A Piece of Kake

…so Neil renamed “The Journey Deepens” retreat that took us to Philadelphia last weekend along with the Michaleks, Plahutas, and Leons. Indeed, “The Plot Thickens” is a good description of what transpired in the 1880s countryside manor where we stayed. Hosted by World Evangelization for Christ’s U.S. Headquarters, the retreat is designed to help people discover their role in cross-cultural work and determine the next steps in their missions journey.

WEC Center

How did our journey there begin? Neil and I had been mulling over whether Urbana, a missions conference geared for college students, was worth one week and over $2000 in registration fees, travel, and lodging. Then “The Journey Deepens” caught my eye in a Missions Catalyst email. Philly wasn’t too far away so I perused the retreat web site. The description, structure, and price were all right. The small groups with missions coaches sounded best of all. Before I mentioned it to Neil that day, I got another email about it, this time from OMF. I’ve never received an email from OMF unless I contacted them first. But it was a notice about the retreat. We decided to sign up and started trying to recruit the Michaleks.

The next morning our decision was confirmed when Holly McCallum also emailed me about the conference. Soon enough the Michaleks, Plahutas, and Leons were all signed up, too. I started praying that the retreat would prove worthwhile, that we’d get some clarification and answers to questions. God answered my prayers far beyond what I’d imagined!

My two main questions were: 1. Should we go to Thailand with Aor or through a missions agency’s short-term trip? and 2. If/when/how should I pursue some type of ESL training? Of course we also wondered “Should we go?” but that seemed too big a question to be answered in one weekend, and I was right.

Unreached People Groups

So here’s how God answered my questions through this retreat. Two days before we left, Aor left me a message while I was swimming. She said she had to return to Thailand suddenly because her mother was having surgery. This is significant because we were considering going to Thailand with her when she returned to visit family for several weeks in December. But now that she went on short notice in June, how would she have the money to go again in December? We would probably have to wait another year or more and we wanted to take a trip sooner to gage our interest in the culture.

The reason we wanted to go with her was so we could see the culture first-hand, through the eyes of a national. But we also wanted to hook up with at least one missionary or missions agency while there. We didn’t want to spend more money on an expensive short-term trip and be able to serve in a small way, without getting to see much of the country or the people. But the missionaries at the retreat recommended going on a short-term “vision” trip, rather than a service missions trip. They said it’s possible to visit a number of missionaries and ministries throughout the country, as well as to visit a language training center. This is supposedly the best way to get a feel for if you’d like to consider long-term work in that culture.

Regarding ESL, I was told it’s always a useful training for cross-cultural work, and the endorsement to my teaching license was probably the best way to go. But one missionary raised a good point: it might be better to go on the “vision” trip first, see what kind of work we’re interested in doing, and then decide if/what type of training to get. I’m glad I heard this because I don’t want to spent $6000 or more on courses that won’t be helpful to me. In the mean time I can take a certificate course at Hudson Community Chapel for $50-100 and get the basics.

The eight Xenoids were together in the small group which was nice because we didn’t have to go over our backgrounds to understand each other, and we didn’t have to listen to people’s weird theologies or corny platitudes. One of our coaches reaches out to Chinese students at American universities, as well as leading short-term English-teaching trips to China. His organization, Chinese Outreach Ministry, will be a valuable contact for Craig and Jackie’s International Student Bible Study. They even have a branch of their ministry at Kent State. Our other coach spent 35 years translating the Bible in the Philippines and now recruits for Wycliffe.

Our small group

The coaches offered useful practical advice and shared great personal experiences (once the translator’s husband was kidnapped by an Al Queda-trained group!), but I was longing to talk with a church-planter. Jackie found one (I think she met everyone there) and I enjoyed listening to her stories but they didn’t answer any of my questions. And she wasn’t there as a missions coach; she was living at WEC before departing to Spain in a month.

Next on the schedule was a missionary forum to answer our questions. The first panelist introduced himself as Steve Niphakis, church-planter in Thailand for eleven years, Thai language and cultural training director for six years, and now a recruiter for OMF. His answers during the panel were very helpful and Neil and I approached him immediately after to schedule an appointment during our afternoon break.

