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Introducing: The Sin Issue

"What sin issue ..?", should be your bewildered response.

How can I say that sin is not an issue? I can say this because sin is not an issue. Not between you and God, anyway. The traditional Christian doctrine on sin has had cataclysmic effects on the health and effectiveness of the church, choking believers with the idea that their sin is separating them from God and blinding many to the freeing message that the Gospel contains.

Unfortunately, for the sake of thoroughness, I will need to briefly explain the doctrine of sin as taught by most Christian denominations (or variants of this basic explanation). In short, the doctrine of sin says that sin is an issue between man and God. It says that every time we do something that does not come into line with the Bible, or sin, then God holds it against us and we need to repent; all stemming from Adam's original sin. Terms like 'be holy' and 'get sanctified' are commonplace when this is taught. The basic outcome of having a doctrine of sin in the body of Christ, is that Christians become increasingly sin-focused or sin-conscious.

Unfortunately many Christians think that it is a noble thing, to feel condemned and guilty all the time, to focus on the wrongs and then strive to right them. To put it bluntly, this is madness. It's what the Apostle Paul calls self-righteousness (Philippians 3:9), where we attempt to vainly attain a standard of right-living in order to somehow please God. Many Christians use guilt to fuel their convictions and live out their 'Christian' lives. How many of you know that you cannot reproduce anything else but who you are and what you have? Due to this reality, Christians impose guilt and condemnation on other Christians; reproducing themselves in those they are discipling (In keeping with Matthew 28:19).

Sin is only an issue because we have made it an issue. If this statement is true, then the Bible needs to be able to back it up, right? Of course, however, most people don't let the Bible get in the way of what they believe, let's hope you do.

Let me start by asking you a few questions: How many times did Jesus die for our sins, how long does this sacrifice hold and who does it apply to? The answer to the first question, according to history, is once. According to the Bible, it is also once. Hebrews 10 puts it pretty plainly:

• v10 "By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." 
• v12 "But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever ..."
• v18 "Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin."

All three the questions are answered above: Jesus died once and He will not die again, why? Because 'Once sins are taken care of for good, there’s no longer any need to offer sacrifices for them' (Message). This sacrifice was for ALL people. This sacrifice was for ALL TIME.

The result: Your sins are forgiven past, present and future.

Please read the follow-up posts to this one, as this is an incomplete study, with more statements than evidence. The evidence is to follow.

Top Tweets #1

Some of the top Tweets that have found there way onto my Twitter account this week:

"When you forgive people they no longer control your happiness" - @rickwarren

"Preaching tells us why. Teaching tells us how. We need both" - @pastorbrady

"CHURCH: Where Spirits are lifted. minds are renewed, faith is increased and priorities are challenged, by God's Word!" - @brianchouston

"That awkward moment when you karate kick a board during a sermon ... and break your foot" - @celebritypastor

"We're not home yet, but if grace doesn't make you dance a little on the way, we must not have heard the same gospel" - @louiegiglio

"Your Google search history is the real you" - @prodigalism

"Just do it! (But don't get caught). Nike." - @trevornoah

"'Joint heirs with Jesus' apparently means something different in Colorado" - @chrchcurmudgeon

"That awkward moment when the pastor randomly starts singing an old hymn ... and expects the band to accompany him ... " - @worshipsoundguy

Follow me on Twitter @istartliving

That Was Good

"I've been in the word longer than you've been alive, but that was good" 

This was the reaction of a lady that was in the congregation while I was preaching last Sunday. She made the effort to find me after the service was done and after introducing herself she promptly told me the line that I quoted above. She must have been in her mid-sixties, old enough to be my grandmother (theoretically of course), but her eyes had a sharpness and a keenness that held my attention for the few minutes that we spoke. I didn't just listen, but I heard her.

