• Our hope-filled future is bound up in sharing the story of Jesus, in discipling others, in bringing those disciples together into communities of believers, and in developing and releasing those believers to create other communities... till Jesus the King comes again!

What we learned

Posted on October 15, 2012 by wtdavid

Here are some quotes from our very first posts on King’s Cross:

“However, if I really understand God, and if I’m truly amazed by Who He is and what He has done, then I would live a life full of devotion, focused on Him.  I’m asked to join Him in this dance, ignore my inhibitions and ignorance, and humbly ask, as I dance with my Savior, “Why me?!”  I don’t deserve the opportunity to join in the dance, but that’s just it.  It’s all about Him inviting me, not what I deserve.” (ch 1)

“Left to ourselves, we continue in our brokenness. This is the reason His call is so significant, He is calling us from a self-centered, self-destructive life by calling us into a whole relationship which requires sole devotion to Himself, so much so that “all other attachments in [our] lives look like hate compared to Him.” Jesus cannot and will not accept moderation, His call is for complete devotion, “He must be the goal.”” (ch 2)

“It is not possible to write about Jesus and his cross without writing about sin as our biggest problem. But he pushes us further. Tapping into C.S. Lewis, as pastors are prone to do, Keller wrestles with this Biblical passage in light of a Lewis story and gives us another phrase – “not deep enough.” And he recommends this: Jesus will cut deep in dealing with our sin. He will pull back the scales. As he did with the paralytic he will identify our bigger problem and then he will go deep enough to provide the core healing that is needed.” (ch 3)

“Experiencing anew real “rest” comes when a greater treasure displaces our constant search for acceptance in others.  “On the cross Jesus was saying of the work underneath your work – the thing that makes you truly weary, this need to prove yourself because who you are and what you do are never good enough – that it is finished.  He has lived the life you should have lived, he has died the death you should have died.  If you rely on Jesus’ finished work, you that God is satisfied with you.  You can be satisfied with life.””   (ch 4)

“Oh, to be like You Jesus. That’s what I feel when I read this. I have a hard time resting. I know I need it.  Jesus was sure it was time to ‘get away’. He knew that there was just so much a person can handle . . . and He is God! When He spoke to the wind and waves, there was ‘dead calm’, much like a guy sleeping on a cushion. He didn’t need the storm to stop for His own rest. Perhaps He did it for His disciples so that they could see His ability to take care of them. Perhaps He was just proclaiming the importance of rest in a dramatic way . . . reconciling the world to Himself in inexplicable ways.”  (ch 5)

 

Share your insights to the book, King’s Cross with the larger WT community.  Post your responses here to the question: “What thought or idea from King’s Cross has brought about a change in your heart and attitude?”

Filed under: King's Cross, Lifelong learning, Reflection | 4 Comments »

What Exactly Is The World Team Global Alliance?

Posted on October 11, 2012 by wtdavid

The WTGA is a global structure and forum for assessing and implementing WT’s global vision. It provides input and accountability for the ministry vision and direction of the agency. The Alliance is comprised of WT’s International Director, Assistant International Director, Sending Country Directors, Sending Country Board delegates and global members from outside WT who are invited to serve based upon their expertise. With the launch of the Alliance, the WT International Board has been dissolved leaving the separate Sending Country Boards intact.

In addition to providing input and accountability for the International Director, the Alliance will help integrate new Sending Countries and ministry partners, approve the WT Global and major project budgets, guard the fiscal integrity of WT, call and release the International Director, and foster greater global resource sharing.

Filed under: Global structure, WTGA | 3 Comments »

the Beginning

Posted on October 8, 2012 by wtdavid

Today’s post comes from Kevin in the US about chapter 18: The Beginning

The beginning of eternity.  That’s what Christ’s death and resurrection allowed us to glimpse.  The disciples didn’t get this and, as Keller points out, they were shocked that He rose—even though He told them He would.

The beginning of eternity.  We laugh at the disciples, but do we get this?  Interesting that in light of a chapter mentioning the story of Joni Eareckson Tada, I have a daughter in a wheelchair with cerebral palsy.  Ya know, I think she gets it too.  Life is the beginning of eternity.  A disability, a struggle, a broken relationship—they are painful and seem to limit us in this life.  But eternity is so much longer.

The beginning of eternity.  This is what the Gospel opens up for us: a reason to live, a reason to minister to others, and a reason for hope in the future.  Christ’s death and resurrection provided this, and so much more.

What helps you to see and live life in light of eternity?

