The Harvest

Jesus said, "The harvest is plentiful..." He also said, "But the laborers are few." Where I live in South America both these truths stare us in the face every single day. Whether we are driving through the gnarled traffic from one place to another, or whether we are out in other communities--rich or poor, it does not matter--we face a massive harvest. We face thousands upon thousands every day.

Today was no exception. Not at all. I went out with two of our finest. I took them to Lima's south cone. There we walked on hill after hill, talking to men and women that I had worked with in prior times. But this time things were a little different. On one hill where we stood, a lady we did not know came to us. She said, "Please come back. Please help our people. We need so much help here. Many of us are starving. Come back at Christmas and have a hot chocolate night." I asked the woman her name; she is Soledad T. Her name means "Solitude (as in, peaceful)." It can also, however, mean "loneliness." I did sense a deep loneliness and longing in the lady. It was obvious Christ was calling out to us through her.

In another community they asked me to explain my long absence. It was hard to explain, since they have no frame of reference for a furlough period. But what I learned broke my heart. All workers we had sent there had left. Some workers who had come in from another church also had left. They were abandoned, when it came to Christian teachings. The men I spoke with asked me to please help with two things: reestablishing the church, and helping them establish a daycare center so that mothers would have a place for their children while they worked.

Again, I was moved. It was not as moving, though, as when some who recognized me, ran to me to greet me with a hug and a kiss. Such Christian affection is a breath of fresh air in such places of darkness.

From there, we moved on to a few other communities, places we sensed God's call to us. I cannot fully explain the sensation and the thoughts that overcome me when I stand in the midst of a large housing community where there is no visible Christian witness. It's painful and at the same time joyful. The mind drums up visions of believers gathering together to worship the King. I can almost hear the praises rising up to our Lord.

Then reality hits. The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. I am so grateful Jesus told us how to handle that: "pray, therefore, to the Lord of the Harvest, that he send forth laborers." It's his job to send out the laborers. It's our job to pray for him to do so.

Please join me in praying for laborers to carry the message of redemption to the countless hundreds of thousands in south Lima that need a relationship with Jesus.

Transference in Church Growth

I am in the process of preparing my notes for tonight's Church Growth class. Many thanks to my prof, Dr. Steve Wilkes, of Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary. His notes from that doctoral seminar have been priceless for me.

One thing that must be emphasized in any church growth class is the danger of transference. I know that many will recognize "transference" as a pyschological term. In fact, Wikipedia defines transference in a number of ways. Here is one affirmation: "One definition of transference is 'the inappropriate repetition in the present of a relationship that was important in a person's childhood.'"

Notice the words, "inappropriate repetition." Those words are key for the intents and purposes of this blog.

We often admire the "successes" of some of the mega and meta-churches around the world. To read and hear--better yet, to attend a service--of a church that thousands may attend is something that often makes us yearn for something more in our ministry. To read anecdotes of successful church planting in other parts of the world does much the same for a missionary. Yes, we rejoice in both cases. But often we also hope and strive to see something akin to it where we are.

And it is there that we are tempted to go down a road that is unhealthy for us. We begin to study the church or field in question, and we see what we can pull from it to use in our ministries. But we must be careful. This is where Dr. Wilkes' sage warning comes in. Dr. Wilkes told us early on [probably not his precise wording, but these are from his notes], "Church growth is a complex issue. Do not fall into the trap of oversimplification. Do not attribute church growth to a single cause. Do not assume you can transfer methods from one situation to another."

In a world where responsiveness to the Gospel varies from location to location, we need to heed Dr. Wilkes' advice. We do not need to be guilty of missiological or ecclesiological transference. God's plan and methods for India may not be God's plan for Guatemala. While our message remains constant, our plans and methods must reflect at least three things:

• Prayer - the foundational principle of our work within the kingdom of God
• Local responsiveness
• Local socio-political and other similar factors

I fear we are so intent on not reinventing the wheel that we too often take unwise, poorly thought-out, and untested shortcuts, seeking the most pragmatic solution to immediate results. We need to be more concerned that we have spent enough time before God to have gotten his plan and methodology, concentrating more on the long-term results, than we do on short-term, immediate results.

