theological Seminary in Glenside, PA.
I make it a principle that I can be taken for $20 every month. In other words if someone asks me for some money, I have set aside at least $20 out of my budget to give them, because I want to know that I’m not developing callouses around me, or fortresses around me, when people are saying, “Hey man, you got five bucks.” “You know what, ya, the truth is that I do have five bucks that I haven’t given away.”
A Russian believer living in Kyrgzstan provides the following update on the situation in Osh, Kyrgzstan’s second largest city, located along the old Silk Road:
We are in the center of a war in Osh, Kyrgyzstan. It is impossible to imagine the horror of the situation here!! The news is only reporting a small portion of what is actually going on. It is ethnic cleansing if you can call it that.
Whole blocks of Uzbek homes have been torched and burned. Women and children are being mercilessly killed. Many bodies and injured people are lying in the streets without anyone to help. Kyrgyz youth under the influence of alcohol and drugs are running wild in the streets killing anyone and burning whatever lies in their paths.
This ethnic tension (between Kyrgyz and Uzbeks) has existed under the surface for many years but recently has been stirred up for political purposes. Because of this, it appears that authorities are doing nothing to stop the conflict and are silent. It seems that the whole situation was planned out in advance and that no one planned to put a stop to it.
One of my relat! ives went out today at great risk to get groceries for his household. On his way he saw an old man badly injured who was lying in the street. He wanted to help him and turned him over onto his back. Immediately a group of young men ran up and starting kicking the old man fiercely. My relative heard one of these youths say, “He’s Kyrgyz” Another said, “No he’s Uzbek, let’s set him on fire.” When my relative returned the old man lay burned to death.
Officially the government has issued an order to shoot to kill anyone with a weapon but in reality no one is carrying out this order. These horrendous acts are continuing to take place. Police and soldiers are patrolling the streets but doing nothing to stop the violence.
Last night bandits broke into an army storage facility where weapons, helicopters, tanks, etc were stored. We couldn’t imagine where these simple people had obtained so many weapons before and now they have even more weapons, plus army equipment!
On top of all of this there is a shortage of food as the stores have been vandalized. When our food supply runs out we will go hungry. The news is reporting that humanitarian aid is getting in but the supply is very limited. Not long ago bread was given out but for some reason they refused to give it to the Russians. We are not concerned about humanitarian aid, we simply want to live!
Some news reports are saying that things are getting more stable but the truth is it is getting worse. My goal in writing this is to the get word out to the world about what is actually happening here. We are afraid that we will be forgotten and alone in this crisis with no one coming to our aid.
Presently they are not coming against us as Russians but we believe it is only a matter of time before they turn on us. People have “tasted blood” with no consequences and will not stop the killing. We are living in a state of fear. Please send this information out to as many people as possible. This is our urgent plea for help.
May God stir our churches to intercede to God on behalf of these believers and do what we can to encourage and sustain them.
Here are a few resources to help you learn more about Kyrgzstan’s culture and develop a burden for these people:
A friend of Missions Mandate sent us information regarding the conflict in Kyrgzstan that he received from a Christian family who is ministering near the capital city of Bishkek. His update helps us understand the political landscape in which Christians are ministering:
It is around midnight the 15th of June. Here in Bishkek things have remained calm over the last few days. As most of you may already know, the southern part of Kyrgyzstan has become a battlefield. We do not have much information here in the country, and most of it cannot be verified. At the very least it is obvious that the government is unable to stop the killing of Uzbeks by gangs of Kyrgyz which roam at will in the South.
The death toll officially is well above a hundred, and the true death toll may never be known, but it is at least several hundred. Well over 100,000 Uzbeks have fled across the border into Uzbekistan.
This morning as I left for Sukaluke to work at the orphanage everything in Bishkek was quiet and normal. However, when I returned this evening road blocks had been set up on all main roads entering Bishkek. Everyone was stopped and asked questions and our vehicles searched.