After this encounter it got me thinking: what was it that got her excited, why did she need to come and tell me these things, barely being able to contain her enthusiasm at the same time; did I say something right? It didn't take me long (four to five seconds) to know that it had nothing to do with me, rather it had everything to do with the message I was delivering. You see, good news does that to people. It helps people to see who they are, to realize their purpose, to encourage them to breakthrough and to know that none of it has to be done out of their own efforts.

The 'gospel', as Paul calls it is the very embodiment of good news. It carries with it a relevance that transcends context, a power that breaks open the hardest of hearts and a truth that sets people free. You see, we can be in church our whole lives, read the bible every day and still have no idea what the gospel really is. We look at Christianity like a religion instead of seeing it for what it is: becoming one with Jesus and enjoying the benefits of this union.

Paul is quoted in Romans 1:16 as saying, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes ..." The Apostle Paul had tasted and seen the effectiveness of the good news, so much so that he put it in writing, saying that there was nothing to persuade him otherwise. He'd seen the results of the gospel being preached with undiluted accuracy, the miracles that followed (Mark 16:17), the healings that took place and the freedom that was part and parcel. It made him come alive.

I don't know whether that lady had ever heard the gospel presented to her as it was that morning. All I know is that it changed her, it made her come alive. On your quest for truth, if the gospel of Jesus Christ does not sound like good news it probably isn't. If it hasn't got life, it can't make you come alive. Don't settle for an inferior gospel, pursue the real gospel of truth and power.

Taking a Look Back - 2012 in photos

I came up with a list of photos that remind me of some of the more epic events of 2012. Looking back helps me to remember that a year spent wisely is never wasted. It also serves as a reminder that bad choices have consequences, unfortunately. But, the idea is to learn and not make the same mistakes again.

Leopard attacking security guards in India

Polish rider takes a dive during the summer Olympics, London

Felix Baumgarten jumped to a 14 mile free fall from space

The aftermath of Hurricane Sandy in New York

Waldo Canyon fire encroaching on Colorado Springs, CO USA

A North Korean military band randomly jamming in a rice paddy

Bradley Wiggins taking the Tour de France with great time-trialing

Marekane - tragic, yet so avoidable

By far my favourite photo of the year - Oscar and Arnu

The Fallacy of Excellence

And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men (Col 3:23) Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God (1 Cor 10:31) 

Fast-forward 2000 years  and we find a major section of the body of Christ using these, and other verses like them, to justify what they call excellence in serving within the body of Christ. This term excellence has become so entrenched in charismatic church movements that it is not even questioned anymore. Money is thrown at programs and equipment in the name of excellence, hours of practice and rehearsals are done in the name of excellence and people are exalted and marginalized, at the same time, in the name of excellence.

There is no biblical precedence for us, as Christians, to strive for excellence. In fact, the Apostle Paul says quite the opposite. Paul says, that it is by Gods grace that he is what he is, and by implication, that he does what he does (1 Corinthians 15:10). A striving for excellence is in fact a quest for perfection, something that we can't attain. Only One was perfect, only One was blameless and only One can make us perfect - Jesus.

My question to those who are striving for excellence is, WHY? Why focus on something that can't be attained no matter how much you try? Why try and change imperfect flesh into perfect divinity? At this point, I can hear the question that many people will be retorting with, "If we don't strive for excellence, then we portray the body of Christ as amateurish and cheap" Here is a wake-up call, we are amateurs! At this point you may want to read my post on Money In Sports, money is always the game-changer. Before I get too carried away let me make my point by quoting some irrefutable scripture:

For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. - (I Corinthians 1:26-29)

With emphasis on verse 29, "that no flesh should glory in His presence". All glory belongs to God. The more we strive for excellence in the name of "excellence brings Him glory" the more we are in the flesh and make standards our idol, worshiping excellence, instead of God (Gal 3:3). So, what is the solution, what should we be focused on instead?

