Discipleship Case Study: A Positive Update

I hope that the posts about discipleship in the American church didn't leave you hopeless. Since I left with my family to be a part of the Hispanic church, a lot of good has happened.

Two of the men in particular have really run with the men's Bible study I mentioned earlier in this blog, and I believe they have surpassed what I taugh them. I visit them occasionally and they are so much better than I ever was! One has become an elder in the church, and the other has started a Bible study at his place of work. Wow!

Missions: The Hispanic Community

After we let the refugees stabilize, God led us to another case where we could practice hospitality through a neighbor that I had mentioned earlier in this blog as a person of peace. These folks came as asylees from a terrible government that had actually attacked and severely injured the husband in the family.

We had the great joy to help them monetarily as they began their life here and to invite them to the Hispanic church we attended a few times. We feel a strong bond with this family, and we have prayed with them many times. The husband says that he accepted Jesus as Lord when I used the Roman road to explain to him his need for Jesus, but we will see if it truly took root. I have since been trying fervently to teach him to pray with his heart to Jesus, to trust Him, and also to be generous to others since one of his issues is a poor handling of money.
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My wife and I also had the privelege to be invited by a small Hispanic church plant to serve them on a few occasions (My wife is Hispanic, and we both are fluent in Spanish.). After this, we felt God calling us to stay with them and serve their leadership in whatever they needed, and that is what we have done.

I won't say it has been easy for me; the culture shock is extremely intense for me. But I will say I have received a lot of healing, camaraderie, and honestly... some healthy leadership to follow. God continues to clean out my immaturity in many matters, especially as it relates to acting in love. I truly feel at home here with these brothers because they are mostly all striving to follow Jesus. When we speak about some truth in the Bible, they listen intently and take it to heart. They are hungry and thirsty for what God has for them, and what a refreshing experience it has been to be with my own kind in that sense.
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One piece of wisdom I will leave with you for this post with respect to speaking and acting in love, especially dealing with Biblical correction: Sometimes we can be right about something, but we become wrong about something when we don't speak it in love, humility, patience. Basically, if you are in the business of conquering people instead of reconiling people, you've missed the whole point.
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My wife and I have been strong elements of the Hispanic community since before our marriage, and we are excited to be going deeper into it as the Lord allows.

Missions: Refugees Part 3

It got a little bit weird after a while with the refugees and they got a little too codependent on us, so we let them figure out a few things on their own, only helping when they didn't have a way to solve problems themselves.

After a lot of study time with them and some driving practice, the father got a driver's license, which has opened up a lot of great things for him! We are so proud that the family is becoming more self-sustained. 

That being said, my family is now exhausted and we have taken a step back from the volunteer work to recharge. One thing God has been teaching me is knowing my limits. I never liked to think I had limits, but I do.

I have begun a slow, steady friendship with another immigrant from the same people group. He is a brand new Christian, but he doesn't really know anything Biblical and I'm not sure he has received the Holy Spirit yet. He still doesn't hear God's voice steadily. That relationship is missing some key parts.

So, we will see how God wants this to go. I am leaving it up to God at this point, since I typically try to pressure people into stuff and then they run away. (Hey just admitting my shortcomings).

Missions: Refugees part 2

Now the honeymoon has gone away, but we are still very much excited to be a part of this precious family's life. Because of the language gap, we have been using google translate, biblegateway.com non-English versions, another person from their language group, made-up sign language, etc. And also because of that language gap, we have focused on activities rather than communication. 

So we went to the zoo, which they were not impressed with. We went coat shopping. We went to the biggest park in our city and played with styrofoam planes, rubber band planes, kites, sidewalk chalk, bubbles. We also played soccer.

Even though our communication is limited, we find ourselves very much in a caring, reciprocal relationship with this family. We could just sit back and enjoy that very much, but we also have to think of their spiritual need for relationship with God. It helps to talk to God throughout these relationships, because He keeps your focused on what is important.

But how can we communicate the message of the good news if we can't speak the language, yet? One of my friends called me and told me about how he had shared the story of Jesus in John 8 who defended and forgave a woman caught in adultery with someone from this people group and how it really blew their mind. I hope to print this story in their language and share it with them soon.