As we come into the evening all of the stores that normally stay open in our neighborhood have shut down and locked up for the night. _______ called me about 30 minutes ago to let me know that the word on the street is that the leaders of the killing and unrest in the south are saying they will do the same in Bishkek in four days. So we once again find ourselves in a very tense situation.
The government will be unable to stop them if they carry through with their threat, of this we are certain. In general there is very little being said by the interim government and what is being said is often contradictory.
So we are taking this information seriously and asking you to pray for the [foreign and national believers]. In the next few days we will know how this will go. We are not trusting in ourselves or in others but only in Him.
This is the environment in which believers in Kyrgzstan find themselves. We need to pray that God gives them the grace to trust in Him as they continue to live out and share the gospel in their communities.
1 Timothy 2:1-4 is certainly applicable to this situation: “I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
Informative worldwide media coverage:
An M Trivia question was asked in the latest edition of the MM Express, a regular email update sent out by Missions Mandate. Below is the answer:
M Trivia for MM Express 2.5: Recently, several Lebanese chefs broke the world record for preparing the largest amounts of two Middle-Eastern dishes. One was hummus, what was the other dish? (Hint: It sounds like what you say when you are sick.)
Correct answer: Falafel. (hint: I “feel awful”; cheesy, I know). On May 8, 2010, approximately 300 Lebanese chefs cooked up up 5.5 tons of falafel (a fried patty of crushed chick peas and/or fava beans - think hush puppies) and on May 9 they prepared an 11.5 ton dish of hummus (Middle-Eastern dip made of chick peas, sesame paste, garlic, and lemon juice - and it’s actually good!). Read the press release.
Come to the Arab-American festival in Dearborn, MI this weekend for some amazing humus and falafel!
Out of the correct answers submitted, a winner was selected at random. He has been notified via email and will receive a free copy of Samuel Zwemer’s Islam and the Cross.
Sign up to receive the MM Express and participate in the next M Trivia!
In a discussion on short-term missions (preparations before taking one, their long-range effect, the perspective of the Global South on them, etc.) Paul Borthwick provided some helpful thoughts about missions and technology (pp. 2-3 of the article):
Question: What new global trends are likely to impact the way short-term missions is done in the future?
Answer: Probably the most significant trend would be technology, and it’s both a positive and negative influence. Positively speaking, short-term teams today come back with more ability to stay in touch with the people they served alongside of.
Unfortunately, technology can also have a negative impact. It’s getting increasingly difficult for Westerners to be emotionally present where they’re serving. Rather than becoming culturally immersed, they go out during the day and do ministry, but come back at night to check their Facebook pages and update their blogs. They don’t become part of the local culture because technology is keeping them connected to home.
Paul also gave some helpful advice (which he received from residents in the Global South) regarding the make-up of short-term teams:
I emailed some of my non-western friends and asked, “If you were going to speak to this group, what would you say?” The number one answer was, “send us smaller teams for longer periods.”
If you send a team of six to work with six people from the host country, you’re much more likely to become “culturally embedded” than with a team of forty.
View complete interview by Round Trip Missions.
Cf. discussion of this topic on Brother Euguen’s blog.
Obviously, we at MM are not opposed to using technology (websites, blogs, videos, etc.) for the cause of missions, but articles like these ought force all of us to stop and reevaluate how we use the various forms of media that are available to us. Like anything, they can be distracting, used as a tool for slander, etc. Let us bring these tools before the throne of Christ and ask Him how we can best utilize them for the sake of His name and glory.
The Central Asian country of Kyrgyzstan - specifically the southern region - is being ripped apart by ethnic violence. Uzbeks - people from the neighboring Uzbekistan - living in southern Kyrgzstan and native Kyrgz have had skirmishes before and many fear that a civil war could erupt.
A temporary government that came to power in April of this year is unable to maintain control and is requesting outside aide for help in quelling the violence.
