Archive - August, 2007

Vision of a Church in Singapore

August 30, 2007 in Missions with 0 Comments

I just received a newsletter from Rick Zachary where he recently traveled to Singapore in order to raise awareness and finances for his church planting work in places like Sri Lanka and Pakistan. I was reminded of the zeal of the church of Singapore for world missions. I had the privilege of visiting that country during my time in the military. It is truly a melting pot of cultures with a strong apostolic bent in many of the local churches. Could this be because people have consistently sown the vision of them being the “Antioch of Asia” in their hearts over the last couple of decades? Vision, when rightly directed, is a powerful force. Take a look at the vision of The Cornerstone Church of Singapore. This is a great model of vision for the churches of America.

VISION: To be an Apostolic Church: A Church that is always about the Great Commission; preaching the gospel to all nations, engaging in missions through training, giving of finances, sending out of missionaries (short term and long term), church planting, partnering and networking, and always having upon our hearts the desire to fulfill Jesus’ command to go and make disciples of all nations.

JL

Mission Questions: Why wouldn’t you stay?

August 29, 2007 in Missions with 0 Comments

Why wouldn’t you stay in America?  There are plenty of people who need Jesus here.
Answer:

Don’t get me wrong. I am thankful to God for my country. I am thankful for my church and any other churches that love Jesus and work hard to see people come to know and understand the Gospel. We need everyone in the Body of Christ working in some way to see that the Word of God is being preached and lives are being changed. We also need people who are willing to go to the uttermost parts of the Earth where the church is weak or non-existent.

I believe that we as Americans sometimes don’t realize what we have in regards to access to the Gospel. Especially with the recent advances of satellite TV, broadband Internet, and millions of Christian books and CD’s, each American more than has the chance to run across the preaching and demonstration of the true Gospel many times in his life in many cultural forms and packaging. Yet in many places of the world, there is not even one life giving reproducing church anywhere. Let me give you two simple examples to further prove my point:

1. In America, tracts are looked down in most churches as an archaic outdated way to do outreach. Yet in some parts of the world, tracts may still be the only way some one ever gets the opportunity to hear the gospel! I have seen someone receive a tract from a missionary and treasure it like a family heirloom, carefully passing it around to others who wanted to read the message. Can you imagine the average American receiving a simple Gospel message on the street? Most would say, “Man, I’ve heard it all before” and they have!

What about Bibles? If you wanted a Bible in America how difficult would it be? If you really wanted one and couldn’t afford it, somebody somewhere, at any church, in any city in the US, would go out of there way to make sure you had one. You could always pick one up from your local hotel the next time you’re on vacation. Bible societies would send you one if you wrote and asked for it. Most of us have lost more Bibles than most of the world has handled in their lifetime! In many places, people still don’t have access to the scripture in their language. A large percentage of the world is illiterate and couldn’t read if they wanted to.

Who will go to them? Who will finish the task?

Let me leave you with this challening quote:

“Believers who have the gospel keep mumbling it over and over to themselves. Meanwhile, millions who have never heard it once fall into the flames of eternal hell without ever hearing the salvation story.”

– K.P. Yohannan, founder of Gospel for Asia Bible SocietyJL

Bono and Grace over Karma

August 28, 2007 in Buddhism with 1 Comment

I must admit that I am reluctant to even post this link because I might be looked at as one of the groupies, which I am not. (some post modern believers quote Bono like he’s one of the NT writers) But I couldn’t help actually enjoying this article and loving many of the ways that Bono gave expression to his faith and answered critical questions. He seemed to be able to take the reality of God’s love through Christ and make it make sense to the jaded skeptic. We need more of that expression in our world today, along with the lifestyles to back it up. Read the Story Here.

JL

Mission Questions: Are American missionaries needed?

August 24, 2007 in Missions with 1 Comment

Answer:

Missionaries from all nations are still needed.

There are over 6000 unreached/least reached people groups totaling 2.6 billion people. This means that that these people have little to no access to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

According to Wycliffe Bible Translators, out of over 6900 languages spoken in the world, more than 2,200 language groups do not have a single verse of Scripture available. Beside these staggering statistics, the world is filled with unwanted children needing a home, elderly and handicapped people needing care, and people dying from hunger, various diseases, and addictions.

Slavery and child prostitution are still problems in the modern world. In many of the “reached” countries there are still these same problems and the church may still need to be awakened, mobilized, and reenergized.

Truly we need the whole Church to take the whole Gospel to the Whole World.

The Reality of….Converting from Islam

August 21, 2007 in Missions with 1 Comment

I hope you all have been learning as much as I have about the world we live in during this series, “The Reality Of…”. I have been able to get just a glimpse of the things that truly grieve the heart of our Father God. One of the things that I think grieves Him the most is that there are people in the world who profess to know God, but don’t know Him as Jesus clearly reveals Him; Heavenly Father. One such group is Muslims. Muslims have 99 names of God and not one of them is Father.