He gave us almost two hours and unloaded all sorts of useful, detailed information with impeccable cheerfulness. Maybe that’s what seventeen years in the “Land of Smiles” does to you. He was exactly what we’d prayed to find at this conference: successful church-planting experience in Thailand, highly knowledgeable about language and cultural acquisition, and working for an agency to help get people on the field. Even better, we were already interested in OMF because of the Gibsons and Hudson Taylor.

Neil, Steve, and Mark

And best of all, he said he would be happy to mentor us through the process of becoming missionaries if that’s the route we want to take. He offered to meet us at our home or his (in PA) to figure out what type of training and preparation we need. And he’s even willing to meet with people in our fellowship if they have questions or want help becoming a sending church.

He also said some interesting things during the panel about his love-hate relationship with the American church. And in answers to Neil’s question about choosing a field and agency, he said “Your team is more important than your field. You can play on a lot of different fields if you’re on a good team, but if you’re team isn’t right, it doesn’t matter what field you’re playing on, you can’t win.” This analogy to sports was actually helpful and describes how I feel. I’m interested in Thailand but I’d be happy to serve in other places as well. But if we become missionaries, we want the agency to have the same values and ideas about ministry, their vision, doctrine, etc.

OMF’s mission seems to match our own: they’re into establishing indigenous church-planting movements where the churches are reproducing within their country and sending to others nations, especially places closed to whites. Many OMF missionaries are doing pioneer work in unreached areas, and the existing Thai churches are very community-oriented.

OMF is praying for 100 new workers to Thailand. Now I can see why. Steve thinks Thailand is on the verge of exponential growth. The recent political unrest has left Thai people, especially youth, looking for a change. The country is politically open and missionary visas are available. Churches are being planted and Thai people are interested in Americans and therefore willing to make friendships with them.

Steve recommended applying to agencies early because it can take four years to even begin language training. If you apply early, he said, the agency can help you determine the preparation and training you need. So we need to think and pray seriously about whether we want to take the step of applying. We came away from this retreat with some “next steps”: stay in touch with Steve about developing an action plan and think about planning a “vision trip” to Thailand. At the same time he is encouraging us to talk to our “pastor” about this direction and make sure we’re on the same page with OMF as far as theology, ethos, methods, etc. before we go any further.

All the missionaries strongly recommended developing a strong support group who will pray for us as “the plot thickens.” We’re blessed to have such a close fellowship of believers who are interested in what we’re doing. But if you read this and want to commit to praying for us regularly, please let me know and I’ll keep you updated about our deepening journey.

Additional Information

“Go and make disciples of all the nations.” So begins the Great Commission. But are we obeying Christ’s call?

The Perspectives class is a great way to enter the Great Commission. It begins at the Hudson Community Chapel on January 12th and meets Mondays from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Or take the class on Tuesday evenings, beginning January 13th at Grace Christian Missionary Alliance Church in Middleburg Heights.

All our new ministries are so exciting: the Discovery Groups, the International Student Ministry, Crossroads, and the Western Ohio Enterprise demonstrate how many in our fellowship are pursuing the Great Commission.

But are we taking the gospels to “all the nations” by participating in God’s work around the globe?

What You’ll Discover
If you want God to rock your world, take Perspectives on the World Christian Movement. The fifteen-week course offers a challenging look at the theology, history, and methods of missions. It’s appropriately titled, as any alumni will agree: the class transforms your view of God, the gospel, the world, and your part in God’s plan.

Meet missionaries serving in the Middle East or in cannibal tribes or the slums of India. What stories, pictures, and insights they share! This is a typical night at Perspectives class. It means developing deep convictions and new understandings you never held before.

“It was really eye-opening to see how much of the world doesn’t have access to the gospel and what missionaries are doing that we have no idea about,” Diana Michalek said. She also loved learning about the many indigenous movements such as the underground church in China. Her favorite memories of the class include a video about how a tribe in Papua New Guinea came to Christ and hearing Don Richardson (author of The Peace Child­) speak.

It’s so easy to get bogged down in our own culture’s version of Christianity, but it isn’t an Americanized belief,” said Jackie Leon. “Learning about missions broadened my understanding of the way the Lord works around the world.” This was important to Jackie because a secular friend told her Christianity was a Western religion, but the Perspectives class helped her understand that, “God doesn’t want every church to be like the Western church.”

Practical Learning
“We’re learning about things we can do here,” Diana said.

