The Very Story of My Life

This is a reflection on a chapter from Theology and Practice of Mission edited by Bruce Riley Ashford. Reading parts of this book has given me understanding and has called me to action.

"First, if sin is the root cause of the curse, then the gospel- in its narrow sense- is the fundamental solution. The salvation of man constitutes a central feature of God's mission. Therefore, proclamation of the gospel is ultimate. Christopher Wright explains well the difference between primacy and ultimacy, 'Mission may not always begin with evangelism. But mission that does not ultimately include declaring the Word and the name of Christ, the call to repentance, and faith and obedience has not completed its task.' Ultimately, our responsibility extends beyond evangelism, however. In his final pre-ascension commission, Jesus defined his followers' task as making disciples, a more comprehensive assignment that includes teaching believer to obey all that Christ commanded. In biblical or theological terms, the aim is sanctification and conformation to the image of Christ." (Excerpt from page 44 of Theology and Practice of Mission.)

I feel like I am reading the very story of my life. I already am a believer and follower of Jesus Christ and to read this gives a richer and deeper purpose to my life than I have even known. As I read, I am filled with this deep sense of “This is the purpose of my all-together existence.” I have been redeemed to live no longer for myself but to participate with my Redeemer in the proclamation of His great name! It is not through evangelism alone, but through investing in lives, teaching all the commandments of Christ, and guiding and assisting in obeying those commandments. Page 44 says, “The aim is sanctification and conformation to the image of Christ.” I ask, “Do you mean the sanctification and conformation of the one being discipled or my own?” Because the Spirit’s work of uniting me to God's purpose of my participation in the missio Dei is sanctifying and conforming me to the image of the Son! This is a brilliant design. (Of course it is; it’s God’s design). The involvement of the redeemed continues the work of our own salvation, while drawing other image bearers back into proper worship!

"Second, the clear precept and practice of the New Testament affirms the church's importance and, therefore argues for church planting as a central element of man's role in the missio Dei, particularly in pioneer areas. Although Jesus himself never started a church, he clearly intended to establish the church (Matt. 16:18). He is the cornerstone (Eph. 2:20) and head (Col. 1:18). He purchased it with his own blood (Acts 20:28), and it is his bride (Eph. 5:25-27; Rev. 19). The covenant relationship of church life is the God appointed context for making disciples." (Excerpt from page 44 of Theology and Practice of Mission.)

As I continue reading, I am in awe of the truth God is unfolding about my life. I am doing the 2+2 program. When I tell people that it is a Masters in International Church Planting, I cannot give a good defense of what that means. Honestly, I have worked hard to explain that church planting is probably not the best way to describe what I am actually hoping to do overseas but that would of course be the hoped for result. Now I see how very wrong I have been and how beautifully clear my calling is! It is to plant churches, first and foremost! In the previous paragraph I mentioned my love for making disciples and investing deeply this life-altering truth. Now I see that the obvious, there is a name for doing that. It is the church, and the obvious result would be to plant churches! If you are reading this, you probably think, that I must not have had much church experience or at least not a very good one, but that is not the case. Today, God is just opening my eyes to a new level of what the church means and what church planting means. Page 44 says that the New Testament argues “for church planting as a central element of man’s role in the mission Dei…” That is not the opinion of a theologian; it is the mandate of Scripture. The rest of the quoted sentence says, “…particularly in pioneer areas.” This line speaks clarity into my life; it delivers renewed awareness of the need to go into the hard places, not because the places are hard or by obligation of what I am supposed to do but because of the mandate and privilege to partake in discipleship and church planting.

Let's not miss the part that says, “Jesus himself… established the church. He purchased it with his own blood, and it is his bride…” !! I sense the importance of the warning not to separate discipleship or evangelism away from the church. I imagine serving as an individual in the workplace or on the foreign mission field, it would be easy to think one-on-one discipleship is the best way. But I see now that without rooting it in the church, there is danger of neglecting God’s vital focus- the church.

A Painful Loss of Identity

In the days of Hosea and Jonah, Obadiah and Habakkuk…

They had lost their country, their king, their temple; they were threatened with the loss of their very identity. It helped them see God’s consistent love and purpose still alive and valid for them. They were invited to view that terrible experience as God’s way of refining them, preparing them for His purpose.

Perhaps this is what God is doing with us. Perhaps he has extended the invitation to us in our trials, as it was to the Israelites. Sometimes God removes the things from our life in which we have placed parts of our identity. Your home. A trusted friend. The dear family member. A job. Your health. The health of your spouse. The behavior of a child. The reputation of your family. The loss of different facets of our identity painfully removes our faulty placements of security and comfort that we’ve built up. It brings us back to see God’s consistent love and purpose as our single, lasting identity. His love and purpose cannot be lost. The Israelites spent 350 years losing everything they had identifies themselves with for over 1000 years. But the theme through this section of God’s Word is His continuing love and His sovereignty over history.

We live in a different time, but God never changes. His love for us is still the same and his sovereign control over our lives is still to refine and prepare His people for His purpose.