Missions: Refugees

Something that we've been working on for a while. We had been getting ready to welcome refugees to the United States and help them transition into life here. It's about love. Or at least it should be.

This particular group gets a lot of political flak, and I've even had to endure stern warnings from my family for working with them.

However, obedience to God is the most important action of a follower of Jesus. Loving the stranger, offering hospitality - those are commands. "A new command I give you," it says in 1 John, "Love one another."

Love is our most powerful spiritual weapon. It can overcome bad theology, idolatry, hardness of heart, etc. The Holy Spirit works in this heavenly love to open men's hearts and to give us favor before even the toughest of people.

Well, they arrived, a large family that did not speak a word of English. And although I had been studying their language in order to be able to communicate with them, I still only speak basics. We helped them get settled in, showed them their local supermarket, stocked their fridge (family of 7!!!), bought them some clothes, bought them some phones, showed them the bus service, started teaching them basic English. We took them to a restaurant and the owner comped the meal! For 10 people! We took them to the lake and to the zoo, too.

But the best was being able to start telling them that we follow Jesus, that Jesus loves them and that He is the reason we love them.

I'm in the middle of it right now, and it's turning my world upsidedown as I try to balance my work, my family and them.

One on One: Harsh Reality

Well, we almost finished the study of Luke, but tragedy struck one person and he had to drop out to grieve. The other just sort of went incommunicado for a while.

So, life just happened. I want to be honest in this blog, so I'll be honest. It was heartbreaking. It was heartbreaking not only to see the tragedy that fell on my brother, it was heartbreaking to stop seeing him (by his choice, not mine). I really did slump into a sadness, but I gave it God and just kind of numbed out for a while.

It was just such a stark transition from being elated, feeling like God was using us all together, seeing the "lights come on"... and then immediate separation and isolation from each other.

It hurts, people, it hurts. I deceived myself thinking I had found a golden opportunity that would be perfect. No, there will always be challenges, no matter what.

So, we keep asking God, begging God for His direction, mercy, and orders. Hopefully, we listen.

Until then, the encouragement is 2 Corinthians 4 and 2 Corinthians 1, wherein Paul details how much pain he endured spreading the good news. I will say this, if you care enough about God's word and people, it will hurt you a lot.

One on One: Foundations

So, every other week I am meeting for about 3 hours with 2 different people. One week I meet with one, and the other week I meet with the other.

It has been fantastic. Not only have we covered a lot of chapters of Luke faster than a Bible study, but we have spent our time applying it, empowering one another, teaching the simplicity of the good news, getting the elemental things right from the get go. It is refreshing to not have to pour into people who have already been indoctrinated. Now they can just develop in the wonder of God's vision for them and the world. That foundation is key. Everything else comes second. 

If the foundation is head knowledge, they will become intellectuals. If the foundation is rules, they will become religious. If the foundation is feelings, they will become emotion-driven puffballs. If the foundation is the living Jesus, they will walk with God.

That foundation is very difficult to make sure is laid right. I have had to ask some very penetrating questions about what they think the good news of Jesus is. Why is your salvation good? It starts at "I don't go to hell now." And that is a terrible way to think of salvation. The questions drive them to... you are now in relationship with God. Then the question is, why is that good? Because you were meant to be with Him. You were meant to be on good terms and in friendship with God. You were meant to walk with Him. You were meant to depend on Him. You were meant to be filled with His presence. It is the meaning of your existence...

I have to admit that even with this, I've given written to them a mini-class on Biblical interpretation so they can read the word for themselves and not have to depend on anyone but God to get the basics going. Obviously, I love group interpretation of the Bible, but you have to know the Bible to let it interpret itself to you as well...

I have to say, I feel like this is the entire purpose of my life at this point. My relationship with God has been overwhelmingly peaceful, and "I feel His pleasure," like that quote from Chariots of Fire.

What is even more exciting is that they both now feel very drawn to be leaders in the Church! My only warning has been that they should know what true Biblical ministry is before they are swallowed by church culture's ideas.

I think our next step will be finding a way to make our tiny one-on-one sessions something people can be invited into, a gathering for the people God is calling to Himself. I wonder what this will look like. So, I began asking them to just think about talking with their friends about Jesus and see what comes up in their minds. We will get into that later, but it's good to put that little bug in the mind...