Jesus has made us perfect. Our very nature is perfect, there is nothing to strive for (2 Cor 5:21) We need to trust our new nature to be excellent, by His grace, through faith (Eph 2:9). By focusing on Jesus and understanding who we are in Him (Col 1:28), then operating out of that. We will become more excellent accidentally than we ever could have been on purpose. Unbelievable? Believe it, it works! Jesus has made you excellent, understand it, believe it and then live it - it's effortless!

Beyond the Veil!

"Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?" - Romans 6:16

The question asked by the Apostle Paul, above, is one which I have been pondering. Why does he ask such a, seemingly, obvious and redundant question? This simplicity of it, makes me wonder if there isn't more to it, and I believe that there is!

I often think that we do things in life, expecting totally different results to that which we end up getting. For instance, if you invest your money in some sort of investment scheme that promises a certain return and when the investment finally pays out you get nowhere near the return promised, in fact you lose money. Naturally you will be disappointing.

One of two things could have happened here: Either you were deceived into thinking that there was be money to be made, or there really was money to be made and due to unforeseen circumstances (market related), your return was less than initially expected.

When Paul asks the question above, I think he is speaking to those people who fall into the first category; the one of, "I was taken for a ride". You see, it is human nature to measure and weigh things and then make decisions based on the outcome of your predictions; thus, making YOU god in your life. 

By submitting yourself to YOU, your logic and your intellect, you are in fact engaging in one of the most common forms of idolatry, known as pride. You thus become a slave to your limited knowledge, abilities and obvious frailties.

Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey ..? When we obey our impulses and selfish desires we get deceived into thinking that the returns on this will be advantageous; we become slaves to this illusion. This is the veil that clouds carnal decision making. 

Our decisions must be made in the spirit, backed up by the word and covered by prayer. Without this we will be at the mercy of carnal mindedness, which can only lead one way ...

"For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace" - Romans 8:6

Extreme: Banff Film Festival

Continuing on our extreme theme this week. I attended the screening of the Banff Mountain Film Festival in Cape Town. I was blown away by how the creativity of the film makers and the daring of the sportsmen were combined to bring me to a place of an adrenaline-inspired awe! 

Below are some pictures of the various stories that were shown in the combined short-film version. All these stories had to have a few things in common: Mountains, danger and skill. One thing that struck me was the overwhelming sense of focus that each one of these people had. The task at hand was the single most important thing in their lives, at that time. This could be due to the fact that these were life and death situations, but I strongly believe that our ability to stay focused and accomplish the task at hand will eventually separate the success stories from the not-so successful stories.

Sketchy Andy slack-lining across canyons, without a safety harness. He tends to base-jump of this 'stable' base as well!

Crazy rock columns being climbed in the middle of the dessert in Chad! Sometimes without guidelines ...

Bombing 20 meter waterfalls in Mexico, in kayaks! Lot's of blood.

Coastal crew going downhill, fast, very fast! Great jumps, great bikes, big hearts!

Extremists: Your Strength Weakens You

This goes out to all those people who give everything, all the time, to anything they set their mind to. You know who you are, but if you don't, your thinking goes something along these lines: "While I'm at it, I may as well be the best at it. Why not do something others probably don't have the endurance (or brilliance) to do. Life is too short for anything less than 100%. You haven't done/seen/heard that, why not? (utter disbelief)"

Extremists live life as if the present is the most precious gift and cradle it like a new-born. When the present becomes the past they have no regrets, they then start thinking of ways to manipulate the future so that when it arrives it can be spent like no other day before it; uniquely and unforgettably. Extremists tend to plan, but if something better comes along they change their plans. There is nothing more extreme than spontaneity, a willingness to change the way you see the next few minutes, hours or days!

This all sounds like a fairy tale, like a person you read about in a book or watch in a movie. You may be able to relate to certain aspects of the above description, but have never really seen it fully lived out. The reason for this is simple: the very aspects that make so-called extremists so endearing and successful, are the very things that trip them up in the end.