That is another series altogether, but in this post I wanted to focus in on the reality of the life of someone who comes into this revelation out of Islam. For those of us in the West it’s hard to imagine a life without freedom of conscience. My old Chaplain once told me, “John, in America, you have the right to believe whatever you want, even if it’s wrong.” That truth is the foundation of Western society.

But in a large percentage of the world, if someone who was raised in a Muslim family decides to follow Jesus as Lord and Saviour, he faces intense persecution, being disowned from his family, jail, and even death.

Here is one scenario: Many of you may recall the story of Abdul Rahman in Afghanistan. This man converted to Christianity of his own free will and conscience in 1990. In Feb of 2006, he was charged in Afghanistan with “apostacy” and was sentenced to death after police found a Bible in his possession! He was told by Afghan officials that because Islam is a peace loving and tolerant religion they would allow him the chance to convert before they sentenced him to death!

Why weren’t more Christians outraged by this incident? Most don’t even know about it, but it’s a reality for free thinking people all over the world.

Every day, God is moving to bring cultural and religious Muslims to Himself. He is revealing Jesus to them through those who are risking their lives to make Him known. He is revealing Jesus in dreams and visions. Unfortunately many of those who choose to believe have only emnity and hatred waiting for them from their neighbors. There’s not even a good ole American, “Well, that’s good for you” (pat, pat). Muslims all over the world can’t get along with each other. They fight among themselves, both Sunni, Shia, Wahabi, Sufi etc. But the one thing that a majority can agree on, especially in countries like Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, is that those who choose to follow Jesus as Lord and Saviour are worthy of death.

The martyrs of Islam take lives for their faith. The martyrs of Jesus lay down theirs.

This is reality…

For more:
Former Muslim Dr. Ergun Caner’s Journey-Awesome!
Boatload of Resources and Web Sites
From Dreams to Reality (Video testimonies)
Answering Islam
Voice of the Martyrs
Former Muslims Pay A Price

JL

The Reality of…Being a Christian in North Korea

August 21, 2007 in Missions with 0 Comments

North Korea is by far the most repressive spiritually dark country in the world. The general population is on the verge of starvation and their minds are daily filled with atheistic communist propaganda with no hope of living in a truly free society.

The government controls the minds of the people and restricts all influence from the outside world that doesn’t go along with what they want the people to believe. Christians are seen as a scourge of society and an impediment to the North Korean philosophy of “Juche” or self reliance.

It’s a shame to think that just to their south in a free Korea, some of the largest Christian congregations in the world meet to worship.

Yet despite the harsh conditions of North Korea, there is still a remnant of believers in Jesus Christ standing firm in their faith despite the threat of torture and death. Thousands upon thousands of these believers have been sent to prison camps, some the size of small cities, to suffer and die simply because they are Christians.

The maniacal leader of North Korea, Kim Jong Il, believes that Christians are one of the greatest threats to his power. He commands his people to worship him as the great leader.

Pictures of him are on the walls of every home and in every public place. Every year, huge choreographed dances and productions that look like pure worship are done for his honor and pleasure.

The people of North Korea are in bondage. Let’s pray for this kingdom of darkness to fall and for the Christians of the country to remain faithful even though the are suffering beyond description.

We in the West could not even imagine the horror of what is being done to those who name the name of Jesus. I can’t even begin to give you a scenario for the things that are happening beyond the borders of this country. Start by reading this testimony given before Senate Judiciary Committee by North Korean prison camp survivor, Soon Ok Lee. It’s just one story out of tens of thousands.

This is not a horror story….this is reality.

To Learn More:
Operation World-North Korea

North Korea Freedom
Open Doors
Guardian Unlimited-Story on Camp 22
Forum 18
Persecution Blog
Christian Post-Smuggling into North Korea
You Tube Video Search: Children of the Secret State Documentary & North Korea Mass Games

JL

The Reality of….Having only 30 days to live.

August 14, 2007 in Missions with 1 Comment

I recently ran across a powerful set of messages being done by Life Church called “30 Days to Live.” Take a moment to visit the web site and allow this message to impact your heart. On the site, you will find video testimonies of people who know that their time on Earth is short. Watch them, then ask yourself the question, “What would you do if you only had 30 days to live?”

I know…it’s a tough question, but the answers we come up with reveal alot about us as people. We may not die within 30 days, but the reality is that one day we will all die.

The good news is that Jesus Christ tasted death for every single one of us so that we wouldn’t have to. He defeated death by rising from the dead and He lives forever at the right hand of the Father. If you will put your trust in Him and make Him the Lord and Master of your life, He will give you eternal life.