Ryan Leon agreed: “It really helped to learn about the history of missions, what worked and didn’t work in different fields.”

Be forewarned: Perspectives will change you. Diana, Jackie, and Ryan have taken new steps to financially support missions work, write to missionaries, teach others about missions, reach out to international students, and learn more through reading. The Gibsons, missionaries to Taiwan, took the course as freshman in college and asked, “If we’re able to go, why not go?” It’s a scary question, but the Gibsons are so glad they asked it.

“I recommend every Christian take Perspectives,” Jackie said.

Check out perspectives.org for more information and to register soon!

Additional Information

On Saturday I attended the Voice of the Martyrs Regional Conference, along with Michael, Charlotte, and Neil. I wanted to offer a quick review for those who didn’t make it.

As we pulled into the church driveway, cherub statues, Hallmark-style, greeted us followed by a circle drive and fountain. Charlotte commented that it looked like the home of a rich Italian family, while Neil started humming the Godfather theme. We were directed to a parking spot in the nearly empty parking lot by no less than three metrosexuals who looked like they warded Clay Aiken’s closet. Looking around I realized we were in the minority in our jeans. That’s how “Xenos” I’ve become—it didn’t even occur to me to dress up. Luckily I opted for flats instead of sneakers.

Next we entered the building through a long sun-room-hallway decorated in faux flora that must have been arranged by the church’s choir. The church I grew up in abandoned the choir in favor of a “worship team” and “praise band” circa 1993. But I barely had time to take in the angel wallpaper border and red plush pews before a gaggle of elderly ladies in antiquated pastel dresses took their place in the choir pews. (Where did they find those outfits? I don’t think such attire is even available at the thrift store anymore.) They were accompanied by balding men in short-sleeve white shirts and too-short ties, along with several very out of tune violins and a flute. “Why?” I couldn’t resist whispering to Charlotte. “Why doesn’t someone tell them?”

After half an hour of the choir singing, I was more ready than ever to hear the voice of the martyrs. Actually, I was ready to hear the voice of anything but the choir. But there was more. A quartet sang, followed by a soloist. Someone explained the schedule of the conference: we’d have “a song” (which really meant four songs), “a prayer,” and a speaker. I stared in disbelieve. But at least I knew what we were in for. I have nothing against music or hymns (provided they steer clear of false theology, such as the choir’s chant that we are “standing on holy ground”), but I felt like the choir was sabotaging the conference. I guess they think people like it. Maybe people do like it.

The first speaker was an American who works for Voice of the Martyrs. He quoted a lot of Scripture, mainly familiar passages about persecution in general and what the apostles experienced in specific. He didn’t have a good speaking voice and he sort of lisped, but he did a good job of getting his three main points across:

1. The Body of Christ still suffers today.
2. We are to remember them. (Heb. 13:3)
3. As we serve them, they serve us even more.

He said 200 million Christians face persecution in over forty countries today, and more Christians were killed for their faith in the twentieth century than any other period in history. His big application point about remembering and serving the persecuted church is to pray for them. It’s easier to pray when you have information and even specific people and ministries in mind, which is why the Voice of the Martyrs has a free monthly newsletter. Sign up at http://www.persecution.com/. He told stories from a number of countries and showed two videos of Christians being beaten and sentenced to jail for evangelistic activities. He also talked about forgiveness as crucial for the work of the persecuted church.

The second speaker was Mujahid El Masih from Pakistan. He grew up as a Muslim, taught straight from the Qur’an. He became a Christian in his twenties as a result of God’s pursuit and placing Christians in his life. God called him to evangelize and he obeyed, which led to suffering, but he persisted. He visited South Africa to speak. Eventually someone unwittingly gave the Pakistani government his name, in association with his activities, and he could not go back to Pakistan without being killed. He stayed in South Africa until he was going to be deported, when God miraculously provided visas and plane tickets to the U.S. for him and his family. He lives here since he cannot return to Pakistan or South Africa, but he continues to work in Pakistan through an organization he established. Last year those working for the organization baptized over 950 new believers there. Through his testimony he preached about total commitment to God, how God is always with us, even in the worst circumstances, and how suffering stretches us so we are more useful to God. His teaching was my favorite part of the conference.

