WE are ENTRUSTED TO GIVE

Two brothers walked across the young earth, each carrying an offering for God. Cain, a farmer, brought some produce while Abel, a shepherd, brought the choicest animals from his herd. Together they presented their offerings. The Lord was pleased with Abel and his offering, but not with Cain and his offering (Genesis 4:2-5, NIV). God looked into their hearts and judged their offerings accordingly.

In Cain, God saw a man who considered himself owner of his crops. Cain took what he needed, but always gave the best first to God. We can describe Cain’s attitude and his offering as a "careless, thoughtless offering." In Abel, however, God saw a man with the heart of a steward or good manager of what was entrusted to him. Abel considered God the owner of his herd, so he gave back to God what was rightfully His. This attitude... that God is the owner of all we have... pleased God in the beginning and continues to please Him today.

Wealth and honor come from God, according to 1 Chronicles 29:12, and He rules over all things. In His hands are strength and power to exalt. We must master this truth and know that we are only managers of the money and possessions God has entrusted to us. As such, we must use them for His glory and to further His Kingdom.

In a society heavily laden with shopping channels, outlet malls and mega malls, changing our thinking about material possessions will require more than a little effort. We alone can't change ourselves, but God will gladly change us as we renew our minds by meditating on His Word. Consider spending serious time, maybe the next 30 days, meditating on 1 Chronicles 29:11,12 to develop the proper attitude towards financial faithfulness. Begin to think of what you have and possess as "the Lord's" instead of "my" or "mine" and acknowledging God's ownership of what you acquire each time you make a purchase. This personal practice will begin to transform your mind as the responsibility we all have towards the material possessions we have.

As stewards we have a manual, the Bible, that contains principles for giving, saving and spending. How believers are to view and use their material possessions is a pervasive theme throughout the Word of God. It contains more than 2,350 verses on handling money, for God is concerned with even the smallest details of our personal finances.

As in the case of the servants entrusted with wealth while their master was away (Matthew 25:14-30), our Master, too, will return to question us as to how we have used His possessions. If we are diligent and reliable in using the treasures (whether many or few) God has entrusted to us, our Master will say, "Well done, good and faithful servant."

As we think like faithful servants of the Master, our behavior changes. We look for ways to use our car or house or money to bring glory to God. If we know that the car we drive belongs to God, we use it generously to help friends and neighbors who need a ride. If we know that the house we live in belongs to God, we cheerfully open it to others who need a place to stay, or to host visiting missionaries. If we know that the money we have belongs to God, we use it to expand His kingdom because He desires that all men come to know Him.

This desire is God's priority and should be ours as well. While our personal funds might not be enough to tell the world about Christ, if we join others in giving to our churches missions fund, we can help tell many. Currently, Christians give just 2 percent of their income to Christian causes. And less than a tenth of a percent goes specifically to foreign missions. Not a ringing endorsement that we have gotten the message God wants us to understand.

God's Word teaches generous and sacrificial giving. "The early Christians did not limit themselves to the tithe: Acknowledging God's ownership of all their possessions, they gave with an abandonment produced by love. Those first believers must serve as examples for us today in their rich generosity despite extreme hardship and poverty. The tithe should serve as a starting point for giving. In our heart we must determine how generously and sacrificially we will give.

In Matthew 25:45, Jesus taught specifically about giving to the poor: "I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for Me" (NIV).

Jesus identifies with the poor, can we really do less? When we share with the poor, we are actually sharing with Jesus Himself. And if that truth is staggering for you, then the reciprocal has to be terrifying... when we do not give to the poor, we leave Christ Himself hungry and thirsty. No one really wants to be in such a desperate situation with the Living God.

The trick, and it’s a hard one, is not to hold on too tightly to earthly things. Jesus said, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matthew 6:19-21, NIV). Our cheerful generosity as we share with others leads to personal treasures in heaven.

But to give so that someone else can have more means that we might have less. And that can be scary. Giving requires faith that God will provide for our needs. For example, when difficult times hit you and your family, make it a point to keep your giving commitments despite periods of low or interrupted income. God is faithful, and with selfless giving you demonstrate complete faith that God will provide for your family. You may not be living in the lap of luxury, but God will be faithful in providing exactly what we need and when we need it.