Take a close look at your ministry, or your church's or mission's ministry; see if transference--the unhealthy repetition of someone else's ministry ideas characterizes yours. If it does, perhaps it is time to call a prayer meeting to begin the changes you need in your field.

Jesus is Lord!

Tomorrow?

Friday, September 12, signifies two weeks that we have been back. It took until today to get internet in our house. It took a full week to get cell phones. Our house phones went out of order shortly after arriving and stayed off for five days.

We live in the land of "tomorrow." The workers are coming "tomorrow." They will repair it "tomorrow." The part arrives "tomorrow." The new cell phones can be picked up "tomorrow." Orphan Annie could be here sining, "Tomorrow, tomorrow!"

It is so easy to get into the habit of putting things off until tomorrow when that is all you ever see or hear around you. But we have no promise of tomorrow. None whatsoever. We have today; that's all.

Even if tomorrow comes for you and me, it may not come for someone we know. And what if that someone has no relationship with Jesus Christ? What then? Tomorrow will mean eternal pain and suffering for that one.

So we need to live as though today was all we had. That means being alert to the opportunities that God sends our way. That means both being and doing.

Don't wait for tomorrow. Live for today.

Neglect Can Infect

We have made it back to our house in Lima. It was good to sleep in our own bed. That pillowtop mattress is certainly very pleasant, even though the sheets were damp from the heavy humidity. It was like climbing into a wet sock that first night.

So many things have to be done when you come back into a house after so many months. Things get neglected and you don't need to neglect a single room in a house down here. When you do, small problems can be waiting there for you. Like mold. Or leaks. Or large, ugly arachnids.

Give me the leak any day. You can have the spiders. I grabbed something hollow in a corner that had been neglected (even though that room had been used the entire time we were absent) and it was full of a colony of those things, all crawling on top of one another. I did not know I could move so fast, getting that item out of our house.

Then there are the things that tend to malfunction in your absence, like our phones. We have no phone service; it died in the past couple of days. The security service came by to ask if we knew we had a failure in the phone lines. His question was classic: "Why don't you call them and report your line out of order?" I glibly replied that I would if I had a phone that worked. But we don't. He assumed we had a backup plan--the imperative cell phone. Sorry, those have not arrived yet. Unlike some places in the world, where you can leave the store with phone in hand, we have now waited 4 days for the phones that were to arrive "yesterday."

All of this teaches me an important spiritual lesson: neglect leads to decay. If I neglect my spiritual well-being I will, little by little, begin to decay spiritually. A little maintenance goes a long way in preventing decay; a little exercise will keep your muscles toned. A little spiritual exercise will do the same.

Now I need to return to my house and resume the important work of cleaning and repairing those neglected areas. But first, I need to be sure no area of my spiritual self is in need of cleaning and repair...; how about you?

About Fishing Holes

I went fishing today. It was a delightful diversion for me. As I stood on the bank of the large pond, I could not help but meditate on the spiritual nature of fishing. No, I am not speaking of being a fisher of men, though the correlation to that is very obvious.

Fishing has many spiritual analogies. The place you fish is important. When you fish is important. The bait is important. There are so many things I could say. I am all too aware that one could poke holes in the illustrations at hand. But bear with me.

I want to make one point that stood out to me. It's about the fishing hole. I have one, a pond of just over an acre. For those of you who are fishing enthusiasts, there are largemouth bass and bream, plus catfish that live there. In the short time I was there, looking at this pond, hidden in the woods a quarter-mile off a back road, I was moved by its beauty and the promise of great fishing it held for me.

Sure enough, as I stood there in the silence of those woods, a large one, commonly known as a lunker, rolled over in the water. Off on the other side, a large grey crane flew off. Had I stood there long enough, I have no doubt one of the many deer that live in those woods would have slipped up for a drink of water.

The wind whispered in the trees around me. The occasional bird called out. Squirrels played in the trees beyond me. It was a sight to behold, with sounds that blessed my ears.

But one thing was lacking: there was no way to get down to the water and cast my line. Yes, in my absence the woods crept up to the banks around the pond. The underbrush was so thick that I could only look longingly at this body of water that held such promise of great fishing.

So off I went, in search of another place to fish, the place I mentioned above as I began this blog.