Extremists have a tendency to alienate people that can't keep up with them. They tend to be seen as selfish, reckless and driven. They would argue that they are just being misunderstood, but what is often the case is that, that which drives them to the edge, drives them over the edge.

What is the solution then? Jesus was extreme, He was a revolutionary, He alienated, polarized and mobilized. So, what was the difference? The bible says that Jesus only did what He saw His Father do and said what He heard His Father say. It stands to reason then that what we think is extreme is in fact an everyday reality for God. When we think we're living on the edge and seizing the day we are actually just beginning to tap into the potential He has given us.

Jesus was a lot of things, but one thing He was not, was selfish. Consider others just as Jesus considered you when He went to the cross. It will put your extreme tendencies into perspective, it will focus your passions onto others, onto a world that is crying out for help - an extreme cry!

Taking the Limits Off

Limitations and restrictions have kept entire generations and cultures from reaching their potentials. Sometimes these limitations are self-imposed by ungodly thoughts or ideas inherent to our culture or environment. Other times these restrictions are enforced on us by others, who in their search for identity, find it in restricting those around them from reaching their potentials.

The most subtle, and therefore the most powerful of these ceilings are those that we restrict ourselves under. Have you ever found yourself saying or thinking along these lines?: If only I was prettier; If only I was richer; When the weather is better I'll do it or When I find some time. By abiding in this way of thinking, even slightly, you are limiting what you can achieve in your alotted time here on earth.

As soon as we look for reasons why we can't do something, we start cementing the roof tiles on the ceiling of possiblity. Instead look for reasons why you can do things! God has indeed restricted Himself to work wholy and souly through us, being His hands and feet on the earth. Thus, when we start limiting ourselves, we are in fact limiting God's ability to change peoples lives and hopeless situations through us. 

Understand this: You are pretty enough, you have enough resources, the weather will never be good enough and there will never be a right time. We are not qualified, in ourselves, to live out the dreams and visions that God has put in our heart, but He qualifies us. It is only because of His enabling grace and by the leading of the Holy Spirit that we can ever see and break through our supposed limitations.

To conclude: Challenge yourself in areas that were previously off-limits to you, according to what you or other people thought. Allow God to show Himself faithful and strong through you,so that He gets all the glory. Take the limits off Him and He will shatter the limits off of you.

Life Begins ...

If at all possible

If at all possible love your neighbour as yourself Mark 12:31
If at all possible don't lean on your own understanding Proverbs 3:5
If at all possible be still and know that He is God Psalm 46:10
If at all possible fight the good fight 1 Timothy 6:12
If at all possible finish the race 2 Timothy 4:7
If at all possible don't conform to the ways of this world Romans 12:2
If at all possible turn the world upside down Acts 17:6
If at all possible resist the devil and he will flee from you James 4:7
If at all possible make disciples of all people groups Matthew 28:19
If at all possible don't worry about anything Phillippians 4:6
If at all possible go and sin no more John 8:11
If at all possible be thankful in every circumstance Phillippians 4:11
If at all possible don't be ashamed of the gospel Romans 1:16
If at all possible mature to your full stature in Christ Ephesians 4:13
If at all possible let the Holy Spirit teach and guide you John 16:13
If at all possible gain wisdom and understanding Proverbs 13:3
If at all possible love the Lord your God with everything you have Matthew 22:37
If at all possible enter in His rest Hebrews 4:11
If at all possible don't be under condemnation Romans 8:1
If at all possible know nothing except Jesus Christ and Him crucified 1 Corinthians 2:2
If at all possible be spiritualy minded Romans 8:6
If at all possible run from the Law Romans 6:15

Sounds Impossible? Grace makes it all possible!

"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." - Matthew 6:33

" And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” - 2 Corinthians 12:9

Grace Tension

Grace:    Unmerited favour or goodwill towards someone or something.

