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The Weight of Glory

I once attended a seminar where one speaker was a pastor who had lived through horrific trials while serving the church. Looking around the room at the faces of the ministers and leaders listening to him, you could see his story was impacting them. Everyone was listening closely because how could you not? This man had known some tremendous suffering. We learned an Arabic expression for someone like this during our time of missionary service in the Middle East; it’s “Dammu ti’iil” or “His blood is heavy.” People say it about someone who has walked through great hardship and, as a result, whose opinions matter.

When we say ‘orthodoxy,’ we simply mean right beliefs. The word ‘doxa’ in the original Greek, however, originally meant a simple opinion. It was suffering that made the opinion matter. Because the apostles suffered greatly for what they knew to be true, their orthodoxy had great weight.

However, I don’t want people to assume that any kind of hardship gives our opinions greater significance. The suffering of Jonah in the Old Testament and Paul in the New Testament is different. Jonah was suffering for his sin when he deliberately ran in the opposite direction from God’s command. Paul’s suffering was for obeying God’s command to spread the gospel to the Gentile world.

Here’s a quick way to tell the difference between those two different types of suffering. God’s grace received should produce grace in us for others. If it doesn’t, we probably  haven’t processed our sin appropriately with God. When we understand what God has done for us in Christ, we should be profoundly grateful and humbled, and that should overflow into the lives of those around us.

For example, God commanded Jonah to preach his message to the Ninevites. Jonah disobeyed, suffered in the belly of a fish, and then experienced grace when he was vomited up on the shore. None of this seemed to give him more compassion for the Ninevites. He was still bitter when God didn’t destroy them, despite the fact that God had graciously spared Jonah too.

On the other hand, Jesus spoke to Paul, and he immediately submitted himself to God’s will. He suffered beatings, persecution and ultimately death at the hands of the very people he was taking the gospel to, but this never dimmed his grace for them and determination to reach them with news about Christ. His letters to the church carry great weight because his suffering was a testament to the gospel’s importance. His sufferings also communicated clearly to those early disciples just how much he loved them.

May each one of us suffer for the right reasons. May our beliefs have heft to them because our dedication has cost us, and more importantly, him dearly. 

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Are You Looking for Hope in the Right Place?

The Pharisees of Jesus’ day were judged as being pious because of their somber dispositions. Some of the Puritans encouraged frowning as an expression of religious seriousness. The truth is that we don’t need encouragement to frown or be unhappy. Life will give us plenty of reasons for that.

In his Confessions, Augustine asked, “Is not a happy life the thing that all desire, and is there anyone who altogether desires it not?” He went on to add, “But where did they acquire the knowledge of it, that they so desire it? Where have they seen it, that they so love it?” Augustine’s point was that a desire for happiness is etched into our psyche. We long for it, but we often find ourselves seeking it in the wrong places. Even when we find joy in earthly delights, we discover that they don’t last.

When I think of happiness from a biblical viewpoint, I’m often drawn to Jeremiah. “For my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water” (Jeremiah 2:13, ESV). There is a sadness in God’s rebuke related to the deceptiveness and destructive nature of sin; it promises what it can’t deliver.

The people of Judah rejected God and chose their own path. Jeremiah equates this to rejecting living, moving water for the stale water of a cistern, and a broken one at that. Sin promises happiness but only delivers hurt. Perhaps you have family or friends who are on this road to disillusionment and dissatisfaction. What do we do? We speak truth when the opportunity is there, but for those closest to us, we need to ask ourselves, “Do I live an attractive life? Do I live a life of rest? Do I seek hope in the living waters of Jesus? Or do I seek hope in that which will always disappoint?”

“As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit. Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; today I declare that I will restore to you double” (Zechariah 9:11-12). We are ‘prisoners’ of hope, so are we hoping in the right things? What are you seeking hope in that will never deliver? What cisterns have you built?

May we all return to drink deeply of the living waters of Jesus.

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Hope in the Face of Brokenness

Amy and I returned home recently from a week in Manhattan. New York is a great city in many ways, but in other ways, it reminds me of ancient Nineveh. It’s a center of both U.S. and global culture. Whatever you’re looking for, you can probably find it in the city. There are many expressions of religion but little light. Many historical representations of the Christian faith have sacrificed truth on the altar of cultural accommodation.

I do not mean to insensate that there are not many God-fearing pastors and churches who, like Elijah, serve the Lord faithfully in this challenging context. Indeed, many (thousands) uncompromisingly serve here even though it is a difficult place to live and minister.

