Archive - July, 2011

Marvelous Comrades aka True Friends

July 20, 2011 in Commentary with 0 Comments

praying in Chiang Mai

Do you have?:

“Marvelous Comrades,”-ones who are true friends who fight for one another and fight through the challenges together to find hope in God in all areas of life. The essence of their friendship is loyalty, affection and belief in one another as they hope in God together. Marvelous Comrades constantly tell each other that they can succeed in life and hope in God. They validate each other’s calling by equipping one another for their fruitful expressions of love unto God in all of life.”-Bob Hartley

This what I want to be for others and have in my own life.   Continue Reading…

5 Elements of World Changing Movements

July 12, 2011 in Missions with 0 Comments

Steve Addison has written a great book entitled the “Movements That Changed the World.”  In the book he outlines five key elements of every movement that has changed the world.

In the book he begins by defining a movement.  He says that a movement is a group of people pursuing a common cause. Movements are characterized by discontent, vision, and action. For good or for evil, movements change the world.

From biblical, historical, and contemporary case studies, we can identify five recurring characteristics of dynamic missionary movements.

1. White hot faith

The great movements of the Christian faith are unleashed through the presence and power of God in the midst of his people who are faithful to his Word, led by his Spirit, and engaged in his mission. Continue Reading…

“Revival” in Thailand

July 12, 2011 in Thailand with 0 Comments

Overwhelmed

“Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord” Acts 3:19

Refreshing…In my mind, this verse is a key characteristic of the beginnings of “revival” among Christians. If there was a large number of salvations happening along with this phenomena, we might term it an “awakening.”  When these things are happening in a certain place, we would see communities affected and changed.   Continue Reading…

Simple Churches in Thailand

July 12, 2011 in Missions, Thailand with 1 Comment

Meal Together After A Thai House Church Meeting

I recently took a trip back to an area where we first started in Thailand.

I was able to connect with three young Thai ministers who I consider friends and see what was happening with their ministries since I left.  Two of these guys have planted simple rural house churches and I was able to spend time with these fellowships again as well.  I preached at two simple city church meetings on Sunday

I was also able to connect with a new couple who are pioneering in village outreach and working house church planting.  I was so blessed to have the opportunity to see God work among the people as we went out together.

In some recent study and research I have found that there are two key factors that Thai people say caused them to come to Christ. No, it wasn’t a strong lesson in theology or even a convincing arguement. Continue Reading…

Thai Church Building Strategy?

July 12, 2011 in Commentary, Missions with 0 Comments

"Church Plant" in Central Thailand

One of the more interesting things that I have come across in Thailand is the church planting strategy of a group of zealous Asians (not Thai) who have been working to plant churches in the nation.

They seem to be operating in a very different paradigm than most others, in that they build tremendous buildings and facilities from the ground up, but many times, don’t even have more than 50 believers to fill them.

Other times we have heard that same groups have gone out co-opting smaller churches with promises of new buildings.  They only stipulation is that they change their name to the one that will be given to them by the outside group.

Is this New Testament church planting?! I don’t think so! Continue Reading…