 

This is the last installment of the King’s Cross blog post.  Next week, October 15th, we would like to share your insights to the book, King’s Cross with the larger WT community: “What thought or idea from King’s Cross has brought about a change in your heart and attitude?”  Please send your answers to this question to international.director@worldteam.org before next Monday, so we can post them to the TATJ blog.

Filed under: King's Cross, Reflection | 1 Comment »

Many Voices: One Mission

Posted on October 5, 2012 by wtdavid

As these many voices, which now form the World Team Global Alliance, come together around one shared mission, World Team will be in tune with and able to respond more quickly to the ever-changing global currents that impact the way we evangelize, disciple and establish communities of believers. A broadened perspective at the global leadership level will make for a more nimble and relevant response to the needs of our world. The Alliance does not change the mission and purpose of WT; it serves them by bringing more voices to bear on how we fulfill our purpose.

As a tangible sign of our desire to work together interdependently to fulfill our global vision and purpose, each member of the World Team Global Alliance signed the WTGA Covenant during our opening session.

I have posted a copy of the covenant to this blog post for your reading and for your prayers for the WT Global Alliance: WTGA Covenant

Filed under: Global structure, Vision, WTGA | 3 Comments »

WTGA Launch

Posted on October 4, 2012 by wtdavid

 

The newly establish World Team Global Alliance is the next giant leap forward in living out the implications of our organizational name: World Team. The Alliance is a guiding body that will shape the agency’s ministry expansion and hold accountable agency leadership and sending partners. The most notable advantage of the Alliance is the inclusion of a broad spectrum of voices at the top tier of agency decision-making and vision-casting. These global members will come from outside the World Team family and include men and women from different corners of the globe and the greater mission community.

Filed under: Global structure, WTGA | 4 Comments »

The End

Posted on October 1, 2012 by wtdavid

Today’s post comes from Sharon in Chile about chapter 17: The End

Have you ever been enveloped by darkness, total darkness? I have and it will be an experience I will never forget.  My brother Andrew and I once shut ourselves in a very small cupboard in a trailer.  We wanted to see if we could both fit and how long we could stay without passing out. Crazy right? Someone was driving the trailer so nobody knew what was going on and nobody could help us.  Apart from feeling claustrophobic I will never forget at how dark it was in there.  I could not see in front of me, I could not see my brother (although I could feel him) , I could not see the door…and as time went on our oxygen was running out…it was absolutely awful. I wanted to get out “now” but no, my brother wanted to see how long we could last…he wanted to break a record. After an eternity, (so it seemed), we pushed the door open and yes, we were free at last, free to move, free to breath, but most of all, free to see.

Keller writes about darkness, the darkness around Jesus’ death.  “All the critical events of Jesus’ death happened in the dark.”  As Jesus was dying from noon until 3:00pm there was absolute darkness. He explains that darkness in the Bible is a sign of “God’s displeasure and judgment.” Because of God’s amazing love for us, Jesus was forsaken by God.  Jesus was being judged for our sins. God turned His back on Him; the dance of the Trinity came to a halt, all because of us.

Experiencing physical darkness is terrifying, but we can also face spiritual darkness.  Keller talks about becoming disoriented.  If we turn away from God, the source of our light, and allow our lives to orbit around other things, people, or our job we are walking in the dark. We are walking away from truth and spiritual life. When we do these things we become disoriented. Keller says that, ‘If anything but God is more important to you, you have a problem with direction.’  You will lose perspective and will eventually isolate yourself from God and other people. As Keller puts it, ‘we are all on a trajectory toward a life of disintegration.’ Praise God we don’t have to walk in darkness, God broke that barrier; the curtain in the temple was broken for good.  The cross proves that He loves us and that He will never forsake us. Jesus suffered in our place; He was forsaken in our place. There is hope!!

Do you find yourself in a dark place right now, have you lost perspective, do you feel disoriented, is it so dark that you can’t even see a speck of light? Jesus definitely knows what you are going through.  You are not alone, you will never be abandoned, because Jesus already suffered that for you…don’t cloak yourself in ‘dark’ unbelief, let the  ‘Light ’of His Presence envelop you. There is hope!!

“…..because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining.”  I John 1.8b

 

What does it mean for usthat at the cross ‘the dance of the Trinity came to a halt, all because of us?  How can we allow the Gospel to go deep into our hearts so that it will change how we see ourselves?

 

Final installment of the King’s Cross blog post will be October 8th, looking at Ch 18 “the Beginning”

 

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