Nor am I saying that New York is unique. The same could be said of large and small towns in the Bible Belt and beyond. It’s just more visible in a place like New York. If anything, it is simply a concentrated manifestation of the brokenness of our broader society.

“However, my response is not one of despair. Rather, my observations drive me to my knees as I cry out, “Oh God, bring more gospel hope to this city!”However, my response is not one of despair. Instead, my observations drive me to my knees as I cry, “Oh God, bring more gospel hope to this city!”

“I do not call down curses like Jonah did. Instead, with the heart of God as my guide, I pray and ask others to do likewise, “Should not I pity…this great city, in which there are more than eight million people?” Jonah‬ ‭4‬:‭11‬ (contextual application).”I do not call down curses like Jonah did. Instead, with the heart of God as my guide, I pray and ask others to do likewise, “Should not I pity…this great city, in which there are more than eight million people?” Jonah‬ ‭4‬:‭11‬ (contextual application).

In the natural, it seems hopeless, but with God, all things are possible!

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If Christians are Truly Saved, Why Are So Many Unhappy?

Why do so many Christians whose souls are eternally secure fail to experience the abundant life God has promised to those who believe? Jesus promised us many things–forgiveness, rest, refreshment, comfort, hope, fruitfulness, friendship with God, and eternal life, but few believers thoroughly enjoy these. Why?

I think it’s because most Christians fail to move past the do’s and don’ts of Christianity, or they turn salvation into a binary proposition. In the first case, they’re focusing on the wrong things, and in the second, they never grow into a fuller understanding of what God is offering. Both of these are based on bad theology.

By the way, I was raised in a religious context that focused on the don’ts almost exclusively, and in a fear that people would respond inappropriately to grace, they never taught it. As you might imagine, this approach to faith leads to either fear or, in my case, a rejection of faith altogether. It wasn’t until I understood that there was nothing I could do to separate me from the love of God that I was drawn into a life-giving relationship with my Heavenly Father that led to me enjoying all of the promises mentioned above.

So, let’s dig into those promises and examine why we might not be experiencing them.

Forgiveness–most Christians understand that God forgives their sins at the point of salvation, but they fail to understand the ongoing nature of forgiveness. God has not only forgiven our past sins, but he has forgiven our future sins as well. Some people push back hard on this point, but in doing so, they reveal the works-based nature connected to their view of salvation. Yes, I am called to repent of my sins. However, this is more about keeping my relationship with God fresh and pure than transactionally receiving the forgiveness of sin necessary for salvation. It’s an acknowledgment before God that I am both saint and sinner. When we fail to understand the ongoing nature of God’s forgiveness rightly, we cannot enter into the other promises of God. Likewise, we’ll never be able to forgive ourselves or those who have sinned against us.

Rest–I lived for so many years like everything was up to me. Much of this was related to the lousy theology described above. After all, orthopraxy (right actions) seldom flows from a lack of orthodoxy (correct belief). If you fail to understand that God has done (and continues to do) for you what you couldn’t do for yourself, you’ll spend the rest of your life working for something already accomplished. God set a pattern for rest in creation, and the writer of Hebrews connects the sabbath to the rest we’re called to enter into through Jesus’ work on the cross. Also, many American Christians have associated abundant life with the American dream. While I’m grateful for the abundance we experience, the truth is that it probably does more to separate us from the joy and rest that we’re promised than it provides it.

Refreshment–The Apostle Paul links repentance with refreshing. Does repentance have to do with a sorrowful turning from sin? Sure, but it’s much more than that. Repentance is a turning from the futility of the world and turning to the way of God. It only makes sense that we won’t experience this refreshing if we aren’t living within God’s order. Screaming at Google Maps when I refuse to follow directions accomplishes nothing good. The only way to get to the correct destination is to follow the guidance of one (One) who knows the way!

Comfort–When I use the word comfort here, I’m not referring to an absence of pain. I’m speaking of the comfort Jesus promised us through the work of the Holy Spirit amid our pain. Jesus promised his disciples the Comforter, and at the same time, He told them that He was leaving going to leave them soon. They were dealing with great uncertainty, but he promised them a comfort that would outweigh their concerns. The Apostle Paul put it this way, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,  who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ” (1 Corinthians 1:3-5, emphasis mine). The comfort we receive comes from God through the Holy Spirit and His people. In short, we can’t experience the comfort God has promised if we aren’t in communion with Him and community with His people.