I stood on the banks of the first pond I mentioned, my cousin's pond, casting my line in different directions, looking for that hungry bass. My mind went back to my pond. It was so grown over I could not take advantage of it. I wanted to, but it was a futile attempt.

The overgrowth made me think of my life. It's a lot like a fishing hole, a place for others to be blessed. Is it unattended, as well? If someone wanted or needed to "fish" in my life, would he be able to get close enough to cast his line? Or would my neglect block him out? What would I need to cut away to give someone access to the fruit God has placed within me to bless others with?

What about your life? Is it in good enough shape for someone to be blessed by it? Or have you neglected your fishing hole?

Oh, I did not catch anything today. But the communion with the Lord was worth the 2 hours I stood and cast that line.

The Growing Anti-family Movement

America, it would seem, is becoming more and more anti-family. Multiple companies were pioneers, by insisting on insurance benefits for gay partners. Massachusetts and California were all too happy to circumvent that which is good and natural for that which goes against nature: gay marriage. Now Hallmark has joined the "Extraordinary League of the Perverted." Believe it or not, you can buy gay marriage cards made by this once family-friendly company.

It's their legal right to join the ranks of perversion. It's my legal right to shop there no longer, so long as they offer such products.

When will this kind of thing stop? When we, the church, turn from OUR wicked ways and seek the Lord.

Anti-family is anti-God, anti-Christ. America is comfortable in being that way because we no longer make America uncomfortable when they wallow in sin. How can we, if we wallow in it alongside them?

Join me in praying for revival in the land. It's only then that we will see a positive change in America.

The World Was Not Worthy of Her

A young Christian has died. Her Muslim father killed her. This happens far more often than we in the west know. We are comfortable. We are busy trying to make ourselves worth something in this world. She was worth more than the world could pay (so are we; we are just too often caught up in the hype and glitter of this world's temptations).

So now this young woman stands before Jesus, dressed in white, giving glory to the Lamb who was slain before the foundation of the world. She stands there because the world was not worthy of her.

Let's not lower ourselves to the value of this world.

Homeward Bound

It's been a long furlough--stateside assignment for those familiar with the SBC's International Mission Board terminology. We have been stateside since November. That was at least ten pounds ago for me. Okay, so maybe it was closer to fifteen. That's what happens when you visit church after church that feeds you a meal or two, accept numerous invitations to eat out, and rationalize eating by telling yourself it's the last time you will get to eat here or there.

Aside from gaining a few pounds, we did accomplish a lot this furlough. Let me just name a few of them:

• We have networked with a number of churches, who will help us in South America
• We trained men and women to serve as strategic partners
• We spoke in about 30 different churches in 3 different states
• We watched our daughters move forward in life
• We enjoyed the company of our brothers, sisters, and mothers

That is just a small sampling of a long 9 months of time away from our ministries. Now we are more than rested and more than ready to get back into the swing of things.

We are headed to a country we have called "home" for almost 20 years. Yes, come August 29th we are homeward bound.

There Is a Season...

Twenty days is too long without posting my thoughts. I apologize. Time has a way of moving on, regardless of one's intents and purposes. And, for all intents and purposes, I had to be moving with it.

July has been one of those months that holds all kinds of surprises for us. Shortly after my last post, my future son-in-law was out driving; it was late at night. But anytime, almost, is a good time to be riding a bike. One time that is not good for riding a bike is when a deer runs out in front of you. And that is what happened to Tracey. The deer lost, but so did Tracey.

We thought that was going to put everything on hold. But we went on with our plans, knowing Tracey was well cared for.

Our journeys took us to Baltimore for my nephew's wedding. There, Pam and I celebrated 28 years of marriage. My nephew and his bride were married on our anniversary. The entire weekend was one of celebration for us.

We returned to MS to prepare for yet another wedding: my 2nd born's choice for a life partner was the man who met a deer late one night. In spite of his broken ribs and other injuries, the couple, blinded by the prospect of love and marriage, went forward with their plans.

Off we drove to Destin, FL for the big event. Kim always said she would marry on the beach. She had her dream wedding. We stood on the beach, wind blowing, waves crashing, and curious beach-combers standing off, watching the curious scene. There, the happy couple tied the proverbial knot.