Work:     Exertion or effort directed to produce or accomplish something (labour, toil)

Tension:  Two balancing forces causing rigidness and stretching.

If grace is the one end of the tension balance, then what is the other end? Works, of course. Before you stone me, know this: Grace is the biggest part of my Christian walk and is infused into every area of my life (read other posts on this blog).

We are born again by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:9) and we are called to walk our Christian lives in the same way (Colossians 2:6). Grace is His favour extended to us and faith is us taking hold of this favour; believing it and receiving it.

It’s quite clear that there is God’s part and that there is our part. The problem comes in, as we walk out our Christian life, that our part gets reduced to a bunch of activities we perform, in order to try and earn God's favour. Anything that we do to try and earn God's favor is legalism, it's a works-based faith that has fueled religion (not in the good sense) for centuries. Bottom line, we cannot earn God's favour by what we do, it is all about what He has done, through Jesus, on the Cross. However there might still be some work involved, but it's not the kind we immediatly conjure up in our heads; let's take a look.

If grace is just receiving what God has done, how do I receive and understand fully, what God has done for me and apply it to my life? This is where the tension comes in: I like to call it positioning. We need to position ourselves to fully comprehend His grace in and through our lives. It doesn’t just happen, it takes intentionality and purpose. We have to intentionally and purposefully position ourselves in such a manner that we receive everything that God has for us, everything that Jesus made available through the atonement. How do we know if we have access to something if no-one has told us, or if we haven't read it or seen it? We will never know.

Sometimes grace takes work; we have to work at understanding it. This is the tension, the paradox if you will. Two, seemingly opposite, truths and passions, raging alongside one other, both being exceedingly necessary to make sense of what we believe. It is across this tension-bridge that revelation knowledge, relationship and trust can be delivered, flowing from the cross, flowing from Grace, flowing from Jesus to us.

Let’s not underestimate the work it takes to be fully submerged in grace. Organised religion tries to sell us a works based Christianity. But, instead of trying to earn His favour through good works, let’s strive to understand that His grace is sufficient for us (2 Corinthians 12:9) and rest (Hebrews 4:11) in the knowledge that, we labour into Jesus and not for Him.

Sports: Passion or Proffession?

When I was growing up, winning was everything. However, it never came at the cost of losing relationships, belittling the opposition or even speaking badly of them. What happened on the field stayed on the field and after the final whistle everyone was friends again, if you wanted to be.

With the rise of professionalism, sport has taken on a new meaning in the world. What were once considered hobbies, are now seen as professions; what was once done happily for the love of it, is now done happily, for money, whether you love it or not. Money was the game-changer, and rightly so. After all, if someone is good at something, shouldn’t they be paid to do it? I believe so.

Big money comes with strings attached. Sport is driven by sponsors, sponsors have products they want sold and the success of the horse they are backing determines, to a large extent, the success of the we-are-helping-you-to-help-us scenario. Big money demands big results, but at what cost?

For many of us sport is synonymous with professionalism, but it wasn’t always like that. In the past it was about pride, friendship, team-spirit, personal endurance, seeing new places and making new friends. Some would argue that nothing has changed, but I beg to differ. As I look around at the plethora of professional sport around us, professionalism has created a monster and many monsters. Sportsmen and women would happily bad-mouth a team member if it meant gaining more publicity, they’d happily cheat if it means winning; they would do nearly anything to achieve their so-called ‘dream’.

Sportsmanship is a rarity. What was once the back-bone of every amateur sport, camaraderie and friendship; has evolved into a dog-eat-dog world, no different from any corporate, boardroom setting. I am not condemning money in sports, I am merely wondering if it has done more bad than good. The world-trend is always more; but at what cost? People are the most important part of life. If we step on them in order to achieve our dreams, due to our inflated egos, I think we have missed the point, I think it will be very lonely at the top, wherever that is.