Hope-I’ve come to a place where I think the opposite of hope is fear. Hopelessness is the absence of hope–not the opposite of it. Nothing seems to repeal hope like fear; however, I’ve also discovered that nothing repeals fear like hope. And, both are linked to the love of God. As the Bible states “Perfect (mature) love drives out all fear”” (1 John 4:18) and “Hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us” (Romans 5:5). The experiential love God gives drives out fear, and this usher in the hope He promises.

Fruitfulness–For way too many years, I worked for fruitfulness. Okay, honestly, I worked for success. Only after experiencing significant dissatisfaction did I realize that success and fruitfulness aren’t the same. People work for success. Some achieve it–others don’t. As God describes it, fruitfulness is the overflow of His work in our life. The branch doesn’t work to be fruitful. It just abides in the vine. If we abide (fully resting in Him–allowing His life-giving nourishment to flow into and through us) in Him, He’ll produce the fruit, and we’ll be amazed.

Friendship with God–I have always felt a lack of friendship. I’m sure that comes with being an only child (Sorry if this blog feels like my approach to “free therapy!”). I’m always concerned about what people think of me, leading me to try too hard. The wonderful part about friendship with God is that he knows me fully, loves me completely, and He’s the One who initiates the friendship. It doesn’t get better than that! “Friendship with God–I have always felt a lack of friendship. I’m sure that comes with being an only child (Sorry if this blog feels like my approach to “free therapy!”). I’m always concerned about what people think of me, leading me to try too hard. The wonderful part about friendship with God is that he knows me fully, loves me completely, and He’s the One who initiates the friendship. It doesn’t get better than that!

Eternal Life–Most Christians equate eternal life with going to heaven. It surely includes that, but it’s so much more. The Apostle John put it this way “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” (John 17:3). The best thing about heaven is that our knowledge of God will once and for all be perfect. Nevertheless, we can know God on this side of eternity. When we know God, when we embrace Him in all of His attributes, we understand that there is no problem too big, no pain too great, and no need that surpasses his ability to meet.

I know I’ve only touched briefly on each of these points, but I wanted to give you a bit of insight into the growth pilgrimage God has me on. It isn’t always fun, but it’s always good.

Maranatha!

By the way, if you’re interested in learning more about the attributes of God, I would recommend The Knowledge of the Holy by A.W. Tozer. It’s a classic.

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Forgiveness and Trust Are Not the Same Thing

Betrayal happens. That’s a tragic reality. It occurs in marriages, families, churches, and in the workplace. Nevertheless, our experience teaches us that not all betrayal is felt equally. The betrayal of a spouse is much more profound than when the coworker in the next cubicle takes credit for your hard work. Why? Because pain is directly proportionate to intimacy.

Pain is directly proportionate to intimacy.

I’m a Christ-follower, so I believe forgiveness is non-negotiable. The Bible makes it abundantly clear–“Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” We’ve all been hurt by someone, and we’ve all hurt someone. Of course, we tend to measure the failures of others on a different scale than our own. We want mercy for ourselves and judgment for others. Most of us understand this; we simply struggle with the application–me included.

However, the primary focus of this article isn’t about forgiveness. It’s about what we do after we forgive (understanding that forgiveness is an ongoing process). Let’s assume we’ve forgiven the offending party–now what?

Let’s assume we’ve forgiven the offending party–now what?

I’ve forgiven the person in question. Does this mean I now have to trust them? The short answer is no, but we all know it isn’t that simple. Forgiveness is often misunderstood and wrongly applied in the church. Does the woman whose husband has cheated on her need to forgive him? Yes (as much for her sake as his), but that doesn’t require that she remain with him. Does the individual whose boss has repeatedly taken credit for his or her work need to forgive the offender? Yes. But they don’t need to keep working for that person or company.

The missing ingredient is trust. Betrayals may occur in a moment (though the thought process leading up to them is never instantaneous), but restoring trust will require a process.

I spent hours on the phone last night with a man who felt betrayed by the leaders under which he serves and the organization to which he has given years of his life. The essence of what he said is, “This feels gross.” And it did. He felt stuck. He knew he needed to forgive, but like most of us at one time or another, he was struggling to do so; however, the bigger question was, “Is this going to continue to happen?” His assumption was yes.

When we separate the emotions from the situation (which can be hard to do and may require a wise, trusted friend or counselor to assist with the mental processing), he has a few questions to answer and then act upon.

–Do you trust your leader enough to continue serving under their leadership?

–If no, you have a couple more questions to answer. Do you enjoy or feel a strong enough calling to your work to remain and put up with the situation even if it never changes? If yes, you need to forgive, do what you can to rebuild trust (understanding that your opportunities to do so might be limited because of the imbalance of power), then put your head down and do the work you’re called to do.

