Archives for December 2009

Yesterday, I met one of my students out in the market.

He’s taken the evangelism training and it has impacted his confidence in talking about his faith.

He now looks for those moments where the Holy Spirit prompts him to speak with spiritually thirsty people.

I’ve gotten to know him outside of class,

• Sharing lunch with him on occasion, and
• Hearing his heart for working among immigrants, and
• His calling to work on the other side of the world.

Working the market

He’s self-employed as a “ambulante.”

In other words, he who walks around crowded areas in the hot sun of the day.

He carries his inventory of cookies, cards, and posters

He calls out as he walks to draw attention to himself.

He sells his brandless stuff for quarters and dollars at a time.

In picture above, he’s got some Mother’s day cards in the box (.50)

He’s got cookies (.25).

In his hand (off camera) were some posters he sells for $1.50, and off his right shoulder was a canvas bag of other goodies.

He changes out his inventory regularly based on what sells, and the season of year.

He goes to crowded areas, bus stops, markets, and simply walks around trying to sell his merchandise.

If he doesn’t walk and sell, he doesn’t make any profit.  He doesn’t have income to pay for his rent or groceries.

It’s a hard living, eeking out by quarters and dimes at a time.

Preparing for Global Missions

He wants to work in one of the former soviet republics, so he’s learning business principles here to fund himself.

He dreams of growing his work into a micro-enterprise so that he can fund missions work.

As we stood on the noisy and crowded street corner that morning in front of a busy shop, he told us stories of God’s provision in his life to grow his business next year.

Donors who believe his call to missions that give him money

• to grow his business,
• to buy better inventory
• and hire another worker.

He also continued to tell me how he’s had Spirit led evangelistic conversations with people along the way as he walks the streets.

I see this student working hard to join in the plan of gathering the nations.

He wants to grow a successful reselling business to fund himself in his work.

Meanwhile, we get the joy of investing in his life, giving him training to do the work of evangelism and nurture his missions calling.

He’s beginning to teach some classes on missions, and occasionally gets to preach in churches about the missions calling, and I can see that he is anointed of the Lord to do that.

Your support helps us invest in this man

Your partnership in prayer and giving enables our work to make an impact.

Thanks for helping us invest.

I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples. – Psalm 57:9

May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us, that Your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations. –  Psalm 67:1-2

Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples. — Psalm 96:3

Here is a simple observation that fuels our work:

1.  The Heart of God the Father.

Instead of asking, what motivates us to missionary work, the starting question should be:

“What motivates God?”

Why would God provide me reconciliation through Jesus?

Was it just because of his love?

Or because of a greater plan in the heart of God?

Is my reconciliation simply because God loves me, or because God wants to use me towards a greater purpose?

Why would God choose to work with me, as a redeemed individuals?

As I’ve meditated on Scriptures with this question, my answer seems to be that

God the father has a heart for the nations.

I am a part in cooperating with God to fulfill God’s plan to gather the nations.

2.  The Plan of God: Gathering the Nations.

Revelation 7:9-11 gives us a perfect picture of the fruit of nation gathering.  Every tribe, every tongue.

The end of Revelation shows us the complete picture of the redeemed multicultural community and the complete fulfillment of “I will be their God, and they will be my people.”

The fruit of grace — my reconciliation — gives me the ability to cooperate with God in gathering the nations.

My labor in God’s kingdom is all part of this larger work — to gather the nations.

I’m not saved and reconciled simply because God loves me, but moreover, because God wants to use me in gathering the nations.

3.  We work in cooperation with God’s plan.

We are called to declare the praises of God and his among the nations. (Psalm 96).

As I mediate on that verse, I’m reminded once again that for people to hear our declarations of praise, we must participate in the gathering of the people.

• For some, that is working in multicultural church like I helped plant in my home city.
• For others, that is working among immigrants.
• For still others, that is working among your own people group.
• For us, that is working in other countries, particularly in Latin and South America.

Our particular calling

Our calling to provide evangelism and missions training to churches through out the Americas is our particular expression of ministry to cooperate with God’s plan to gather the nations.

• To encourage individuals to reach people for Christ and give them adequate training to do so
• To encourage churches to grow in reaching their communities, and help them plan to do so.
• To train missionaries who wish to work cross culturally among other people groups
• To assist churches who want to send teams to Latin America to cooperate with local churches.
• To plant a church for immigrants in my city.