As we faithfully give of our worldly treasures, acknowledging in our hearts that they belong to God, we are obedient and faithful stewards. And to God, obedience shows we love Him. Such faithfulness brings blessing, for God will use us to provide for someone else in need, just as He might use another to meet our need. And through it all, the kingdom of God advances.

Give to the Kingdom what is already His and do it with Passion, so that we may Not Hinder God’s Work in the world today!

SACRIFICE for GOD is NEVER in VAIN

In 1904, William Whiting Borden, then heir to the famous Borden dairy fortune, graduated from high school in Chicago Illinois. As a graduation gift, his parents sent him on a cruise around the world. While on this cruise, God began to open William's eyes and heart to the masses of unsaved people around the world. William wrote to his mother about his desire to be a missionary. In one of his early letters he wrote, “I think God is calling me to be a missionary.” In his final letter he wrote, “I know God is calling me to be a missionary.” One friend expressed amazement that William was throwing his life away by choosing to become a missionary.

When he returned home, William enrolled in Yale University, where he was instrumental in starting campus prayer and Bible study groups and evangelism initiatives. He also worked with the least of these on the streets of New Haven and founded Yale Hope Mission. Henry Wright, a professor at Yale, said, “It is my firm conviction that the Yale Hope Mission has done more to convince all classes of men at Yale of the power and practicability of Christianity to regenerate individuals and communities than any other force in the University.” While in school, William renounced his fortune in favor of missions and wrote two words in the flyleaf of his Bible - No Reserves. William wanted to live by faith and trust God for everything in his life.

William attended a Student Volunteer Movement conference in Nashville, where he learned about the great number of Muslims in China. He felt God wanted him to go to China, where he hoped to work with Muslims. When he graduated from Yale, he had many lucrative job offers, including the opportunity to take over the multi-million dollar family business. However, he was determined to fulfill God's call to serve as a missionary. Once again, he opened his Bible to the flyleaf and wrote two more words - No Retreats.

In the fall of 1909 he was twenty-one years old and a seminarian at Princeton Seminary. By 1912, William Borden was twenty-five years old. He had completed a trip around the world, earned his B.A. at Yale, and his M.A. at Princeton Seminary. It was time to leave his family fortune behind and pursue his calling to minister to the Muslims in China.

William set sail for China on Dec. 17, 1912. Part of his plan included a stop-over in Egypt to study Arabic so he would be better equipped to work with Muslims. While in Egypt, William contracted spinal meningitis and died on April 9, 1913, at the age of 25. Years of training, a promising future, and William never made it to China. Charlie Campbell, one of William's closest friends from college, received his Bible after his death. When he opened it, he found what William had written in the flyleaf. In addition to the words No Reserves and No Retreats that William had jotted down during his college days, he found two more words that William had written just before he died - No Regrets.

Although William Borden never made it to the mission field in China, he touched hundreds of students at Yale University and Princeton Seminary who when on to become missionaries. Because of his families wealth and noteriety, the news of his death was published all over the world and many people wrote letters to his family expressing how their lives had been influenced by William's story of faith and commitment to the cause of Christ. His story continues to inspire selfless service for the cause of Christ.

Some will say William Borden’s life was wasted, futile, accomplishing nothing more than death at a young age. Borden, an heir to great wealth, rejected a life of ease in order to bring the gospel to Muslims both in Egypt and eventually in China. He refused even to buy himself a car during his college and seminary years, and gave away hundreds of thousands of dollars to the work of missions. He understood what many of us seem slow to comprehend... as 2 Corinthians 4:18 admonishes us.... "We fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen; For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

William’s life did not leave lives untouched. Even though he never made it to China, by God’s grace, he was given a burden for missions which led him to study at Yale and in turn his passion inspired hundreds of students to take up the call of missions. Numerous memorials were held all over the world after his death, all packed with people who heard the inspired story of his short life. Even in death, William Borden sowed the seeds of the gospel... that others would cultivate and harvest. In God’s plan no one is ever wasted. In Isaiah 55:8 we are told, “for my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.”

Even today,nearly 100 years after his untimely death, William Borden continues to inspire those who seek to serve in the mission field. As believers may we truthfully confess with William Borden, No Reserves... No Retreats... and No Regrets.