Please pray that God would mercifully restore peace to this region of the world; that believers would boldly explain to their neighbors, family, and countrymen that the turmoil that they ought to fear the most is that they are at enmity with God and that He is at enmity with them because of their sin and that Jesus is their only hope to true peace; that God would allow believers to continue to meet for instruction and fellowship in the form of public worship; and, lastly, that God would send gospel laborers to Krygyzstan and Uzbekistan.
I am reading through The Age of Migration by Stephen Castles & Mark J. Miller. This book was recently updated and printed in its fourth edition. I would highly recommend it if you are interested in missions, demographics and population movements.
The authors outline some general trends (pp.10-12) which I will share here to whet your appetite and stimulate your thinking.
1. The Globalization of Migration: migration is taking place, simply to more places from more places than ever before.
2. The Acceleration of Migration: migration is growing worldwide, but its growth is not necessarily unstoppable.
3. The Differentiation of Migration: migration occurred in the past mainly for work and opportunity. Today it occurs for many more and more complex reasons.
4. The Feminization of Migration: whereas in the past, migration tended to be male dominated, with families following; now females are migrating for more than just familial reasons.
5. The Growing Politicalization of Migration: Migration is a political issue in most countries because of security issues and the need for international cooperation.
6. The Proliferation of Migration Transition: Many countries are transitioning from being sending to recieving lands in population movements. This causes a number of issues for each country.
We will share more observations as the reading continues!
- PLJ
A friend recently sent me a link to the 1040 Christianity in the New Asia website, a site promoting a documentary with the same title. It explains the incredible potential that Asian Christians have to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ to the unreached regions of the world.
After perusing the site I found this video on “Prophetic Evangelism” by one of the main leaders of this movement, Jaeson Ma: “Prophetic Evangelism with Van Ness Wu 吴建豪, Jaeson Ma, Ed Huang 黃立全.” I was saddened, not by their whimsical/spontaneous evangelism, but by their reliance on the Holy Spirit as a divine “8 ball” or “fortune teller” and their incomplete evangelism. I could write much about about my disagreement with their doctrine of the Holy Spirit, but the purpose of this post is to evaluate their form of evangelism.
After viewing their approach to evangelism - praying that the Holy Spirit will give them “words of knowledge” and “clues” to lead them to people - two thoughts came to mind: 1) Their hasty “do you want to accept Jesus now?” type of gospel presentation characterizes the practice of a lot of churches and individuals that reject the charismatic/3rd wave theology regarding the Holy Spirit; and 2) it has been a while since I have walked up to a complete stranger and initiated a direct, evangelistic conversation (airplane flights being the exception, because I don’t really have a choice who sits next to me).
We ought to be bold and biblical in our evangelism, allowing our view of God, sin, Jesus’ redemption, the need for repentance, etc. to shape the content and manner of our evangelism. We ought to pray that God leads us to people with whom we can share the gospel. But we need not wait for “signs” or “clues” from the Holy Spirit. Rather, we ought to share the gospel, as God gives us opportunity, wherever we are and with whomever he leads us to. The balancing side of the process is that we also ought to be strategic in our use of time and resources. The command given in Matt 28:19-20 is to “make disciples”; this takes time, effort, and diligence in following up and answering questions. This does not negate confronting strangers with the gospel, but we need to think through the implications of our form of evangelism. Are we after “professors” (those who say a prayer on the spot) or “disciples”?
Another crucial aspect that relates to the first point is the question what is the gospel? Is it simply a statement that “God loves you” followed by the question “Do you want to receive Jesus in your heart”? We must explain the full gospel as revealed in God’s Word. And that takes time and patience. Granted, we will not be able to conduct an in-depth Bible study with everyone we meet on the street. But we must not give false hope because of a prayer based on limited knowledge of God. [For an excellent resource that explains what the gospel is and how it ought to transform our lives, read Milton Vincent's A Gospel Primer.]
May we reflect the attitude of the apostle Paul: “that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people…that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life.” He concludes that “God our Savior…desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time” (1 Tim 2:1-6).