“And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?” – Mark 8:36-37 (NLT)

Some stories that made me think of this: Tiger Woods (Golf), Kevin Peterson (Cricket), Marion Jones (Athletics), Lance Armstrong (Cycling) and the list goes on.

A Tree Stump in the Path

My bike and my world!

I was heading full-speed down a single-track on my mountain bike yesterday, when suddenly there was a tree stump in my way. Normally I would have easily been able to avoid such an obstacle by choosing a new line and adjusting my focus and body weight accordingly. But, this time I wasn't as lucky, I went full-tilt into the tree stump and flew over my handle-bars! I came out of the situation relatively unscathed, but just a bit shaken. It did get me thinking though ...

Why did I not manage to avoid this relatively benign obstacle, when I've successfully avoided hundreds like it before and many still during that very same ride? After much pondering, and reliving the incident, I came to the realisation that it was a focus issue. I hit exactly what I was looking at! I was staring at the stump, and because it took up to all of my attention I didn't have the presence of mind to choose the correct line.

What happens in life when we lose focus? There are many things out there to distract us from the plans God has for us, sometimes even seemingly good things: relationships, work, entertainment, money, sport and random problems that pop up. The question is, what are you focussed on?

The writer of Hebrews admonishes us to keep our focus on one thing and one thing only, while we run this race of life:

 " ... let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith." (Hebrews 12:2 NKJV).

Our focus should be on Jesus, He is always the right line to choose through the lightning fast single-track we call life. If our focus is on little, insignificant problems and side-shows, then we will end up tripping over them and flying into the dust. Do that enough and at some point you wont be getting back up again, you'll stay down and you'll wonder where it all went wrong.

"Keep focused on Jesus and avoid the pitfalls."

The Unexpected

"Unexpected": Not expected or anticipated. Unforeseen, surprising, unpredictable, astonishing and out of the blue.

If you follow me on Twitter you'd know that  I've been on a bit of a soap-box about doing the unexpected. I realise that for most people it turns out to be a bit cliched, more like a self-help thing, but the principle remains a good one.

Too often we end up doing the same thing over and over again. Humans are creatures of habit and work best in routine, even creativity works best within a structured lifestyle; this is undeniable. However, the very routine that created the environment for creativity can also stunt it. As much as people are comfortable with the same thing, we need change in order to grow and reach our potentials.

This is where my argument for the unexpected develops from. We do the same things over and over, because we know which results to expect. But, what about doing things or thinking certain ways, where you have no idea what the outcome will be; how will people react to you or how you will react? Let's take a quick example (see Twitter challenge video below):  We all have songs that are on our hearts and in our heads. But why should these songs remain there, why not sing out LOUD and let the whole place be blessed by the song that God has put on your heart (even if it is a rap song!)?

This is a silly example, but it illustrates a point. How will we ever be able to realize all that God has for us, if we never try something different, in a different way, from a different angle; doing the unexpected? Doing the unexpected, has been separating the success stories from the average Joe's from the beginning of time. Who would have thought that by going on a hunting trip Georges deMostral would get the idea of making Velcro (get out the house!). What about Thomas Adams, popping a bit of the material he was, unsuccessfully, trying to make toys out of, into his mouth and opening the first chewing gum store not long after that (try new tastes!) These inventions have not only made the inventors successful and allowed them to pursue their passions, but they have also made the lives of millions of people around the world so much more joyful!

Isn't that what we are called to do? The reason we are blessed is to be a blessing to others. We shouldn't limit God's blessing in our lives by expecting Him to work in and through us exactly the same way, every time. We can learn a lot about God's nature in the diverse ways that we, and those around us, respond when we do the unexpected! Even if your singing isn't that great ...

G.K Chesterton Quotes

Some great quotes for you to ponder by a brilliant author, thinker, philosopher and apologist, G.K Chesterton.