"Do not put out the Spirit's fire." -- 1 Thessalonians 5:19

DISCERNING YOUR GIFTS FOR GOD'S SERVICE

We often ask others and we also look introspectively into ourselves to know the will of God for our lives. What does He want me to do? We often miss the obvious, His Will is written into our very nature. The matrix for serving Him is already in us, in the form of our skills and talents or gifts.  When we understand from Scripture what God’s Will is, then His purpose for “you” becomes much more discernible and clear, as to how we can use our gifts serving Him.

Are you looking for help discovering or better understanding your gifts?  You can discover Kingdom work and service that is meaningful and rewarding once you recognize how your talents can be used to further the Great Commission. All God wants is for you to be willing to use your gifts for Him. Even with your willingness, He let’s you make the choice as to what you want to to do. Once you begin responding with what you already have in God-given abilities, the Holy Spirit will work in you to match your skills and talents to the needs of the Kingdom.

Are you an English teacher or do you aspire to be one? Then why not teach English using the gospel in some far off mission field? Are you a passionate communicator? Then maybe you should be praying for God to open the way for you to become a preacher. See, it’s really easy to figure out how God can use you... just think about what you do well, those things are your gifts, and then think how you can use what you do well in Kingdom service. God does want to see evidence of your passion and desire to use your gifts for Him. Half-hearted lip-service about maybe doing this or that won’t get you much help from the Holy Spirit in shaping you for service.

Remember, your gifts are already in you. Identify them and see how they can match up to the needs of the Kingdom. Pray about your desire to use your gifts in a way that will please and glorify God. Be patient. Be alert and watch for opportunities to come your way. Most likely, they will come to you from within the context of your congregation and fellowship. Small steps and your willing heart empowered by the guiding Holy Spirt will lead you to accomplish great things for the Kingdom. Serving God is really very simple. It just takes a willing heart!

Seeking and Sowing... Anywhere, Everywhere.

Maybe you know a missionary couple who have toiled for decades in a far away country and ended up with precious little to show for their labors.

You know them to be be hard working and faithful in their efforts to evangelize the gospel. They've preached faithfully and passionately for years but hardly anyone came to hear and even fewer gave their lives to Christ.

Some church people will think such a couple could have spent their lives in more productive places. With few results to show for their efforts, many will say they were wasting valuable time and they could have moved on to another, more fruitful field. For a dedicated couple in lifelong mission work, “each day” of their lives is a day of renewal and hopeful expectation for the people they minister to... that today, or tomorrow, or the next day will be the day they accept Jesus as Savior.

What would say to such a missionary couple? What would you tell them to do? All Christians are evangelists and missionaries. There is no “observer” section in this stadium, we are all on the field charged with preaching the gospel. How are we as ambassadors of Christ to take His gospel to the world? Just how and where should we sow the seed of God's Word?

According to the gospels, the Parable of the Sower recorded in the synoptic gospels at Mark 4:1-20, Matthew 13:1-23, and Luke 8:1-15 was an important story told by Jesus that defines our role and actions as His ambassadors.

Clearly at the time of the telling, like so many of Jesus parables, not everybody who heard it understood its meaning. Not even the apostles, whom we should view as the world's first missionaries understood its meaning. Like them, we tend to think this story is all about the different “soils.” There are different kinds of hearts who hear the gospel, Jesus explains, and the gospel grows best in fertile, receptive fields. So, as some have argued, this parable invites us to cast the seed of God's word on good soil... to preach the word to people who are most likely to be receptive and believe.

Church growth experts, church planters and missiologists say we should be looking for the most fruitful fields... places that are most likely to yield the best harvest, to give us the best return on our investment of kingdom resources. Sounds like a very sound strategy doesn’t it?

However, it is interesting to note that Jesus does not call this the “parable of the soils”. He calls it the “Parable of the Sower ”. Rather than just focusing on the different types of ground that receive the seed of the Word, Jesus invites us to pay special attention to the one who sows it.