–If you don’t trust the leader, you must ask, “Do I trust the organization enough to stay?” You’re trying to determine whether your leader is an anomaly or part of a systemic problem. If the former, consider moving to another department. If the latter, you need to consider a change of employment seriously.

If you, like me, are a Christ-follower, this feels complicated and, as my friend put it, “gross.” We ask ourselves and God, “Why should I be the one who has to leave?” And that’s a good question. In truth, we don’t have to leave, but I also don’t think we must stay. There are generally multiple opportunities out there through which we can fulfill our calling.

All of this comes down to trust. Forgiveness isn’t an option for us. God has forgiven those who come humbly to Him seeking a new life in Christ; however, trust is a different issue. You may forgive but then determine that the person in question is untrustworthy. When that’s the determination, you need to move on.

If you want to dive deeper into this subject, I highly recommend two books by Dr. Henry Cloud.

In my opinion, Trust, Dr. Cloud’s newest offering, is the best book on the subject.

If you’re trying to decide if it’s time to move on, I suggest picking up a copy of Necessary Endings.

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What’s Changing in World Missions–and Why?

10 Trends in Global Missions that Are Impacting the Local Church

Our question is “What has changed in global missions that affects the local church today?”  In the next hour, I’m going to present 10 talking points.  Some are opportunities, some are challenges, and some are neutral.  Several of these points could be turned into books due to their complexity, and I’ll address a few of these in greater depth in future episodes of the network’s podcast.  

Finally, I probably need to warn you that some of these points seem somewhat contradictory and controversial, but that’s the nature of life and ministry.  Also, I hope that today’s session won’t simply be a monologue, so if you have questions or comments, please don’t be shy.  With that said, let’s get started with our list of “Ten global missions trends impacting the local church.”

1.  Increasing accessibility to missionaries

—The interconnectivity of our world today gives churches and missionaries the ability to see what’s happening with their missional partners at a superficial level through various forms of social media.  Missionaries can now communicate with their partners through FB, IG, email, digital and paper newsletters, video message apps, and even content platforms like YouTube.  All of this is good, but it also presents a few challenges.  First, with so many communication opportunities, missionaries must set limits for themselves.  If they aren’t careful, they can stay so connected to family and friends back home that they never deeply engage in their place of service.  We all have limited relational energy, so if we spend it staying deeply connected with family, friends, and supporters, we won’t have what we need to engage with our host community.  As someone who has an adult child living overseas, I’m grateful for the ability to communicate with ease via technology.  I’m not suggesting a total disconnect—just a responsible use of technology so this blessing doesn’t become a curse.

Secondly, churches can ask for so much communication that the missionary has little time left over to do what they’re called to do.  It’s not an either/or supposition.  We must do both in a way that serves everyone’s realistic expectations. So, a good conversation with your current and future missionaries concerning expectations is a healthy place to start.  Also, be sure to find out what communication channels are being used by the missionary and monitored by the church.  Missionaries often think they are communicating well because they are active on various forms of social media only to discover that no one at the church is monitoring these channels.  Here again, it’s all about setting good expectations.

2.  Accessibility to national ministries

—Just as you have greater access to your missionaries and they to you, so do individuals and ministries from overseas.  Have you ever received a friend request from a pastor in Pakistan or a ministry leader in Nigeria?  Many of you have.  Some of these are doing good work, but most of these connections flow from a desire for financial support.  Some represent valid ministries.  Some of these requests are scams.  The challenge is that almost none of them have the accountability systems required by law here in the U.S..  So, you probably want to limit your engagement to prayer.  Otherwise, you might actually hurt the maturation process of a local church in our desire to help.  

As an aside on this topic, if you want to grow in your understanding of indigenous ministries and a proper view of financial engagement, I would recommend that you pick up a copy of When Helping Hurts by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert.  Also, if you are interested in supporting indigenous ministries, please reach out to me (mrenfroe@worldchallenge.org) to learn how World Challenge partners with this type of ministry in a way that provides appropriate screening, accountability, and ongoing mentorship.

3.  People working in teams vs. as individuals place a greater emphasis on who one works with as opposed to where he or she works

—You’ve probably already noticed this one, but with the advent of church and ministry planting initiatives like Live Dead overseas and Chi Alpha here in the States, young missionaries are more likely to focus on who they work with rather than where they work.  I don’t see this as necessarily positive or negative.  It just is.  While earlier generations might have entered the “house of missional service” through the door of need, today’s younger global workers enter through the relational door.  Neither of these has greater value than the other.  The important part is that the spiritual wrestling has been done so that those going out understand that they have a God-given calling on their lives.