Needless to say, she made a lovely bride. But then, I am prejudiced; am her dad.

I am looking forward to another wedding. It's the wedding between Christ and the church. I long for that day when Jesus comes back for his church. Some doubt that day will ever come; I don't. I hunger for it. I want to see Jesus in his glory step out from the clouds and catch us up to be with him. What a glorious day that will be for those who look for his coming. What a frightening day for those who ignore the imminent return of the Lord.

But upward we will be carried; and there, in the presence of the angels, we will celebrate the marriage supper of the Lamb. Saints of all ages will be there. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John will be there. Barnabas and Mark will be there. Paul and Silas will be there. Spurgeon, Moody, and so many others will be there. Men and women from every tribe and nation will be there. The celebration will be beyond our comprehension.

There is a season for everything. This includes the return of our Lord Jesus. Amen.

Family Joy

My last posts took place in South America. This one is from South[ern] America--Mississippi.

My greatest joy of the past month (June) was not my birthday, or Father's Day; my greatest delight was sneaking down to Peru to surprise my baby girl at her graduation from high school.

We had pulled Melissa out of her school, The International Christian School of Lima, to bring her home for an unexpected furlough, known in our circles as "stateside assignment," or "STAS." ICSL was kind and allowed us to continue her studies via correspondence. With that assurance from them I promised Melissa I would do all in my power to allow her to return to march in her class's graduation.

But there was not going to be enough dollars, Euros, or Soles, to get all three of us down there. God was kind to us (he always is) and provided buddy passes for Pam and Melissa. So down they went. At the time we got those passes, it looked impossible for me to join them. The airline pilot who gave us those passes, though, had another one he could share; and he shared it with me.

Being the devious person I am, I chose to keep that information between Pam, the pilot, and me. So, two days before graduation, while Melissa was taking her final exams, I sauntered into the building. No words can describe the shock, joy, and exhuberation Melissa showed when she looked down the hallway and saw me.

No words can adequately describe Pam's or my joy and pride over Melissa's accomplishment.

So now our lives will change; Pam and I will return to South America in a couple of months. This time we go without children. It's a bittersweet feeling. We are both excited and sad. It's been something like 25 years since our nest has been empty.

Those events made for a very full June. Now comes July...

Who Will Tell?

The world continues to grow at a phenomenal rate. The latest projections put the world population at 7 billion by 2012. That is incredible.

As it stands, China and India lead the world in population. The United States is a distant third.

I have not investigated it, but I strongly suspect the population explosion is outpacing our evangelistic efforts. That means that each day more and more people are dying lost. That means that Scripture is being fulfilled: hell hath enlarged herself (Isaiah 5:14).

Does God want mankind to go to hell? If so, why did he send his only son, born of a virgin, to die for a world that is headed to hell? God does not want to see this world go to hell. He wants you and me to go tell others about the hope that is in Jesus.

The world is growing. Who will go and tell them about Jesus?

Let Your Speech Be Seasoned With Grace and Salt

I am in South America today. We came for my daughter's graduation from her high school. That's not the purpose of this post, though. I have some thoughts about speech--about our conversation.

Today I drove over to the grocery store. The vehicle I was driving was in desperate need of a good washing. So I asked a man to wash it. We discussed his price, which was reasonable to begin with; but a little bit of conversation about such things is important. After we came out of the store, we realized the man was not finished washing the car. So we had a few minutes to kill. That's when it happened; a very unique conversation began.

The young man asked me first where I was from. I told him. He complimented my lack of American accent and then asked what church I attended. That seldom happens, but I was glad to answer. I told him I was Baptist. He asked if that was a Christian church. I told him it was.

He said he could tell I was a Christian by my speech--my manner of conversation. I asked him to explain himself and he said he could tell by my choice of words that I was a Christ-follower.

This was as fine a compliment as I could have received. But it made me think, too. It made me wonder how many times my choices made people wonder other things about me.

Being recognized as a follower of Jesus just by speaking in everyday conversation can be a door-opener. I was able then to speak to this man about his own walk with the Lord. I am sorry to say that I did not have the time to lead him to Christ. But we were able to take it to another plane.

Who do people see when you speak?

Go! Tell!