When we do this we are confronted by a surprising, even somewhat scandalous perception. The sower is hardly a conventional farmer. Instead of carefully choosing only the best soil and meticulously preparing it for the planting process, the sower in the parable just randomly and recklessly begins to cast seed. Anywhere and everywhere. He casts it as if he had a never-ending supply, as if he didn't care where it fell. He casts it on the sidewalk, he casts it in the weed-infested vacant lot, he casts it in the sight of hungry birds. Now here’s the key to the parable... the sower does it intentionally, purposefully, knowing full well that most of his precious seed is falling on unreceptive soil. Who is this Sower and what it the world could he be thinking?

Ask any experienced farmer and they will tell you that no one would plant seed in that way. In the time of Jesus, seed was expensive and the pressure to produce a good harvest was great for these poor Judean families. Good seed should never be “wasted” on “bad soil” would have been the first reaction to hearing this parable by any Jewish farmer of that day. Probably a lot of head scratching was going on trying to figure out what Jesus was talking about. Most probably thought this “sower” to be a foolish farmer with little or no experience. But... is he?

Maybe the sower knows something about the seed and the soils that we simply have a hard time comprehending and accepting. Even today, with our sophisticated church planting and evangelical strategies, we often ignore an important aspect of what we’re doing and for whom we are doing it. The power of God, the power of the gospel message and the hearts of men can coalesce to overpower any of our slick strategies and techniques.

Conventional farming, the kind that we are inclined to do, saves the seed for the best fields–-the good, receptive soil that promises to yield the biggest crop. But it seems that in kingdom planting the seed is extravagantly scattered on everyone, regardless of how shallow, hard or weed-infested the recipient lives may be. In conventional farming the soil is carefully selected and cultivated using the best, most proven methods to guarantee a harvest. But in kingdom farming the sowing is done with loving, non-discriminating abandon, knowing that the harvest is guaranteed by a God who promised that his word would not return to him empty. (Isaiah 55:11)

When we understand this, our evangelism is driven by a totally new and different dynamic. Rather than depending upon ourselves and the genius of our own strategies, we learn to depend upon our God and the irrevocable guarantee of his promises.

Rather than worrying about being successful and living up to human expectations, we are free to be sacrificial and thereby meet the expectations of God. Rather than deferring to the path of least resistance, we are free to pursue the path of the greatest need. Rather than focusing on where we can find the most good, we can focus on where we can do the most good.

It's not easy sowing seed on hard soil. That's why so few people attempt it today. It's risky business for churches to support such ventures. Those who are willing to do it are often misunderstood and even criticized, most of that criticism ironically coming from within the body or community of Christ they depend on for support and encouragement. Supporters want to see results... souls saved. The visible indicators expressed in a growing number of baptisms, year after year. Mission minded Christians after all, should go where the opportunities are and stay away from hard soil. We are concerned about how we look to the watching world. It's hard to look “holy” when you are up to your elbows in hard soil–rubbing shoulders with people living in sin who care for nothing about Jesus and the Gospel. Good people, holy people, just don't hang out with folk like that. This might sound harsh and critical, but one only needs to look at the work of evangelism in the world today to see such attitudes.

By now you might be thinking, “How idealistic, how wonderfully theoretical. But it just doesn't work like that in the real world.” Are you certain about that... or have you forgotten the stories from the Bible? Oh, and don’t forget Church History. Some of the gospel's greatest harvests have come out of the hardest, most unreceptive soil.

We know ONE who trusted that seed cast anywhere and everywhere would produce fruit. Jesus, the Christ. He was the holiest person who ever lived. In fact this Sower went out of his way to sow seed on hard soil and in the process showed us what true holiness is... not the holiness of religious propriety, but the holiness of unqualified devotion to God's calling and unconditional love for all people. Even Jesus trusted in God the Father to bring forth the harvest. He did... and He is.

And that's what evangelism is really all about. Missions is not about the good taking the gospel to the worthy. It is about the loving taking the gospel to the lost. The world will not be won by the holiness of the church. It will be won by the love of the church... the people of God willing to sow the seeds of truth anywhere and everywhere. It will be won when the church learns to love people like Jesus loved them, when like this Sower, we passionately cast the seed of God's word on all kinds of soil... all the time.

All the great missionaries, whose lives and ministries inspire us, understood this basic principle. They knew that there was no heart so hard, no culture so resistant that it could not be penetrated by the supernatural seed of God's word. So rather than avoiding hard soil, they sought it out and spent their lives casting seed. It’s a really good thing to think and act like an unconventional sower. There are no boundaries, no barriers, no resistance that should ever hold us back from casting the seeds of salvation to a lost and suffering world. Our job is to sow the seed. God will make it grow and bear fruit.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him might not perish but have everlasting life.”