4.  Churches are no longer gatekeepers (think stakeholders instead of gatekeepers)

—This trend tends to aggravate pastors, and I truly apologize for this.  I don’t like being provocative.  But, just as church leaders no longer look to the denomination as their sole point of missional engagement, neither do those wonderful people sitting in your weekly gatherings.  They have friends who are serving with other ministries, and they want to support them.  It’s never been easier to bypass the local church when giving than it is today.  Add to that the reality that denominational loyalty is at an all-time low.  So, is it a lost cause?  Absolutely not, but we can no long assume that people need us as it relates to their external giving.  We need to “earn” the engagement of the flock.  I know this can feel like an unpleasant shift from the past, but it doesn’t have to be one.  It just means that we’ll have to work harder as we communicate God’s vision for the world, the church’s part in that vision, and how and why each person should sacrificially participate.  After all, what we really want is to see those people we’re discipling grow in their generosity as it relates to what God is doing in the world.  We can do this when we properly seek to influence rather than control.  

5.  Everything is called missions

      —This one could definitely be a book, and admittedly, it could sound a bit elitist, but it’s not.  Around 100 years ago, Anglican Bishop, Stephen Neill, wrote these words.  “If everything is mission—nothing is mission.”  Well-meaning pastors often tell their church members they’re missionaries to their city.  Youth pastors tell their students that they’re missionaries on their campuses.  Trust me.  I get what they mean, and I agree 100 percent with the idea behind it.  I’ve communicated in your churches for over 30 years that just as God has sent me to the Middle East to reach Muslims, he has placed you where you are to reach your neighbors.  However, they aren’t the same thing.  Neither one is better than the other.  There’s no A Team or B Team in the kingdom.  Can I say that again?  There’s no A Team or B Team in the kingdom. But…they are different.  We’re all mandated to be gospel witnesses, but we aren’t all evangelists.  We’re all called to demonstrate care for the body of Christ, but not everyone is a pastor.  The primary purpose of missions is to take the gospel to places and people where it isn’t.  It isn’t about lostness—it’s about access.  That requires sending (our part) and going (the part of those we send to reach the nations).  It also requires training, a certain skill set, and a unique calling.  Let me close this point with a rather “in-your-face” analogy.  Please bear with me.  I’ve put out several campfires in my lifetime, but that doesn’t make me a fireman.  I don’t give up the comfort of my bedroom to sleep in a room with a bunch of snoring men and women.  I don’t get roused from my sleep in the middle of the night by a screeching alarm so that I can climb into uncomfortable clothes to go help people I don’t know.  I don’t train every day so I can carry heavy equipment.  I haven’t studied the best approaches to extinguishing fires. And, most importantly, I have never, not one time, run into a blazing building to save someone’s life or property.  This one’s personal for me.  While I used to be a missionary, I no longer am.  Honestly, it hurts me to even say this, but it’s the truth.  Even though I travel a lot in my current role, I’m a supporter.  Missionaries are those who go—and stay.  The rest of us get the privilege of sending them.

6.  There has been a growing trend to move away from long-term missions

—This one is certainly a challenge.  Why is this such a big deal?  The big deal relates to our desired outcome—the disciplining of the nations.  This takes deep cultural engagement, which takes a long time to obtain. It takes years to learn a local language and culture.  Some estimate that it takes up to seven years to become a productive missionary.  While the total number of Assemblies of God World Missions missionaries is holding firm at just under 3,000, that number can be a bit deceiving as it includes both career missionaries and missionary associates.  Over the past couple of decades, sending organizations like AGWM have seen a drop in career missionaries and an increase in short-term workers.  While I am a proponent of these shorter-term assignments, they are generally only productive if they turn into some form of long-term engagement.  Unfortunately, most don’t.

There is also the issue of short-term teams.  Here’s a simple approach you might want to use as you think through where and how to send teams.  

  1.  Give priority to places where the church does not exist or is very weak.  The first would require visiting a missionary or missionary team.  The second option requires feedback from someone familiar enough with the work on the field to make sure that in your efforts to help, you aren’t taking away the right, responsibility, and privilege of the local church to trust God rather than you for the meeting of their needs.
  2. If you send a team to a place where the church is strong, limit your engagement to one that seeks to partner with the local church to reach an unreached people near their context.
  3. Understandably, most mission trips focus on places that are close as that lowers the financial costs and limits travel time; however, most of those places have strong national churches.  As mentioned above, we must be careful that in our desire to help, we don’t end up hurting the maturation process of the local church.  If you lead trips to one of these places where the church is strong, you might consider an approach that uses the trip as an example of what God has done in one place and might want to do in another.  After all, that place with a strong national church was once a mission field, and God wants to turn today’s mission field into a mission force.
  4. Finally, be sure to not only prepare your people before the trip but process with them what God wants from them after they return.  Otherwise, the potential value of the trip is lost.