I just watched the annual report of the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. You can reach the link here.

What moved me most were the testimonies shared by some great men and women in South America. They were in places that you and I may never dare to go. But the call to go tell was too strong for them to stay here. The drive to obey Jesus Christ outweighs the fear for their lives, the frustration of harsh living, and even the risk of being seen as foolish by one's peers.

South America is a massive continent. Lostness is pervasive. There are 355 million men, women, and children who still need to repent and believe the gospel. Every 15 seconds someone in South America dies and goes to hell. Eighty percent of the people living in South America live in large cities, some as large as 18 million. There are at least 41 cities with a population of a million, or more. 

While we are seeing modest gains here and there, the vast majority continues in the kingdom of darkness.  If they knew what we knew, they would cry out to us. 

They would say, "Go! Tell the good news to my people!

Is the Door Closing to Share the Gospel?

The Lausanne World Pulse just made an astonishing claim about India: the door to the gospel seems to be closing.

Persecution and rejection are commonplace in some parts of the world. Why are we surprised? Jesus prophesied it; Paul proclaimed it; Peter asked his readers why they were so surprised.

Westerners are concerned about the growing rejection of the gospel, too. Our methods to try to rectify that rejection leave something to be desired. We become "user friendly." I watched one church service that resembled the circ de soleil. Lights flashed on and off. Smoke poured out from all sides. Folks dressed in black tights came spiraling down thick cloth ropes, while the pastor rode in on his Harley, the circus-like music in a crescendo to announce his arrival.

To ease the pain of rejection, we are tempted to soften the seriousness of sin. We have deluded ourselves about how ugly sin really is. That way, some of us think, people will be more comfortable in our churches. There should be such a sense of holiness when we gather, that sinners either get right or run out the door.

Other times we simply leave off the truth about sin and simply preach the good part of the good news. Remember: in the case of the gospel, there is no good news without bad news.

Do not be surprised if people reject the gospel. Acceptance by everyone would be desirable. But, sadly, far more will choose to reject the Lord Jesus. Just keep sharing the gospel and rejoice over the fruit God gives you.

Pray for Asia

First it was Myanmar. We don't hear much about it anymore, but the death toll is tens of thousands; the homeless will suffer for months to come.

Then it was China. The death toll, according to most news agencies, has rolled past 65 thousand. New dangers lurk. One village is being evacuated because of cracks in the dam on nearby reservoir. Due to the "one-child-per-family" rule, many families lost their only child. Their anguish is beyond my comprehension. The government has granted permission to those parents have another child.

We can help. Obviously, there are organizations that we can contribute through. If you want to be the greatest help for these devastated areas, then make it a matter of regular prayer. Intercede. Our God is well able to open doors for us that even our physical aid will never open.

Pray. Pray some more. And pray hard.

BEWARE!

Signs are important. Some are not, to be sure; but most signs are very important. The message is there for a reason. Take traffic signs; they guide us in our high-speed journeys across the roads we traverse.

One man and his friend discovered a recently-collapsed bridge on a country road. So they made a sign and held it up for passersby to see. After the third car crashed into the creek below, one man looked at the other and asked, "Do you think we should change the message of our sign to "Bridge Out Ahead?"

I want to warn you of a bridge that is out. It's a new website called "BigChurch.com." I have not read the content of that sign. But I did read about the owners: Penthouse Magazine.

I am stunned and sick to think that the porn industry feels comfortable enough to create a website aimed at Christians.

That bridge is out, folks. Here's my sign: Beware! Danger ahead!

Am I an Evangelical?

Ed Stetzer placed a link to a letter written by Dr. Ergun Caner, President and Dean of Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary and Graduate School. The article in question is regarding Caner's dislike for the newest attempt to muddy the philosophical waters of evangelicalism.

The new strands of this rope called "evangelicalism" cause me to ask if I am still an evangelical. Those strands include everything from being a "green evangelical" to people who call themselves evangelical, but no longer believe salvation through Jesus is a unique thing. I am so tired of the green machine dribbling out its poisonous lies, I may well write a separate blog about that. For now, let's talk about Jesus and this tent called "evangelicalism."