He who has ears, let him hear.

GIVING in Hard Times... and the Power of One

"If there is a poor man among your brothers in any of the towns of the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother. Rather be openhanded and freely lend him whatever he needs.... Give generously to him and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land." (Deuteronomy 15:7-15 NIV)

" ... But just as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us—see that you also excel in this grace of giving ... " 2 Corinthians 8:7, 13-14 (NIV)

Surviving these hard economic times is what most of us are concerned about these days. Hanging on to our jobs, learning to adjust to salary cuts and unpaid leave, holding on to enough of our resources so we can pay our bills has become our obsession.

In many ways these are good times for America and much of the industrialized world, because all of us are rethinking excessive life-styles we have lived for so long. Excess and self-indulgence was considered normal everyday life in America. Two of everything, more of that, lavish vacations, personal spending, pursuit of things and stuff... was the everyday expectation for most Americans.

Times have changed and with change comes an opportunity to recalibrate our minds and hearts. Now we see the simple things growing in value. Time for each other, personal reflection, family and friends, and it seems everyone is spending less by necessity and saving more. These are good things for everyone.

What about those in need? The needy of our world are still with us... there needs today are as real and urgent as they were one or two years ago in our time of abundance.

None of us need to be told that we're living in tough economic times. And if these are hard times for us, it’s even harder for those who depend upon charitable giving to survive. Christian missions are fueled by contributions from western nations like America. For decades we have been supporting the Great Commission through our giving and we’ve seen remarkable results created for God’s Kingdom out of our dollars.

Christians are called on by command of our Lord... to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the sick, set free the oppressed to care for widows and orphans and support the missionaries who we have sent around the globe to preach the gospel.
People on the margins face empty shelves at food pantries and the feeding kitchens in hard hit regions across America and around the globe are trying to make do with sharply decreased donations. In difficult times as we are experiencing, we tend to horde our resources driven by fear and the uncertainty of our own financial well-being.

Hoarding what we can give to hedge against an uncertain future won’t help those in need. Without the fuel of money in the form of our contributions, missions efforts around the world will grind to a halt. How does our faith speak to this dilemma? How can our faith help us?

Rethink the way we give in support of missions. It’s really a one-part solution. Start and end by trusting God. God actually challenges us to give in times like this. In Malachi chapter 3 God says, "You are robbing me . . . with your tithes and offerings! . . . Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in my house, and thus put me to the test, . . . see if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down an overflowing blessing."

Imagine putting God to the test by giving even more, especially in these hard economic times. God's promises that we will receive an overflowing of blessing. How hard it is to give with only the promise of a blessing. And what kind of a blessing will it be? I know... this is where fear enters our minds in the form of “reality” and helps us build the excuses and justifications for why we can’t give anymore or any at all, until the economy improves.

One to Many? God is the “one” who can cause blessings to pour forth upon his faithful followers. He expects us to try and find sustainable ways to help those in need. He knows our burdens and understands our fears in uncertain times. For us, we need to accept that His blessings may not accrue to us in the form we hope for. Blessings might be something as simple, and yet spiritually powerful, as knowing that you and everyone else found a way to meet the needs of those in need. Participation motivated from a cheerful heart is pleasing to God. We might not see it as the blessing we desired, but as God continues to mold and transform us –– sacrificial giving is cornerstone of building character and a rich blessing.

Many to One? It is very challenging for a small number of givers to carry the burdens of mission giving. Sometimes, giving to missions is shouldered by as few as two or three families in a congregation. Local charitable outreach, whether through money or volunteering of time is also supported by very few. We Christians are many. A congregation of 100, 200 or 300 members is far more powerful in potential giving than one, two or three people. Let me illustrate what I mean.