7.  A move toward wholistic missions

—I think this is a great trend, and we’ll definitely focus more on this one in a future episode, For now, let me provide you with a very brief overview of what is meant by holistic missions.  Missions organizations and missionaries have wrestled with the word vs. deed dilemma for generations.  Biblical holism acknowledges that while God wants us to preach the gospel, He also wants to see the gathered redeemed bring about life and community transformation wherever they are.  To quote one missional spokesperson, “God cares about all human suffering—especially eternal, spiritual suffering.”  So, while we prioritize the spiritual, we acknowledge that when God’s reign shows up in a community, it should bring change to every part of life. 

Here’s a brief understanding of holistic ministry.  The Bible identifies four specific relations that were damaged in the Fall.  They are man’s relationship with God, man’s relationship with himself, man’s relationship with his neighbor, and man’s relationship with his environment.  Colossians 1:20 and 2 Corinthians 5:18-20 point out that God is currently (“in Christ”) reconciling all things back to himself.  There are two important things to notice here.  First, God is reconciling “all things” to himself—not just people.  While the restoration of people back to their Father through Christ’s redeeming work on the cross is paramount, it is not exclusive.  God is actively involved through His people in restoring all areas of brokenness.  Finally, not that God “is” involved in this reconciliation.  His activity is current—not simply future.  So, while God will complete this restoration when He sets up His kingdom on earth, he is currently engaged in this restoration work through His people as we live in the “already but not yet” of the kingdom.

8.  A return to pioneering

—Our movement started as a pioneering movement.  We planted churches at home and abroad with an intense Holy Spirit-enabled zeal.  Returning to the second General Council at Stone Church in Chicago, that somewhat rag-tag group of spiritual vagabonds made the bold declaration.  They said,  “We commit ourselves and the Movement to Him for the greatest evangelism that the world has ever seen. We pledge our hearty cooperation, prayers, and help to this end.”  What boldness!  They elaborated on this the following year making it clear that they planned to use N.T. methods which would prioritize those places where the gospel had yet to be preached.  So, the advent of new initiatives focusing on church planting among the unreached is really a return to our roots.

9.  Cause-driven vs. cross-driven?

 -We live in a cause-driven world.  Some causes are good.  Some even have eternal significance.  Clean water, eliminating the sex trade, illiteracy, and poverty alleviation are all great causes.  Many of these even have strong biblical support.  So, what could possibly be wrong with that?  In short…nothing.  However, they all have something in common.  None of them require gospel engagement.  The United Nations and hundreds of secular groups are engaged in these causes.  And, I want to give credit where credit is due.  Many of these organizations do a good job, but none of them address the heart of the problem—the sin that’s bound up in the human heart.  Likewise, causes come and go in a social media-driven world.  So, while these causes may be good, they won’t be great if we don’t keep them tethered to the cross.

Finally…

10.  The rise in a global view of missions

      –There is a rise in what many call “developing world missions.”  This may be the greatest development to hit the missions world since….well, ever!  This is the understanding that the Great Commission belongs to the believers of every country, people, and language.  The global church is growing in its understanding that from day one, they are called to missions.  And, God is helping many of these churches to boldly embrace the concept that they are no longer simply a mission field.  They have the potential to be a missions force.

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Is It Possible that Sorrow is Good for the Soul?

In the early days of the Covid outbreak, Amy and I had a family member hospitalized on a respirator with an uncertain future. Likewise, at the same time, we had other friends who were fighting for their lives. At the same time, we were dealing with several other emotionally and spiritually challenging issues. Like so many others, we were hurting.

As believers think about suffering, our minds often go to the story of Job in the Old Testament. Any reading of the first chapter of that book will bring a heaviness to your heart as you read about how Job received one blow after another.

Contrary to popular Christian opinion, the Book of Job isn’t about why good people suffer. Instead, the central takeaway from this narrative is that good people suffer, and we don’t know why. This is why we lament. That’s a word we don’t use much in 21st Century life. A dictionary definition of this word is “a passionate expression of grief or sorrow.”