As The Scales Fall

God has used this week to make another layer of scales fall from my eyes. Have I figured out specifically where I am called? I have no idea. But I do know after this week that the costs are going to be much higher than I had last calculated.

Today’s chapel message from 2 Corinthians 1:3-9 about suffering and our Great Comforter, once again prepares me for the difficulties of a future overseas. Again, this is part of God removing scales from my eyes. I do not need to fear what suffering may come because the God of all comfort has already declared me clean by His righteousness. I do not need to fear what comes or run from the dark, hard places. James 1:17 says that God is the Father of lights. Because of His comfort and His righteousness that I am clothed with, I can turn and go into the dark, difficult places because I bear His light and am guided by the Great Comforter and Father of Lights.

How far am I willing to go? Will I limit myself to go somewhere where I can love and serve fashionable, beautiful people? Or will I go where people are dirty and reek from lack of basic hygiene? Where disease runs rampant? Where it is hot, humid, and wet? Am I willing to be a woman in a place where women are inferior, cannot be touched, and cannot look men in the face? Am I willing to go to a place that my life would be in danger of Islamic threat?

The whole time I’m thinking of questions and scenarios about myself and my personality. How might I fit in that context? Then the Lord reminded me, my life is not the point! As John Piper says, “Missions is not the ultimate goal. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn’t. It is a temporary necessity. But worship abides forever.” This is about God and His glory. People were created for that glory. Now in their deep lostness, they are image bearers far from being the worshipper that God created them to be. Philippians 2:10 tells us that one day every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord. That may be exciting news within the church, but that is tragic news for millions! Those who refuse Christ or never hear the name of Jesus will bow down to the King of kings but it will be in their submission and His judgment.

227,000 people die every week in Bangladesh without hearing about our Savior Jesus. That’s as if a spumoni is swiping through that nation every single week. We think we’ve experienced hopeless. THAT is hopeless! Hopelessness that needs to meet face to face with our Savior Jesus. During the midst of his call, one missionary saw a poster of several young boys from around the world. The words that he said still ring in my head- Can I get there before these boys die?

God is preparing me now. This preparation for the foreign mission field is no different than that of a believer who will never be capable of leaving the US. It is the utter pursuit of Christ. The more you know someone, the more you act like them, respond like them, love like them. You pick up on their traits. This is my pursuit now. My preparation is does not need to be trying to equip myself with all the necessary skills. The diligent pursuit of becoming like Christ. Conforming to the image of the One with whom I must abide.

Surrender

Reblogged from Walking Worthy ~August 17, 2011

Surrender. It all comes down to surrender. Does anything we have in our lives actually belong to us? Did we decide on and create the people in our lives to custom fit our needs and our circumstances? No, of course not! Our all-knowing, wise Creator did! The people in our lives are gifts from God. They are instruments used for God purposes.

Surrender is key to Christ-centered relationships; so that when the time comes to let go, you already have. Now I am not saying that you should not love or even that you should love less. Of course that would be disobedience to Christ’s many commands to love one another and give thanks for each other. This does not mean you live at an arms distance either because the New Testament clearly demonstrates living life with each other and bearing each others’ burdens and joys. But the best love, what I believe to be the most Christ-glorifying love, is love with open hands. Holding loosely to the things and people God has entrusted to you.
This comes back to living with eternal perspective. Relationships, as we know them, are also temporary.

They serve eternal purpose and with believers they have an aspect which will last for an eternity. But that is the Christ-glorifying aspect! What we manage to accomplish in the slightest way here of centering our relationships around Christ is only a shadow of the purpose of our eternal relationships with other followers of Christ. John Piper writes in Don’t Waste Your Life about a plaque which hung in his home as a child. My sister also made me a replica of it which hangs over my bed. It reads, “Only one life twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last.”

If you live a life of constant surrender, you respond differently to God’s direction. Take possessions for example. If I have surrendered my possessions to God, then when something is stolen, sold, or given away it comes with ease and joy because I’ve already given it to God! It is His anyway. My life doesn’t fall apart at the loss of those things. Surrendering your possessions can be tough and has to be done every time you make a Christmas wish list or start packing for a big move. But something I believe is even harder to surrender than possessions is relationships. Relationships of all kinds – with our parents, with our friends, with our sisters and brothers, with our church family, with children, and with husbands.

Remember the idea of living with open hands. This is where holding loosely becomes so important. In receiving and giving of the things we’ve been entrusted with by God, keeping this “open hands” mindset gives freedom to live for eternal things. Again, this does NOT mean you do not love, invest in, cherish, and serve the people in your life; rather it means you do those things for the sheer glorification of Christ. If in Christ’s call for you to die to self and take up your cross, He requires you to go great distances from your family and friends or you lose a dear one to death or sickness, open hands enables you to trust God’s greater purpose and bigger plan. Great challenges and lose will come in our fallen world, ask God to instill this concept into your heart and life ahead of time.