Let’s say that a missionary your congregation supports needs $3,000.00 immediately for repairs to an essential vehicle. If a few contribute to this need in a congregation of 200, the burden might be several hundred or thousands of dollars from the small group of giving families. In a tight economy that is likely a financial burden. However, if the congregation is presented the need with encouragement for every family to share in the “mission of God”, then the burden can be distributed across more families. A per family share might be $50 or less based on the number of member families who can give. I know this may sound unrealistic based on your prior experience with such initiatives, but have you really used the Bible to teach the principles God has given us to share in the support of His Great Commission? You probably have. Well don’t give up teaching the principles. The Great Commission is our prime directive from Christ... the local and global mission of the gospel belongs to Him. Keep admonishing the body of believers to accept responsibility for their share of this urgent Kingdom work. In time, with prayer and the urging by the Holy Spirit people will open up and give to meet the needs of God’s work. Many to one, everyone participating in caring for the needs of the needy is a rich blessing from God.

Trust will conquer our Fear
The typical response to giving from many Christians today is anchored in our fear of the unknown. It really is trust in God... who knows what we can’t see and don’t know... our fear of those future events and circumstances yet to happen in our lives.

Make giving a spiritual exercise. I know that’s hard to do because by nature we are cowards. We normally give out of our abundance - the leftovers, after all the bills and "wants and needs" are paid and satisfied. Statistics validate that we rarely put church or charitable giving first in our family budgets. Why? Because we don't trust God.

Giving in hard times is not something we have had to face very often. Abundance has been our shelter. We have personal expectations about our needs and wants and they rarely match God’s. We don’t have the faith that God will provide enough to satisfy what we want. He has promised to meet our needs. But there is a big difference between what we perceive as our needs and what we want. So we mitigate our fear by hanging on to what we think will be the difference, hoarding our money so what God provides... short of our expectations, will be made up by our hoarded cash.

That attitude is a perfect foundation for putting God to the test. Remember, God’s blessing might not be what you expect. Money is not going to mysterious appear in your bank account... you won’t be finding envelopes full of cash on the sidewalk.

But... if you trust God, if you participate with your brothers in providing for the needs of others, God can change your attitudes about what you think is important to you. In fact, rather quickly in your “test of God” you will begin to see how those treasured desires, hobbies, vacations or whatever passion you pursue, is not all that important anymore. Your passion shifts to the “things of God”. You will be more curious about finding ways to help others advance the gospel and meet the needs of the less fortunate. Surprisingly, your money goes further than you ever though it could! That’s because you trusted God to reorient your priorities and recalibrate your values and now you see clearly through eyes of trust and faith in God’s promises. This might be the one time you can truly say... I have may cake and can eat it too!

Trust God. Test His promise. You will soon discover that the boat you thought you had to have, or the cabin by the lake, or the hordes of cash to cushion you through the economic hard times are not all that important anymore.

Don’t be afraid to give to the Mission of God. He will richly bless you and your life will never be the same.
Until next time.

Dream Big Dreams... Embracing the God-Inspired Plan for your Life

There is no magic in small plans. When you consider the ministry opportunities that exist in your neighborhood, your community and even your own family, you must think of the world.  Each opportunity is connected to the other.   Anything less than that would not be worthy of Christ nor His will for the life of one of His followers. (Acts 1:8) Our Lord and Savior thinks we’re capable of doing big things.  So... why aren’t we able to see our own potential in and through Him?  

Fear ran rampant when the economy took its downturn. Everywhere we turned, we encountered bad economic news. The tendency has been to hunker down, play it safe, and think small. Pursuing dreams is something one does only in good economic times.  

We need to be wise, not foolish, in the life choices we make. And yet, we must resist the temptation to think that God and His unlimited resources are in some way affected by the mortgage industry, the rising unemployment rate, and the stock market. God is sovereign, all-powerful, and completely capable of supplying us with all we need to do what He calls us to do. Perhaps what we need is a fresh invitation to pursue a God-sized vision for our lives.

What is a “Christian Vision”?
Think of vision for this discussion, as our God-given ability to picture things in our minds that are not yet reality. For example, a couple envisions opening their home to foster children. A medical student visualizes treating patients after completing education to become a doctor. You get the idea.  Your dreams and the process of preparation to acquire the needed skills are envisioned in a future reality.  A vision is a picture or idea of how God could use your gifts and your life to meet needs and accomplish his purposes.   His purpose for all of his followers is no secret and everyone qualifies to participate.  (Matthew 28:19-20; James 1:27)

Unlike a purely secular play in ones personal vision of dreams for the future, a Christian vision is inspired directly or indirectly by the call of God to embrace his commands, which is our ultimate work in His purpose. Christian vision is a combination of imaginative seeing that combines the insight of faith, which goes to the core of things below surface reality to the depths of our hearts, and the foresight of faith, which transcends the present with the power of a possible future.  There’s the dream... as if co-authored by “you and God”.   This combining of the not-yet-combined is the secret of visionary faith.... Dreamers come into their own and stay on course when they follow the calling of Christ. 