I like to think of it this way. Lament is God-centered, deep grief that balances human emotion and a deep trust in a living God who is actively involved in the lives of His people. Many committed and tenacious disciples worldwide exhibit this sober approach to faith every day.

When we first started our ministry in Iraq, we saw such a joyful response to the gospel that was deeply rooted in an understanding that believers often suffer. These lovely people understood suffering. Why? Because each of them had their own story of deep, experiential pain. The church grew in numbers, but it was also dynamic in faith.

However, after a few years, “normalcy” and prosperity returned to the country. As this happened, that understanding of suffering shrank further in the rearview mirror. The result? The church continued to grow, but the depth of belief seemed to become more shallow as there were many more distractions to compete with the daily disciplines of faith. And, who wants to think about lament when everything is going well?

I don’t pretend to know God’s grand purpose in allowing suffering into our lives and the world. I’m sure there are some people out there that are convinced suffering is God’s judgment on me and the world when things aren’t going well. Others are equally convinced that suffering has nothing to do with God’s judgment. Honestly, I don’t think we know. After all, “Who has known the mind of the Lord” (1 Cor. 2:16). What I do know is that how we respond to the crises we face has the potential to lead us to a deeper walk with Jesus or hinder that process.

We know many people who have suffered much more pain and loss than we have, but we have experienced our share of deep sorrow in other forms. The reality is it hurts. Some of these things happened years ago, but they still hurt. The scars are there and many.  Pain and suffering have driven me to my knees–not always in prayer, but like someone who has been punched in the stomach. What I have learned is that while I’m down there on my knees, my heart grows stronger as I lift my tear-stained face toward a loving God. May we all grow in our faith as we express a God-centered, deep grief for the pain around us, while at the same time holding onto him tightly as our only hope in this storm.

Maranatha!

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I Love Working from Home–but There Might Be Challenges to This Model

Okay. I’m probably not supposed to say this as an organizational leader with a corporate office in town for which we spend considerable resources annually, but I love working from home. Like many organizations, the Covid pandemic opened the door to remote work for us. Interstingly, several large companies have recently reversed or modified their previous work-from-home policies.

However, there seems to be a substantial chasm between management and workers regarding this issue. There may also be a significant difference in how generations view remote work.

What’s critical to management?

Management understandably wants to see the organization advance in its objectives. They also want to steward well the resources of the organization. Likewise, creating and maintaining a healthy culture is challenging if people are not physically in the same space regularly. These are not preferences for management–they’re mandates for which they are held accountable by senior leadership, the board, and stockholders. In short, these are non-negotiables.

What’s valued by the workforce?

When someone begins to work for a company, they agree to exchange their time, energy, and expertise for compensation. There are also some pretty vital assumptions being made. First, they’re assuming it’s going to be a safe place to work. Next, they expect integrity to be the foundation of the enterprise. Likewise, they hope to find satisfaction in their work–trusting the organization will think about the workforce as it makes decisions.

The Tension

As an organizational leader, I manage vision, goals, budgets, and resources–both material and human. As a Christ-follower, I have the joyful duty of treating people with the dignity they deserve as image-bearers of the Almighty. I am tasked with growing the organization while caring for those who “work in the fields.” It’s not one or the other–it’s both.

We have comfortable, modern, and bright offices. We also have great people. Some love being in the office. Others don’t. As an ambivert, I live between both worlds. I need people, and I need solitude. Here’s the rub. It isn’t the organization’s responsibility to provide me with what I want or to create a work environment that fits my personality. It’s great when there’s convergence in this area, but it should be seen as a blessing rather than an expectation.

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What’s the One Observable Quality of Those Who Lead Well?

I’ve had the privilege to serve under and beside some highly-skilled leaders (and a few lousy ones). I’ve even had the fantastic opportunity to lead some amazing leaders-in-the-making. Interestingly, each brought their unique talents and personality to the leadership table. No two of them led the same. Some had big, over-the-top personalities, and some were quite reserved. A few were dynamic communicators, and a few were boring when speaking to a group. Some were natural visionaries, while others were more built vision through a participatory process. Some were men, and some were women. They were of different races and ages. The only universal trait I found in top-tier leaders was they were always working to improve not only the organization but themselves. They were committed to personal growth.

From my observations, here’s what they thought about learning.

They are committed to life-long learning.

As I mentioned earlier, the quality leaders I observed were passionate about learning regardless of where they were in life. The ones that impressed me were the older ones who demonstrated their commitment to life-long learning daily. After all, these individuals were closer to the end of their careers than they were to the beginning, but this didn’t stop them from learning. There was an attractive humility in their understanding that there was a lot they didn’t know.