We decided to leave since we faced a ninety-minute lunch break and two more rounds of singing. All that just to hear an hour and a half of speakers, and the church was recording it. So I signed up to get information about the recordings and we left. On the way home Charlotte commented about the disconnect between the “show” and the conference topic. I agreed and continued thinking more about how appalled I was at the culturally irrelevant music and décor than what the speakers said. But a few days later, I’m more impressed by what a whiny American I am, compared to how sacrificial Christians in other countries are. They seem to take suffering and persecution as normal, while I mope about going to a high school football game in fall weather. But I don’t want to throw a pity party about how pathetic I am. I just hope I can remember what other people face to stay true to the gospel the next time I start complaining about being cold or feeling awkward.

Additional Information

According to the Chicago Tribune’s feature on Christianity in China, “Christian churches, most of them underground, now have roughly 70 million members, as many as the [Communist] party itself.” Today the Chinese church is among the fastest-growing in the world, and it is safe to call this an outgrowth of Hudson Taylor’s pioneer missions work spanning the latter half of the 19th century.

Though his methods were brilliant and biblical, it was Taylor’s character that sustained his work and led to fruitfulness during continual “conflicts without, fears within.” At the heart of his maturity was his “spiritual secret.” Far from the esoteric enigmas of Gnosticism, his secret is found plainly in Scripture:

“Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.” (John 7:37-39)

In total surrender to God, he found only one place to meet his needs. His letters describe his response to this passage:

“No matter how intricate my path, how difficult my service; no matter how sad my bereavement, how far away my loved ones; no matter how helpless I am, how deep are my soul-yearnings—Jesus can all, all, and more than meet. He not only promises me rest. . . . He not only promises me drink to alleviate my thirst. No, better than that! ‘He who trusts me (who believeth on me, takes me at my word) out of him shall flow…’”

The overflow of Taylor’s life has far outlived him as he sought fulfillment in Christ alone. But how did he experience fullness in Christ when his life was one of such difficult circumstances? His study of a Greek verb tense further revealed the secret:

“’Come unto me and drink.’ Not, come and take a hasty draught; not, come and slightly alleviate, or for a short time remove one’s thirst. No! ‘drink’ or ‘be drinking’ constantly, habitually….One coming, one drinking may refresh and comfort: but we are to be ever coming, ever drinking.”

Total surrender means total reliance on God. Like Paul, Taylor found the secret of contentment by entering God’s rest:

“How little I believed the rest and peace of heart I now enjoy were possible down here! It is heaven begun below, is it not? . . . Compared with this union with Christ, heaven or earth are unimportant accidents. . . . He is our power for service and fruit-bearing, and his bosom is our resting placing now and forever.”

His joy in Christ was so all-consuming he lived Paul’s words: “momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:17, 18). During terrible trials he wrote of “the joy of knowing the living of God, of seeing the living God, of resting on the living God.”

Hope was indeed the bridge from Taylor’s faith in God to his labor of love in China. He knew with Christ carrying the yoke alongside him, his sacrifices were worthwhile and bearable. He believed God would provide in every way because of His promises and demonstration of faithfulness. And he looked forward to an eternity where Chinese believers would praise the Lamb with him.

Hudson Taylor presents a formidable example of radical dependence on God. Though I’m light-years behind him in spiritual maturity, I still want to learn the secret of entering God’s rest by continually satisfying all need in Christ. From there the rest takes care of itself, as Taylor illustrated: “If you are ever drinking at the Fountain with what will your life be running over?—Jesus, Jesus, Jesus!”

Osnos, Evan. “Jesus in China.” The Chicago Tribune, June 22, 2008. .

Additional Information

In 1849 a British teenager gave his heart to the Lord. But unlike those who seek salvation for “fire insurance” alone, James Hudson Taylor truly committed his whole life to God. After offering himself to his Savior he wrote, “For what service I was accepted I knew not, but a deep consciousness that I was not my own took possession of me which has never since been effaced.”

He spent the next four years studying medicine under a Christian doctor, but he was also preparing for a life work in China. There God had called him to the “unreached millions” and as a result he sought experience ministering to the poor and downtrodden. Much of his free time was spent preaching the gospel in the slums and praying for the people’s needs. He also found ways to test his faith which we might view as silly today, but which proved to be an effective exercise in depending on the Lord for every need.