Soak in these verses from God’s Word:

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” John 11:25,26

“Death has been swallowed up in victory.” “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (Read I Cor 15)

But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. Hebrews 2:9

And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. 2 Cor 5:15

This is reality.

Here’s a Combo for you:
Live Like You Were Dying
There Will Come A Day
JL

The Reality Of…Living in a Garbage Dump

August 13, 2007 in Missions with 1 Comment

All over the world from Peru, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Egypt and the Philippines just to name a few; men, women, and children live and work in massive garbage dumps scavenging every day just to stay alive. They sustain themselves by selling the things that others throw away. The children who work along side their parents have no access to education, medical treatment, and nutritious food.

Consider this scenario: You wake up to the smell of smoke and the sound of a rooster crowing. To most people, the smell of the rotting garbage is unbearable, but you’ve learned to get used to it…almost. You make your way out of your shelter and head for work. It’s a mixture of cardboard, pieces of wood, and looks like a pile of garbage itself, but it keeps you from being completely exposed to the elements. You still have to contend with the flies though.
You’ve been nursing an open wound that’s desperately been needing some attention. It’s red, warm, and full of infection. You try to keep it clean, but it’s nearly impossible as your trudge through the mountain of garbage all around you. You tear open the bags of new trash with your bear hands looking for anything of value; glass, steel, aluminum, or things you may be able to resell in the market. You wish that you could find a better life, but it’s a catch 22. If you try to go to school to get ahead, your family loses the money you could make. If you stay right where you are, you just continue the cycle of poverty. No hope in sight for the answer, so you just keep working.
This is reality.
For more info:
Yahoo Story- Peru
JL

The Reality Of…Being a Child Slave

August 11, 2007 in Missions with 0 Comments

Children as young as 8 years old were being forced to work in grueling and unimaginable conditions at brick kiln’s in rural China.
I first heard about this type of slavery coming out of India and Pakistan, but China was the most recent country to endure the global spotlight.
Who knows how many locations there are in the world today where children are forced into this type of labor with no one to rescue them?

Here is one scenario: You’re kidnapped from your family and home and are forced to work 16+ hours a day making and moving bricks. Your only a child. When you slow down because of exhaustion you are beaten severely and told to get back to work.

You later learn the horrible fact that many around you have been locked for years in bare rooms with no bed or stove, allowed out only to work in the red-hot kilns, from where they carry heavy, burning loads of newly fired bricks on their bare backs. Many have been badly scalded. Your fifteen-minute meal-breaks consisted only of steamed buns and cold water.

At the end of the day, your head is spinning and your body craves sleep. You’re too tired to fight anymore.

“Will someone care enough to find me, to rescue me”, is what you ask yourself as you drift to sleep on the dirt floor next to dozens of other young people.

This is not a horror story…this is reality.

To learn more visit:

Video
Video
Mission Frontiers

The Reality Of…Being a Shipbreaker in Bangladesh

August 10, 2007 in Missions with 1 Comment

Here is one scenario:

You live in a country that is 88% Muslim, 11% Hindu, and 1% other with some of the greatest poverty and spiritual darkness in the world. Your only supply of steady work is at the beaches of your hometown where you work by hand, and sometimes blowtorch, to scrap some of the largest ships in the world. These ships have been driven up on your once pristine beaches and sold to local men who own companies named things like, “Peace, Happiness, and Prosperity” (no kidding). These men in turn pay you about a $1.00 a day to work in and around toxic waste, asbestos, and fuel.

Your clothes are thread bare and you’ve learned to walk bare footed through the muck keeping a good look out for metal shards that could cut your feet wide open. One day, you picked up some flip flops, but they just got stuck in the mud anyway. No helmet, no respirator, no ear plugs, no harness, no sleeves, and no goggles. Your chances of being killed or injured are off the charts, and you don’t have access to medical treatment. But what can you do? If you don’t work here, your family will starve. This job is more steady than being a farmer and you don’t have the money to start your own business. You return home to your shack and lie down on your wood plank bed for some shut eye. It’s going to be a long day again tomorrow.

This isn’t a horror story….it’s reality.

For more info:
CBS’ 60 minutes story here.
Brendan Corr’s Essay here.
Greenpeace
Breaking Ships by Roland Buerk
PS. I couldn’t find anything about Christians working in this part of the world. If you know of any, I would love to hear about them.

JL

The Reality Of…Being Sex Trafficked

August 9, 2007 in Missions with 0 Comments

Welcome to my new series “The Reality of…” where I highlight the realities of the lives of other human beings in the 21st century. My hope is that this blog series will inform and educate, as well as promote increased prayer and action by the global Church.