They are curious about a variety of topics.

These men and women enjoyed gathering knowledge from many disciplines. Yes, they read books related to leadership, but they made efforts to learn about the social and natural sciences, history, current events, economics, and projections related to future trends. In short, they loved to learn.

They aren’t utilitarian in their approach to learning.

This is tied to the previous observation, but it’s worth separating it as its own point. Some people are learners on a need-to-know basis, but these high-end leaders don’t just learn because they have a knowledge gap related to their work. These people learn because they value learning.

They love to share what they learned with others.

These people are generous with what they learn. They don’t just learn because they’re curious. They don’t just learn because they value information. They not only care about knowledge, they care about people, and they want to see them learn too.

They appreciated all forms of learning.

John Maxwell is well known for saying, “Leaders are readers.” While I value reading, I think the more accurate version of this statement is “Leaders are learners.” These people understand that there are many ways to learn and don’t limit themselves to a single approach. They learn from conversations, personal observations, podcasts, audiobooks, print books, online and in-person courses, YouTube, websites, etc.

They were good at applying what they learned to how they were leading.

Finally, they’re good at taking information from disparate sources and making applications in other contexts. They can see lessons in history, how future trends might impact their industry, how others are applying what they learn, etc. In short, they’re not only constantly learning, but they’re smart enough to know that knowledge has multiple applications.

Some might read this and point to the other skills required to lead well. And I would agree with them. Good leaders have a toolbox full of valuable skills. My point is this. If you’re a life-long learner who practices the approach outlined above, you can learn those skills with time and practice.

So, are you committed to growing yourself? I know I am!

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What’s the Difference Between Being a “Bad Leader” and Leading Badly?

It may feel like I’m parsing words, but I think there’s a difference between someone being a bad leader and leading badly. Can someone lead poorly without being a bad leader? The distinction I’m trying to make here (which might be a distinction without a difference) is that someone can be a lousy leader as it relates to the actual job of leading and still be a generally good person. I think the flip side of this issue is also accurate, and that is, in today’s world, a person may be morally rotten but still be seen as a good leader–or at least a successful one. And yes, this applies to those on both sides of the secular-sacred divide.

Before I discuss what I mean by bad leadership, I need to define my understanding of good leadership and what traits we generally look for in a good leader. Here’s my general understanding of what defines a good leader–character, competence, and consistency.

1.            Character—I live and work in the faith domain, so one of the common questions I hear relates to assessing whether they are deeply committed to Jesus. That’s important, but honestly, that ought to be a minimum for even getting in the door as it relates to serving in a faith organization. Character is more than being honest or having other traits associated with personal integrity. Here again, those should be minimum requirements. Having character also includes questions like “Do they empower those on their team? Are they more concerned about the welfare of those on their team than their personal agenda? Are they empathetic? Is he or she a servant-leader, or do they expect to be shown honor? Are they able to separate noble mandates from their personal ambition? The list could go on, but you get the point.

2.            Competence–Checking the character box is essential but not enough. We must also ask, “Are they competent?” We’ve all been in situations where we knew someone who deeply loved Jesus and displayed moral integrity but were utterly incompetent in their role. Most people who lack competence also lack self-awareness, so they may not be aware of their lack of competence. I would love it if the pilot on my next flight out of Denver deeply loves Jesus and his faith overflows into how he lives his life; however, besides being a faithful Christian, I want him to be competent. After all, I’m trusting my life into his hands. When we think of leadership in these terms, we understand that competence is crucial.

3.            Consistency—This is demonstrating the above over time—demonstrating a proven track record, which eventually positively impacts one’s reputation.

“If a person is high in character and competence and they have been doing it for a while, you can trust that they will probably do a good job where they’re currently serving. If they are high character but low competence, it will eventually harm your reputation in the community and hurt your organizational culture. If they are low character but highly competent, the organization will probably see temporary success, but “a day of reckoning” is usually around the corner. If a person is high in character and competence and they have been doing it for a while, you can trust that they will probably do a good job where they’re currently serving. If they are high character but low competence, it will eventually harm your reputation in the community and hurt your organizational culture. If they are low character but highly competent, the organization will probably see temporary success, but “a day of reckoning” is usually around the corner.

So, a lack of competence leads to bad leadership, and a lack of character is a trait of a bad leader. I don’t think we have to make this compromise. It’s possible to find highly competent people with high moral character. When those people wind up in the right roles, they are usually consistent, which leads to long-term success for the organization.