Such faith was critical when he sailed for China in 1953 with the Chinese Evangelization Society. There he faced trials beyond what we can imagine in a place where Westerners were few and unwelcome, lodging was scarce, and funds were perpetually low. The needs were also overwhelming as people lived in bondage to fears and superstitions, grinding poverty, and constant wars.

What is most remarkable about Taylor is not his bravery in facing such challenges, his formation of a new missionary society when his senders went into debt, or even his persistent sacrifice after losing his wife and three of his children to the hardships of the land. Thousands of English missionaries made such sacrifices during the nineteenth century. The reason Taylor stands out as the foremost pioneer of the second era in Protestant missions is his unusual insights which indeed form the basis of missionary strategy today.

First, he longed to go inland, to the “unreached peoples” as we call them today. He wanted to go to China to reach those who could not possibly hear the gospel where they were. And once he got to China, he wanted to go where no Westerners had gone before to the isolated villages that could only be reached by river or canal. He didn’t think in terms of people groups but he was strategic in his planning and prayer for workers in every unreached province. At the foot of his bed hung a map of China with these provinces marked out, for which he raised up hundreds of missionaries. This is why he formed the China Inland Mission, which continues today in the form of Overseas Missionary Fellowship.

Second, he was the first in China, and one of the first in the world, to become “culturally relevant.” Despite the scorn of other foreigners, he dressed as the Chinese did so that he would be more accepted by the people. He even adopted the local hairstyle, shaving his head save a single ponytail at the top. In local dress he found that people were more attentive to the gospel than his foreignness. He also learned Chinese, translated the Bible into Chinese, and taught new believers how to read so they could understand the Word for themselves. While such steps may seem second-nature today, they were radical and even scandalous, but ultimately much more effective in communicating the gospel without cultural barriers.

Third, Taylor balanced social relief with the preaching the gospel. His medical training gave him many inroads to people’s hearts as he demonstrated the love of God through prayer and practical service. Teaching the illiterate was also both a pragmatic and spiritual effort. While theologians debated the continuum of social work and evangelism, Taylor and his workers practiced both in tandem.

Fourth, he actively promoted women’s work in missions, sending his own wife as one of the movement’s pioneers. Though he bore much criticism for this, he helped pave the way for females and married couples to work overseas. This is especially significant because experience has shown women are often more effective at missionary work than men, and are critical in reaching women and children where it might be inappropriate for men to make such contacts.

Fifth, he counted on indigenous leaders to continue the work. Today we speak of native leadership as if it were a new revelation, but from the start Taylor trained converts to reach their people. About native believers he wrote, “the hope for China lies doubtless in them.” Indeed, he raised up many native missionaries who played vital roles in leading the Chinese church, especially when foreign policy during the Boxer Rebellion of 1900 forced many missionaries out of inland China.

But these many and far-reaching contributions to missions work are not Taylor’s greatest secret to success. Stay tuned for “Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret”….

Additional Information

Check out these missions resources:

missions-resources1

Additional Information

I like to think I sacrifice for God’s Kingdom. Whether it’s giving up a couple hours of sleep, driving someone to a Bible study, leaving my social comfort zone, or studying hard for a teaching, I like to think that the inconveniences I experience in ministry are quite sacrificial. This makes me feel like I’m doing something right; like I’m somehow really entering the fellowship of Christ’s suffering. I know I’ve got it pretty easy here in my middle-class American life, but I do suffer at least somewhat for God’s Kingdom. Or do I?

David Livingstone, an early missionary to Africa, boldly stated: “I never made a sacrifice.”

Come again?

When missionaries headed for Africa in Livingstone’s day, they packed their belongings in their coffins. They knew they’d serve there until death, which often arrived shortly after they did. Between encountering foreign diseases, trying to scrounge up basic supplies, living without the medical and scientific advancements of their homelands, and facing both corporeal and spiritual warfare, these missionaries seemed to sacrifice everything. Not to mention the regular hardships of ministry with which we’re familiar.

At first his statement doesn’t make sense. Next it sounds like super-spiritual or motivational rhetoric. But then it echoes Paul’s words, when he called all the beatings, shipwrecking, and imprisonments “momentary light affliction.” It brings to mind how Paul considered all the status, prestige, and prerogatives of the world “rubbish” compared to suffering for Christ—and that while he was in prison!