For example, as a single I surrender my future husband to God. I hold loosely to him before I even know who he might be. Whether or not God chooses to give him to me or however long or short God allows me to have him before one of our deaths, I surrender him. I surrender my children, before I even have them. That means whether or not God allows me to have children, how long my children might live, and how they might obediently follow Christ in difficult or distant ways. I have neither husband nor children right now, but these are areas in my life that demonstrate the need to live with open hands. Even when God entrusts us with relationships for a season of our life, we are to receive, rejoice, and release- all with open hands.

What if we don’t surrender? Sometimes we turn the blessings from God into idols. We turn the things that God intended for us to use as tools for serving Him into things we serve instead of Him. This is no different from those mentioned in Romans 1 who traded worshipping the Creator for worshipping mere created things. Living continually with two open hands leaves no room for clinging to an idol or hiding it behind your back. Surrender has to be daily. We cannot muster up the ability to surrender. We must ask for it from God. The good news is- it is God’s desire too, and He will equip us and strengthen us each day!

August 1st Already?!?

Can anyone tell me how it got to be August 1st so fast?! Glory be to God for an absolutely incredible summer! The tables have turned for me through the years of coming to Ecuador. Five years ago on August 1st, I arrived in Ecuador for my first long stay of four months. I cried a lot that day and every single day for the next month! Now as my departure date has almost arrived, I am so sad to leave and the tears are for a new reason! This past Saturday night at dinner, the sadness set in. When I got back to my room that night, “I said, Okay God, you’ve got to help me here. I feel so sad and I’ve got to keep moving forward!” Our Heaven Father graciously comforted me with these words, “Katie, I have great things planned for you for your life. Just like I have here. I didn’t write a single pointless, purposeless chapter for your life. The next is rich with purpose just like this one has been. The best news is that I NEVER leave you alone for one chapter. I go with you through all the chapters. I wrote them. Rest in me. You’re sad because I created you to love. If you trust me, your sadness is even precious to me. I’ll hold you and guide you.” Thank you God for speaking to the depths of my heart! The same is true for you. Every facet of our lives as followers of Christ is rich with purpose. So live like it!

As you know (and prayed), I spent this past week in Salasaka working with First Baptist Church Rocky Mount. Let me say- THANK YOU for praying! God worked this week on His watch! The days were full of visits and building relationships with contacts from Rocky Mount’s last two trips in February & May. Let me give you a few highlights and a few beautiful people to pray for!

Daycare- We worked with the children and teacher at a daycare for two days. We

played games and told Bible stories to the children, and my personal favorite, we made friends with the four sweet women who work there. I got to help Anita in the kitchen and see little glimpses of her heart. Anita is not a follower of Christ. Her mother-in-law, who was a evangelical, just passed away. Anita made a clear distinction between her religion and her in-laws. Please pray for Anita’s salvation. Through my time in the kitchen with Anita, I found out about the hidden burden that one of the other teachers, Maricela, carried behind her soft smile and business with the children. Maricela’s mom died eight days before in childbirth. The baby died too. Maricela’s eleven year old sister Johanna has moved in with her, her husband, and their three year old little boy. Thanks be to God for His timing in our visit. One of the women on the team from Rocky Mount and I were able to share the Gospel with Maricela and Johanna in response to their grief. Their sweet hearts are broken and grieving. It is evident that God is working in Maricela’s heart.

Please pray for Maricela and Johanna. Pray that as these families grieve these deaths that the Great Comforter will show himself to them. Pray that they will chose to follow Jesus through this difficult time.

Francisco- A man who is hard and closed to the Gospel. An indigenous man who has worshipped Pachimama (Mother Earth) since he was a child. Worships regularly at a “holy place” on the mountains. He says he has been blessed and he is content with this practice. He sees division among other religions and has no desire to change. His face is solemn. His opinion strong. FBC Rocky Mount is faithful to love him anyway and continue to visit him every trip. Please pray for Francisco and his wife Anna Maria. Pray for the eyes of their hearts to be opened by the Holy Spirit and the consistence of Rocky Mount to soften his heart to true followers of Christ.

House Church- We had the privilege of visiting a house church, one that I visited five years ago. It was a joy to visit and encourage these brothers and sisters in Christ. What an encouragement they were to us! After sitting for two hours of listening to Bible teaching they were eager to continue for another hour or more!
When is the last time you sat in church and didn’t look at your watch when your stomach started growling? When is the last time you were so hungry for God’s Word that you would sit for hours just to hear it taught? I don’t know about you, but that was a convicting afternoon for me! Pray for our hunger for God’s Word to grow to such eagerness. Pray for Angel and this house church to continue on in obedience.

FBC Rocky Mount & Translators- Last thing- Please thank God with me for the incredible relationships developed this week within the team! Thank Him for their obedience and desire to serve Him by serving the people of Ecuador! What a blessing to serve with Wanda, Gretchen, Mike, Allison, James, Jimmy, Cecilia, Diego, and Aunt Ruby! Gracias a Dios por mis hermanos aqui!

I cannot begin to tell you everything. You’d likely grow tired of hearing the details, but be confident in this, God IS working in Ecuador. He is working in the people and He is working in me! I cannot image what my life would be like without having had the privilege of serving here this summer! God is not finished with me! And He’s not finished with you! Obedience prepares us for more obedience! There is more to come! In that there is great JOY!