"And when they had made a Holy Day for God, did they find they made a holiday for men" - Orthodoxy

"The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting, it has been found difficult and left untried" - What's Wrong With the World

"It (courage) means a strong desire to live taking the form of a readiness to die" - The Paradoxes of Christianity

"Whenever we feel there is something odd in Christian theology , we shall generally find there is something odd in the truth" - The Paradoxes of Christianity

"A man is not really convinced of a philosophic theory when he finds something that proves it. He is only really convinced when he finds that everything proves it" - The Paradoxes of Christianity

"Man is more himself, man is more manlike, when joy is the fundamental thing in him, and grief is superficial" - Orthodoxy, Authority and the Adventurer

"There are two main moral necessities for the work of a great man: the first is that he should believe in the truth of his message; the second is that he should believe in the acceptability of his message" - Twelve Types

"For if there is a wall between you and the world, it makes little difference whether you describe yourself as being locked in or locked out", on freedom within Christianity there is still separation - Paradoxes of Christianity

On passing trends and fashions, "It is always easy to let the age have its head; the difficult thing is to keep ones own" - The Paradoxes of Christianity

"Christianity is a superhuman paradox whereby two opposite passions may blaze beside each other" - Orthodoxy, The Authority and the Adventurer

A New Kind of Missionary : You

"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations ... teaching them ..." - Matthew 28:18-20

If this new perspective I have on missions could be summed up in one word, it would be, discipleship. Jesus did not commission us to make converts, but to make disciples. Disciples are people who are mature in the word of God, people who are bearing fruit and are able to replicate what has happened in their lives, in other people. Disciples are able to endure hardships and not lose faith, they are able to rejoice in suffering and be humble in victory. Disciples are able to help other people break through, just as they themselves have broken through. Disciples are people of character, integrity and hope. They are submitted to the word of God as the final authority in their lives and go from glory to glory as they mature in Christ.

The way missions have previously been done is old. Not only is it outdated, but it is very difficult. In the past, a well-funded (or not so well funded) missionary would be sent from a church or organisation in Europe or America and come and set up a work in a foreign country, which they felt God has called them to. In the coming years, they then learn the culture, the language and try to earn the trust of the locals they are wanting to reach, slowly starting to influence these people with the gospel.

This model has birthed many success stories, but there are just too many stories of missionaries being burnt out, disillusioned and giving up out on the mission field, after years of ploughing into a community.The amount of success stories for missions in this manner are way too few compared to the people who have tried, and come back with stories that will break your heart.

I believe the reason for this, is that the aim of a missionary should never be to "go and stay", the great commission said to "go". Go to a place God has called you to, disciple local people, raise up leaders and then go again, allowing the local people to create an environment of sustainability and stability for their context. It is an extremely rare occurrence for a foreigner to be fully accepted by a culture, adopted, taken in and respected; least of all them wanting to become like the foreigner in their faith. We must raise up locals, they are the ones who can take their people into the future.

Their are a few glaring problems with this suggested model though. The first is that in order to make disciples, you must be a disciple. In order to teach you must have been taught and in order to train you must have been trained. Thus, having a calling as a missionary is not good enough, you must be trained and equipped so that you can effectively train and equip others. Some of you may be thinking, but this is obvious. Not as obvious as it would seem. Many missions organisations are so overwhelmed by the need in the world, that they will accept anyone with a contactable reference.

The harvest is so great that it has lead to many churches speeding up the development process of would-be missionaries and sending them off without the necessary skills and experience to be effective. In our eagerness we have set up generations of missionaries for failure. Not laying any emphasise on the 'disciples' part, nor the 'teaching them' aspect of missions, only 'go' and adding the 'stay'.

So, is having a 'calling' to be a missionary enough? No, we need to be disciples in order to make disciples. Discipleship is but a vehicle for a message though.Think of it like this: If the process of discipleship is like a 4 x 4 truck going into a dry country, the message would be the fresh drinking water that is being carried on the back of the truck. The truck itself is not going to have any effect on the health or well being of the people in that dry place, but what it carries will. The problem comes in when we use the vehicle of discipleship to carry a diluted or poisonous message. What people need who are desperate for water, is water that brings life. What good is the water if you choke or die from drinking it? No good.