Like Paul’s “eternal weight of glory,” Livingstone saw heaven as more than enough incentive for a little so-called “sacrifice” here on earth. “Is that a sacrifice which brings its own blest reward in…a bright hope of a glorious destiny hereafter?” Good point: is it really a sacrifice when we’re going to be rewarded and glorified in an eternal future with our Father? Sounds more like a good investment to me.

Livingstone didn’t only look to the future, but also to the “healthful activity, the consciousness of doing good, [and] peace of mind” that came during this life. God’s work is also the only way we gain true significance in this life and the next. I often share or teach about how fulfilling it is to have a purpose in life, but do I actually believe this? The question is settled by whether I see God’s work as a sacrifice or a privilege. The Almighty didn’t have to include us in His work. But because He has, we have the opportunity to change the landscape of eternity. What could be more significant than that?

Livingstone’s words, along with the examples of countless missionaries now and in the past, motivate me to “entrust [my] soul to the faithful Creator in doing what is right” (1 Pet. 4:19). There is no reason to hold back if I believe that God is truly good. Maybe this attitude will take me to the missions field one day; for now I hope it revolutionizes my relationships with God, my friends who don’t know God, those I disciple, and my family. I want to be persecuted because of my privilege, not my sacrifice.

Additional Information

Since I’ve been taking Perspectives, I’ve developed a burden for missions that I want to share with my cell group. Missions can seem like such a vast, overwhelming topic, especially when people are largely unaware of what God is doing in the world and how they can participate. Before the missions prayer meeting and Perspectives, I never knew where to begin. I’ve compiled some ideas people have been brainstorming for how to get your cell group thinking about God’s plan to reach the world.

• Share and pray about a different unreached people group each month. There is a wealth of information on the Internet; joshuaproject.org is a great place to start. After you share the first time, ask if someone else would like to choose a people group to research for next month. Encourage everyone to continue praying for that group.

• Start a library of books and articles about missions. It’s good to include articles since they’re more manageable for people. Once they are convicted about the topic, they’ll be more likely to invest time in reading a book. Circulate the material and generate discussion about it during and outside of cell group. Subscribe to missions magazines like Frontiers, Voice of the Martyrs, and Send or newsletters from any organizations. Search the on-line archives of Christianity Today—they published at least one missions article per month for the last three years.

• Support a missionary or child together. Organizations like India Gospel League and Gospel for Asia have monthly suggested donations that go directly to a native missionary or child. Split between the members of your cell, the individual cost could be only five dollars a month. Be sure to pray for the person you support.

• Get your cell to attend the monthly missions prayer meeting. There they will hear a teaching, get updates about missionaries, and hear news about what God is doing in other countries. Fin dout about e-mail subscriptions that give news and suggestions for prayer. Missionaries’ personal e-mail or postal addresses may also be available. In cell group, write a letter or e-mail together to encourage and thank the missionaries, who need emotional support from other Christians.

• Encourage you cell group to memorize verses about God’s plan to reach all peoples with the gospel. Consider using Matthew 24:14, Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 1:8, or Revelations 5:9-10. As they learn the verse, discuss what it shows about God’s plan and the role He wants us to play. Show how reaching the world has been God’s plan from the beginning—see The Scarlet Thread for background.

Additional Information

Are you a cat or a dog?

If you believe that Christ died because He loves you, the Bible applies to you personally, and worship is a part of life, you just might be a cat.

And that isn’t a good thing at all.

“Cat and Dog Theology” was the lecture topic for last night’s Perspectives class. Although I’d heard former Perspectives students refer to this theology, it was enlightening to learn about it myself.

Basically, cat theology is all about us. It takes the view that the Bible is about what God has done and will do for us. Although there are plenty of verses that reflect God’s desire to love, save, and bless us, we often miss the big picture in our search for ourselves as the main character in the Bible.

If you believe that Christ died to bring glory to God, the Bible is about primarily about God, and life itself is worship, then you’re probably a dog, which is just want you want to be.

The Bible reveals the priority of God’s glory throughout. It’s why Christ died and it’s the greatest source of purpose and joy in a Christian’s life:

Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour. “Father, glorify Your name ” Then a voice came out of heaven: “I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.” (Romans 15:8, 9)
For I say that Christ has become a servant to the circumcision on behalf of the truth of God to confirm the promises given to the fathers, and for the Gentiles to glorify God for His mercy; as it is written,
“THEREFORE I WILL GIVE PRAISE TO YOU AMONG THE GENTILES,
AND I WILL SING TO YOUR NAME.” (John 12:27, 28)

Missions and evangelism should boil down to the primary point of making God’s name famous. The more people who have a relationship with God based on His grace, the more people there are to bring glory and praise to His name, both now and in His eternal Kingdom.

