• 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!

The WE voice

Posted on January 7, 2022 by wtdavid

In the midst of all the voices seeking to be heard in our world today, one voice that often seems predominant is: the “me” voice.  It is not very often that one hears the “we” voice.

When I use the phrase: the “we” voice, I am referring to that heart response that longs to seek the good of others.  Paul put it this way in Galatians 5:13: ‘It is absolutely clear that God has called you to a free life. Just make sure that you don’t use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and destroy your freedom. Rather, use your freedom to serve one another in love; that’s how freedom grows.” [The Message]

The “me” voice is focused on doing “whatever it wants to do”; it shuts off its heart from the needs of others and from the need for others.  Rather than serving one another, the “me” voice pushes one to serve self and self only.

Honestly, none of us would say that the “me” voice is a primary voice of our heart and of our actions.  And yet …

The Psalmist tells us to ask God “to search our hearts and see if there is any hurtful (or grievous) way in me” (139.23-24). So, that “me” voice must lurk somewhere in our hearts and seek ways to assert its will.  For example …

— Hoping for a free Saturday for once, our small group proposes to have an outside picnic together on that very Saturday.  The “me” voice comes up with at least twenty reasons why this would not be a good idea.  With most reasons coming from my wanting a free Saturday.

— I have a new idea for our CP team. I bring it to the team, but when pushback comes, I choose to listen to the “me” voice and not profit from the insights found in the feedback from others.

— A fellow worker sits down to talk with me. During the conversation, this worker shares their disappointment with me and the way that I responded in a recent group discussion. The “me” voice goes into overdrive wanting nothing more than to defend myself.

Turning more to the “we” voice is not the simple answer.  Our need is far greater.  The “we” voice should drive us back to Christ where our true identity and acceptance is found; where our only hope for true and complete forgiveness can be received.

Listening more for the “we” voice will help us help one another to go back to the cross and receive again all that we need from the One who came to give His life for us, and to give us the freedom to love and serve one another.

Filed under: Community, One another, Serving | 2 Comments »

He loves us

Posted on December 14, 2021 by wtdavid

Dane Ortlund in his book: Gentle & Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners & Sufferers, wrote the following:

“What was the purpose of this heavenly rescue mission?  “God shows his love for us …” (Romans 5:8). The Greek word for “shows” here means to commend demonstrably, to hold forth, to bring into clear view, to put beyond questioning. In Christ’s death, God is confronting our dark thoughts of him and our chronic insistence that divine love must have an endpoint, a limit, a point at which it finally runs dry. Christ died to confound our intuitive assumptions that divine love has an expiration date. He died to prove that God’s love is, as Jonathan Edward’s put it, “an ocean without shores or bottom.”  God’s love is as boundless as God himself.” (192)

It is that last statement that struck me and on which I encourage you to reflect: “God’s love is as boundless as God himself.”

What does that truth stir up in your heart?  How does it challenge you to respond?

Feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section of this blog post, and bless other members of the World Team community with the insights and thoughts God lays on your heart.

Filed under: Gospel, Love of God, Reflection | 2 Comments »

Other graces

Posted on December 6, 2021 by wtdavid

Yesterday, one of our local church members, Jacques (prof at a seminary nearby), gave the message. We are currently in a series on Advent, thinking through several of the names attributed to the Son of God.  This past Sunday’s focus was on the name we know so well: Jesus (Matthew 1:18-25).

Jacques presented this text in Matthew in the larger context of God’s sovereignty over the history of His people. For example:

  • Though Jesus was a common name at the time, it is God the Father who chooses this name for the Savior He will send.
  • Citing a passage from Isaiah, Matthew shows how far into the past (and the future) God’s plan extends.
  • The main and only protagonist in this story is God. Man and woman are simply passive.

But then, Jacques made an interesting observation: what was good news for the world, was not good news at first for Joseph & Mary.  He asked us to think about what this “news” meant to Joseph.  The text is pretty clear that it placed Joseph & Mary in a very delicate situation.  How were they to explain to others the fact of Mary’s pregnancy, given that they were not living together? 

Sometimes, God demonstrates grace towards us by placing us in a difficult or hard situation. This grace, in the moment, may seem ambiguous or unclear because the real blessing of what God is allowing us to go through will not become evident till later. And often that difficulty will become a gift to others as we allow God’s grace to sustain and teach us in the midst of the situation in which we find ourselves.

I couldn’t help but think of numerous applications of Jacques’ insights to our lives as cross-cultural workers.  Life as a cross-cultural worker is exciting, adventurous, a “wild ride” as I sometimes describe it.  However, cross-cultural living is plain hard at times.  Trying to learn the language(s) of the people to whom you minister.  Navigating cultural differences which cause us frustrations and misunderstandings.  Giving and giving to others in another culture, only to see them turn away from Christ. 

Could it be that God’s demonstration of grace in these instances is often hidden from our eyes by our own complaining spirit?  Could it be that we forget later to see how God ‘graced’ us through those hard times to prepare us for the ministry to which He has called us?

Let us help one another to see His grace(s) to us, even in the hard moments of life and ministry as cross-cultural workers.

Filed under: Crossing cultures, Grace, Jesus Christ | 6 Comments »

Considering the STRATUS-Sphere

Posted on October 20, 2021 by wtdavid

There is a new online global database which is worth a look.  It’s called STRATUS. Simply click on the word and the hyperlink will take you to the site.