I have decided do Part One on the reality of Sex Trafficking in the world today. Dateline NBC just ran this story last night. Here and Here. During the interview with Chris Hansen, US Ambassador Mark Lagon says human trafficking is now one of the the fastest growing form of international organized crime. Analysts in the U.S. government estimate there are between 500,000 and 1.1 million people who are trafficked across borders from country to country.

Here is just one scenario:

You dream of leaving an awful life of poverty in order to pursue your dream of singing, acting, or working in another country. Someone offers to help you make that dream a reality. You sign a “contract” for 8 years and then your off to a foreign land. Your passport is held by your “boss”. You’re taken to an apartment where you are locked up with other women and then you get the news. You are going to be forced into prostitution to “work off what you owe.” You are a virgin. There is no singing job or no real waitress job. It was all a set up. Bait and switch. You try to go to the local government officials for help, but they are patrons of your employer, so they tell you to “go back to work.” You work “servicing” foreign men for up to 16 hours a day. You miss your family, but will probably never see them again. Over time you become brainwashed and stop fighting. You end up with HPV or Aids with no one to help. It’s hard to hope anymore.

This is not just a horror story, it’s reality.

To Learn More:
Free for Life Ministries
The Salvation Army – Fight Against Human Trafficking
Polaris Project – Combating Human Trafficking – Based In The U.S. and Japan
HumanTrafficking.Org – Fighting Human Trafficking in The East Asia Pacific Region
Trafficking In Persons – Fighting Trafficking In Africa, Cambodia, Thailand, Indonesia, and India
Amnesty International – Fighting Trafficking In Serbia, France, and Montenegro
The World Revolution – A comprehensive site for information and other links to those fighting human trafficking
Natalie Grant’s Home Foundation
Society Of Underprivileged People (Safe House In India)
Peace Rehabilitation Center (Safe House In Nepal)

JL

The Reality of….Series

August 8, 2007 in Missions with 0 Comments

My wife says that one of my favorite sayings is, “Well, some people in other countries…”. I find myself comparing my situation to how someone else in the world might perceive it. I also think of my Christianity through this same lens as well. “If there was a fully devoted follower of Christ, from Bangladesh for instance, how would he perceive this situation?” My conclusions are probably an educated guess, but they do help to open up my perspective on life, ministry, and eternal value. I guess it’s something of the burden that God has put in my heart to rise above my culture and see reality from a different perspective. Sometimes, it really scares me!

Based on this, I recently had the idea to start a new blog series called, “The Reality Of….” My hope is that the stories I present will cause us to think hard about what God has blessed us with and the great responsibility that comes from our position of strength. I think it’s going to be a great series so stay tuned! Until then, I leave you with a quote to ponder.

“Think occasionally of the suffering of which you spare yourself the sight.” Albert Schweitzer

JL

Apostolic Passion

August 6, 2007 in Missions with 0 Comments

God has been stirring my heart once again with Apostolic passion. I have noticed that this is something so rare that it’s hard to find, even in some of the largest churches in America. It is a gift from God that is truly an eternal treasure. I believe with all of my heart that the nations are waiting for people of this passion to rise up and step into their calling. Take some time and read this article from Floyd McClung here.

JL

Gospel Sustenance or Gourmet?

August 2, 2007 in Missions with 0 Comments

I found myself thinking about food today; Natural and Spiritual food, and I got a word picture in my head that I wanted to share with you.

Many of you have seen the images on TV of desperate young children and adults scrambling around each other trying to get a cup or two of that stuff being poured out. I call it hot goo.

What is that stuff anyway??

I’ll tell you what it is, sustenance, nothing more nothing less. It may not present well, but to the people receiving it, it’s the difference between life and death.

Now, bring it back to America.

We’re hungry.

Can you imagine if someone walked up to us and offered us some of that goo? We’d gag. Even if we were “starving”, we’d have to pass. Many of us would decide right then and there to fast for the first time.

Why? It’s because we’ve grown to expect more.

We want our food to look good, to smell good, and most of all to taste good! And we have choices! We can go just about anywhere and get any type of food we want.

We have the choice to be picky.

But did you know that there are people in the world today who are spiritually starving?

They don’t have access to the choices and flavors we have. They don’t follow the latest recipes or greatest 5 star restaurants. They are not used to our “have it your way” mentality. It’s all completely foreign to them.

The places where they live have little to no choice. T

hey are simply waiting for people who have the means to help them and just give them something to stay alive. The need is too great, too overwhelming to try and plate a gourmet meal for each person.

The masses throng around the porridge pot just hoping for a spoonful of something to keep them alive.

So, the next time your salivating over that gourmet meal delicately prepared for you at your favorite 5 star church, just keep in mind that there are still people in the world who are still starving for the simplest Gospel meal.

They are glad to see even the lowliest porridge chef who is coming to bring them life.