Thus, it is no good 'going' and 'teaching' if what we are going to tell them and teach them doesn't produce life in them. If our message is not the gospel, if it's not good news, then there is no use in even leaving your front door; unless the news you carry is too good to be kept to yourself. (The content of this site focuses on the good news of God's unconditional love and grace, read other posts to see more on this)

Thus our focus for missions is to ground people and disciple them in the good news of God's unconditional love and grace. Then sending them to places where they are called and have them reproduce what God has done in and through them to the people in that place, until the people in that place are ready to do the same thing, and on and on it goes ... isn't that what were all called to do, aren't we all missionaries? When the bible says 'go', it may mean to 'go' to your children, 'go' out your front door or 'go' to your friends. Where we 'go' changes, but why we go never does. We go because we have a message, the good news of God's unconditional love and grace for the world, and we go because we're on a mission, to make disciples!

Mozambique in Pictures



The children of Mozambique

Me playing soccer with the kids in one of the remote villages. Soccer is the international language of connection!



Our convoy into the isolated interior of Mozambique

 


Members of our team after ministering to an extended family in one of the villages. This village was initially against hearing the gospel, but we ended up having great success even in the face of opposition.

 

Attracting a crowd when arriving in a village to draw some water at their well - the only source of fresh water for miles around.

Setting up of the Jesus Film. The set-up consisted of a generator, an old-school film projector, four reels of film,  a white canvas screen and a pair of piercing loudspeakers - perfect!  

Team Mozam 2012 and some friends, in the middle of no-where, posing in front of a famous Baobab tree.

 

Our interpreter, Joao, and his family after returning from the bush. Two members of our team as well. Joao turned out to be one of the revelations of the trip - he is a man for the future.

Who said Mozam is ugly? Definitely not me!

 

Mozambique Mission 2012

We were invited by one of our ministry partners to take a team up to Mozambique to minister in the vacinity of the holiday town of Vilanculos. Our host is innitiating a missive scale farming project in the Mozambique interior, this project meant the involvement of many villages in the area that have otherwise been untouched by commercial development and economic opportunity of this magnitude. Our job was thus to come alongside the farmers, as they put together there arrangements with the villagers and bring the good news of God's unconditional love and grace to the people of the isolated Mozambique interior.

It was a great challenge just getting to the villages, it was a full days drive in sand and bush, with 4 x 4 vehicles, to get to the first village from Vilanculos. Afterwhich, our team of ten kicked on to a new village everyday. We were totaly self-sufficient, having enough food, water and fuel to last us for five days in the bush. There was no running water, no electricity and no mobile phone reception,  just us, the bush and the people God wanted us to minister to.

Our goal was clear and our approach simple: We wanted to start identifying potential leaders in the villages, who would fit the criteria to be trained further in the gospel and make a long-term impact in their own village. We did this by means of showing the Jesus Film in the local language of Tsonga, then preaching, praying and ministering to the villagers - crusade style. The Jesus Film was a hit and many people were healed, delivered and prospered through the ministering of God's love and grace.

We were also able to identify a few individuals who showed the potential of being willing to be trained and equipped. The most exciting of which turned out to be our interpreter, Joao, who bought whole-heartedly into the message that we shared and who's life was radically different by the time we left.

Litteraly hundreds of people commited their hearts to Jesus in the villages we ministerd at, they need to be discipled though. Our trip to Mozambique was never just going to be a once-off, we are going back to disciple these people and eventually raise up the local leaders to continue what God started there.

Praise God for His faithfulness, He is true to His word, that He wants no man to perish, but all to come to salvation. It is with this promise that we can continue making disciples of the nations and people-groups of this world, until there is no-one left to reach!