Let us hold up the God-man Jesus, pointing our neighbors, co-workers, and even strangers to His worth and their need to repent and turn to Him. And let us present the full gospel, leading them to the Savior as He is presented in the entirety of Scripture.
If you will be in the Detroit area next week, we would love to have you join us for a seminar next Tuesday.
As the world’s population continues to migrate to cities, it is important for pastors, missionaries, and other Christian workers to be aware of and involved in urban ministry. In an effort to serve you in this area, Inter-City Baptist Church will be hosting an Urban Ministry Seminar on Tuesday, June 15th, from 1:00-5:30 p.m. The schedule is as follows:
1:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m. Session 1: Why Urban Ministry?
2:00 p.m.-2:15 p.m. Break
2:15 p.m.-3:15 p.m. Session 2: What Is Urban Ministry?
3:15 p.m.-3:30 p.m. Break
3:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m. Session 3: Where Do We Go From Here?
4:30 p.m.-4:45 p.m. Break
4:45 p.m.-5:30 p.m. Session 4: Q & A
Our special speaker for the seminar will be Jason Ormiston, professor at Bob Jones University and assistant pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Greenville, SC. Professor Ormiston has 11 years of urban church planting experience, having helped start two urban churches in Minneapolis, MN. He is currently pursuing a Doctor of Ministry in Urban Missions from Westminster Theological Seminary.
The seminar will be hosted at the CrossRoads to the Nations House, a center for campus ministry at Wayne State University in Detroit. The address is 74 W. Forest Ave, Detroit MI 48201.
There is no charge for the seminar, but we do ask that you please contact us if you are planning to attend so we can be sure to have proper seating. To let us know if you are attending or if you have any other questions, contact Ben Edwards
Pastor John Piper shared with his church family several years ago how they could pray for the world in a specific, biblical manner. His insightful comments can help you, your family, and your church move beyond the vague “God bless all the missionaries” prayer to specific, God-centered intercession for these sacrificial ministers of the gospel.
Here is an excerpt of Piper’s comments:
I think there is another reason why our big general prayers seem insipid, while the big Bible prayers don’t. Ours often don’t have much of God in them and don’t articulate what the great spiritual things are that we want God to do for “the missionaries” or “the nations” or “the world” or “the lost.” The words “God bless” would not sound so weak and vague if we said what the blessing would look like that we are praying toward. There is a world of difference between “Lord, help our missionaries,” and “Lord, help our missionaries to drink deep at the river of your delights.” Or, “Lord, help our missionaries rejoice in tribulations and remember that tribulation works endurance and endurance hope.”
Big general prayers become powerful when they are filled up with concrete, radical Biblical goals for the people we are praying for. “Hallowed be thy name . . . thy will be done on earth as in heaven,” is a huge, sweeping prayer. But it asks for two concrete things: that in all the world God’s name would be regarded as precious, and that hearts would be changed to do God’s will with the same zeal and purity that the angels have in heaven.
Read all of Pastor Piper’s thoughts.
HT: JT
Russell Moore’s recent post “Loving My Invisible Neighbor” discusses the danger of being passionate about issues in the abstract while ignoring these issues in actuality. He provides four examples:
As I considered this danger, I realized there is another area in which it is easy to fall prey to commitment in the abstract but neglect in actuality - “The Lost.” It’s easy to be burdened with the billions of lost people around the world while never feeling a burden for the unsaved person in the cubicle next to you. It’s easy to be moved by missionary slides of people trapped by false religion from distant countries while never being moved by people trapped by false religion in your own city. It’s easy to write a check to support Christian work thousands of miles away while never giving of your time or resources to minister those just a few miles from your home. It’s easy to pray for God to save “The Lost” while maintaining bitterness towards your unsaved neighbor (the one with all the loud parties).
We have to keep in mind that “The Lost” is not some hypothetical entity that we create in our own minds. It is the collection of individuals with eternal souls - headed towards destruction - that we pass on a daily basis. May God help us to truly love the lost. After all, it’s even easier to write a blog post about loving “The Lost” than it is to love them in actuality…