First, the stakes that hold the tent of evangelicalism are fixed and easy to spot; consider this description from Barna:

"'Evangelicals' meet the born again criteria plus seven other conditions. Those include saying their faith is very important in their life today; believing they have a personal responsibility to share their religious beliefs about Christ with non-Christians; believing that Satan exists; believing that eternal salvation is possible only through grace, not works; believing that Jesus Christ lived a sinless life on earth; asserting that the Bible is accurate in all that it teaches; and describing God as the all-knowing, all-powerful, perfect deity who created the universe and still rules it today."

Second, to be sure, the fabric of the evangelical tent is multi-faceted. No one denomination has a monopoly on evangelicalism. That being said, however, it does not mean the tent is so broad as to accept anything that comes along. Does that sound offensive? Consider it carefully; if your church were to accept just any old preacher that came along, could you trust him? What if he changed the meaning of familiar words, such as "born again?"

That is what is happening. There are those who call themselves born-again evangelicals, but who do not believe that Jesus is the only way to be saved. When asked if Muslims would be in heaven, one prominent so-called evangelical preacher recently quoted Jesus' statement that he has other sheep in the fold that his hearers did not know about (John 10:16). As is true with too many others, this man does not believe in the unique nature of salvation through Jesus Christ. He is a false evangelical--a false prophet, if you will.

What is the fear that is generating the attempted change in evangelicalism? Why are we now afraid that we will be offensive? The truth is simple: the gospel is offensive to some. To soft-pedal it is mighty close to being ashamed of it (a·shamed adj.
1. Feeling shame or guilt
2. Feeling inferior, inadequate, or embarrassed
3. Reluctant through fear of humiliation or shame).

I am an evangelical. I am not ashamed to say it. Unless the apostates take over the evangelical family. Then I will call myself something else.

The Times and the Seasons

First, it was Myanmar (Burma). Now it's China. Before this is over, I would not be surprised to see a death toll in both places that tops 100,000. That is astounding. Every death brings a deep sadness and lingering questions:

• How many of these who died knew the Lord and are now in his presence?
• Jesus told us to observe the times and the seasons. Is this an indication of his imminent return?

I cannot venture to say how many who died knew the Lord. I do know that each day thousands in China are turning to the Lord Jesus as their one and only Savior. But I do not know about the particular areas that were affected. Far less, however, are responding in Myanmar. That means that the likelihood was slim that many of them were Christ-followers.

Is it a sign of the return of Jesus? Maybe. Maybe not. I believe that will happen sooner, not later. I even hope it happens today. But if the Father chooses to delay Jesus' return, that is fine by me. I will serve him until he sounds that final trumpet.

Pray for Asia, as it recovers from these two massive disasters.

Pray for Myanmar (Burma)

Fox News reports 22 thousand deaths and over 40 thousand missing after the massive cyclone ravaged that country.

Pray that Christian missionaries will find opportunities to minister to the glory of God.

Those Weakening Hands

Here is a piece of news that Southern Baptists did not want to hear: membership and baptisms have declined. While IMB missionaries are reporting increases in overseas membership and baptisms, the churches holding the proverbial ropes are weakening. So what's happening?

Why is this taking place now? One site quotes expert Ed Stetzer, also providing a link to Stetzer's own site. Stetzer gives three issues that must be discussed to address this historic and unprecedented decline for Southern Baptists:

• The absence of young leaders and ethnic leaders in denominational life.
• Denominational infighting.
• (most importantly) We’ve lost our focus on the gospel.

Add to Stetzer's opinion other important factors such as:

• Our love affair with American culture
• Undisciplined churches
• (most importantly for me) a growing indication of prayerlessness

When you work in a group with so many members (over 16 million) it becomes very easy to rest on those historic laurels. We have gotten large and lethargic. Large is good; lethargy is deadly.

Why is this significant to someone working in South America? Consider the following:

1. Our future international missionaries come from this declining pool.
2. Lethargy eventually reveals itself in lethargic missions support; this is not just financial in nature. We are currently blessed with a surge in personal participation on the part of SBC churches. But this will not continue if those churches are losing the battle "back home."
3. Denominational infighting creates such a lack of focus that important things as winning lost America and reaching a lost world fall in the cracks.

Pray for the SBC. Pray, pray, pray for revival.