As you consider the STRATUS-Sphere, you will quickly realize that among the top 30 locations [where access to the Gospel is limited and where spiritual investment is most needed] are two locations where we are committed, as a mission, to working in the future.

What the STRATUS-Sphere did for me is to re-ignite a heart commitment to pray for these two locations. Prayer is a guiding principle for us, that’s a given, but prayer is also our main access to the Father who opens doors and hearts that we could not open.

The STRATUS-Sphere also caused me to ask myself: what can I practically do to help put a team of workers on the ground among these two people groups?  I don’t have an answer to that question just yet, but it will be one of my prayer points in the coming weeks.  You might want to reflect on a similar question: What can you practically do to help put a team of workers on the ground?

The STRATUS-Sphere also caused me to wonder why I am not praying more often for the other locations which are in the top 30 locations in need of Gospel witness.  More about that later.

Might we not PRAY BIG for the peoples of these different countries where Gospel witness is so limited, that the light of Christ might shine among them?

Filed under: Prayer, Unreached people groups, Vision | Leave a comment »

Read outside your comfort zone

Posted on September 16, 2021 by wtdavid

On the recommendation of a coach, I picked up a book on listening prayer.  It’s not a book that I would have necessarily selected on my own, but since someone I respect suggested it to me, I thought I would give it a read.

Just mentioning the topic may have already evoked positive or negative responses in your heart. And that’s perfectly normal as most of us prefer to read in our ‘comfort zone’.  There’s nothing wrong with that.  It is beneficial to our faith to deepen our roots in the main biblical or theological framework that we know, and which allows us to know and experience Christ and His love more deeply.

However, we need the challenge to re-examine once and awhile our framework in order to discern if there are not other ways or means (the “means of grace” as the Reformers described it) by which we can grow more in love with Christ.  And which might lead to more fruitfulness in our spiritual journey and ministry with Christ.

The act of ‘listening prayer’ is not natural to me, but I am learning new elements through this book that are helping me to re-align my prayer life with God’s will and direction.

Now, I’m talking only about a book at this point.  However, this could also apply to a discussion, a podcast or some other means of being challenged to think more deeply about the biblical and theological framework that drives our life and ministry.

Paul rightly said to the brothers and sisters in Thessalonica: “We ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more.” (1 Thessalonians 4:1)

By the way, I will also be asking a WT colleague to read and discuss the book with me.  Another way to grow: by learning together with another, what the Lord might be wanting to teach me, to teach us.

Filed under: Lifelong learning, Reading, Spiritual Life | 3 Comments »

A heart of compassion

Posted on June 4, 2021 by wtdavid

His name was Carl.  He entered the presence of his Saviour last weekend.  His name probably won’t mean much to most of you, but he taught me a great deal about a deep understanding and commitment to the Word, a faithful and consistent walk with Christ, and a constant need to have one’s heart refreshed in the Gospel.

I had heard a lot about Carl in my early days of training for pastoral ministry.  My first significant encounter with Carl was when I passed my theology exam to be licensed and ordained in our denomination.  For those unfamiliar with this process, it’s a means by which a group of churches identifies and affirms those called to pastoral ministry in terms of their theology, life and practice.

Carl was the kind of person who made the proverbial “knees shake” when you walked into a room for a discussion with him.  The theology exam was basically three (3) hours face to face with Carl.  What I learned during that afternoon exam was that explaining the Bible to others was not something you could do from a quick and cursory study.  It took time, energy, perseverance, dialogue with others, and prayer.  It wasn’t biblical understanding just for the sake of being able to explain some intricate biblical text.  It was understanding that would lead to change and transformation in one’s heart and life.

That is what I saw even more as I began to spend time with Carl over the next number of years.  All that he knew about God and the Bible actually worked its way out in his life. Even though I was no longer living in the US, I remember how often he would agree to meet me at an airport or at a coffee shop to listen and share his thoughts, insights and prayers.  The more I listened, the more I began to see the amazing connection between the God of which he spoke, and the life he sought to live.

However, I think the greatest gift that Carl gave me was his regular honest confession of his daily need of the Gospel.  The message that “God is for us” (Romans 8:31-39) was the reminder and refreshment that he sought. 

One summer, I was asked to speak at the opening night of Missions Week for our denomination.  Most of the pastors in our denomination would be present in the audience.  I remember watching many of them file in and take seats in the front rows of the auditorium. I wondered how I could possibly speak in front of such a group of erudite and seasoned pastors.  My message was on the Gospel and its impact on my life in recent days. “If the Gospel was not good news for me again, how could it be good news for those around me who did not know Christ.”  At one point, I turned and looked over at Carl who was sitting in those first few rows.  Tears were streaming down his face and I thought to myself: “I must have said something that wasn’t theological well put.” When I asked him afterwards why he was crying at that particular moment, his reply took me by surprise: “David, the message of the amazing love and grace of Christ for me was just the message that I needed to hear again tonight.  I could not keep back the tears of joy.” 

There it was. The man who had made my “knees shake” during a theology exam, gave me the gift of a life solidly founded on the Word, a willingness to invest in others, and a heart so sensitive to his need of the Gospel that the tears flowed when he heard the ‘old, old story’ once more of Jesus and His love.

Filed under: Godly living, Gospel, Mentoring | 8 Comments »

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