The cancer killing the church today (and that means us) is our focus on ourselves. As the teacher last night emphasized, our ultimate goal in life is often to get from birth to death with as much safety, comfort, and ease as possible. This is how cats live—and it’s no different from most non-Christians in America.

Dogs, however, live for their master because they know it’s about Him more than anything else. They are willing to endure suffering because they “entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right” (1 Pet. 4:19). They truly live what they believe because they’ve found God to be the greatest treasure in the world, far more precious than safety, comfort, money, possessions, or human love.

I know I fall far short of thinking and living as a dog, but I hope that Perspectives and Love Ethics will help me learn that I’m not the center of the universe. Instead, the purpose of existence is to establish significance through glorifying God as I operate by His principles of love.

Additional Information

          Last week during my regular work out at the Cuyahoga Falls Natatorium, I took the time to notice the grandeur of the place. High ceilings, expensive equipment, spacious locker rooms, several pools, and even a childcare center met my eyes. As I passed fellow exercisers, I marveled at the irony of the American fitness industry. While we spend a fortune each year to work off extra weight, millions across the globe starve as they live on less than a dollar a day. I shuddered as I realized it costs about a dollar a day to belong to the Natatorium. This is the same amount that Gospel for Asia requests from donors to support native missionaries.

            I just finished Revolutions in World Missions by K.P. Yohannan and found it a quick but convicting read.  Yohannan tells how he founded Gospel for Asia, an organization that supports native missionaries in the 10/40 Window, which is home to most of the world’s unreached people groups. At sixteen, he became a street evangelist in his native India through Operation Mobilization, an organization run by George Verwer, who spoke at the 2005 Xenos Summer Institute. After eight years of walking from village to village, spreading the gospel to many who had never heard it, Yohannan was offered the opportunity to study at a Bible college in the U.S. He accepted and moved to Texas.

             Yohannan was astonished at American affluence, including the wealth of many Christians. He became convicted about sharing the needs of Asian missionaries with the resource-rich churches of the West. Meanwhile, his studies revealed that discipleship was missing from his evangelistic efforts in India. Native missionaries needed to help plant churches so new believers could grow in their faith. He wrote to a missions director he knew in India, shared his burdens, and started speaking to churches about supporting native evangelists.            

          To make his request for support more tangible, Yohannan suggested setting aside a dollar a day in order to send in $30 a month. This goes directly toward the $90-180 it takes each month to support a native missionary in the 10/40 Window. These missionaries are Asians who accept Christ, often as a result of missions work, and want to give their life to spreading God’s word. They train intensively for three years at one of the many Bible colleges Gospel for Asia has established. Once in the field, they target the most unreached people groups, often found in small villages where no one has ever heard the name of Jesus.             

          Yohannan makes a strong case for focusing American resources on supporting native missionaries, rather than sending more Westerners. While he isn’t against Western missionaries in Asia, he reasons that our time and money can go further because native missionaries are already acclimated to the culture, speak the same or a similar language, and live at the same level as the people they seek to reach, at $1-3 per day. Due to the work of earlier Western missionaries, indigenous leaders have been raised and are capable of continuing the work. Because their work is a full-time job and the people they serve are so impoverished, outside support allows them to continue building the Kingdom.           

          Yohannan referred to the U.S. as “a nation asleep in bondage.” While we may not have a church building or extravagant programs, we do need to prayerfully consider what sacrifices we can make to give to missions. The author notes that many American Christians are very generous, but lack of involvement in the Body of Christ often leads to unawareness of needs and opportunities to help. If we truly value and practice Body Life, let’s challenge each other to get involved in missions by attending the monthly prayer meeting, giving financially, and taking the Perspectives course. There’s a prayer meeting this Saturday, Nov. 17^th at 8:30 a.m.            

          There is much more to Gospel for Asia’s work and convictions, so I recommend reading Revolution in World Missions. You can request a free copy at their Web site: www.gfa.org.

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