There is no magic formula, no specialized calling from God other than what He has explained to all of us through his Word.  Everyone can dream big dreams, accomplish great things for the Lord... because out of an honest and pure heart, he will empower and equip each one of us by the Holy Spirit to preach salvation in favorable times and bring honor and glory to Him through our faithful steadfastness, obedience and perseverance.  In short... keep on keepin’ on!

Unleash the Vision within You!
In the secular world of business, career driven professionals have a vision for their lives and live by a preprogrammed plan that moves them towards achieving their ultimate goal––usually fame, or fortune or financial prosperity or all of these things.  In contrast, Christians will often have no compelling vision of what God is calling them to do with the time He has given them on this earth. The business professional is driven by a vision, fraught at best with uncertainty, but driven they are to succeed.  Christians who already know the outcome of God’s eternal plan, know the power and resources at their disposal and know how to tap this vast unlimited power, can’t seem to craft a vision consistent with God’s purpose.  Many reasons... they may feel stagnant, frustrated, depressed, bored, underutilized and purposeless.   So how can you move toward a purposeful life that uses your gifts to make a difference in this world?

The first essential is to risk enlarging your perspective of how God wants to use your life.  Allow yourself to envision a “God-sized” response to what you already know and understand about your relationship with Him. Such a response, while certainly in the context of your “personal choice” is one that you cannot accomplish with your own power and resources.  A God-sized response, by definition, requires God’s power and resources to succeed. He has chosen to only respond through each one of individually based on our willingness to allow Him to influence our life vision.  God has given you gifts and abilities to be used in your family, your neighborhood, your career, your church, your community, and the world at large.  He expects you to join Him in arranging to deploy those talents and capabilities to accomplish great things for Him.  

The visions that God creates in our hearts and minds are always beyond what we feel is possible. Our first reaction and one that usually sustains our thinking, is the task always appears to be out of reach and beyond our ability.  Why do we think that?  It’s because the vision is beyond our ability.  God-ordained, God-inspired visions are always too big for us to handle. The problem for us... we stop and don’t move ahead because we don’t “trust God” enough to be our source of strength and power in unfolding His vision into Our reality. Don’t be too quick to disagree with that statement.   Think about your own life experiences and see if the “trust” factor [in God] is as strong as you think it is or it should be.  Your honest assessment on this point will likely disappoint you.

The second essential is to risk taking a few steps in faith to fully discover how God’s vision for your life, the one you and He have crafted together can begin to unfold. Many of us live as though we are waiting for God to send us his vision for our life via fax, e-mail, or some supernatural revelation—spelling out the actions we are to take in step-by-step detail. We also may want this divine message to include an ironclad guarantee that we will be safe from risk, financially secure, and successful in the eyes of all onlookers as we carry out this heavenly plan for our lives.  Not, I say not going to happen.  God does not work that way with us. Remember that “trust factor”?  This lack of trust and fear is why countless visions born in the hearts of Christians never come to reality.

God gives us enough to work with him in faith.   God help us to create the mental images, the vision, along with compelling ideas of how our gifts can be used to meet needs in the world.  The vision gives us enough direction to step out in obedience and faith, but it doesn’t give all the details or any guarantees about the outcome.  

God’s Plan for Your Life... get on with it!
God-sized visions can be of differing dimensions and degrees of visibility. God might call one person to develop a global worldwide evangelism ministry that has an impact on millions; he might call another to start an outreach Bible study in a neighborhood.  In one person God might instill a vision that uses innovative ways to collect food in the community and distribute it through local ministries. In another person, the vision God plants may be one of making his church’s food bank more organized, efficient, and effective.  You know what God wants... He has clearly spelled out our mission through His admonishments and commands in the New Testament.  The specific details of a God-sized vision are not always so easily discerned... that takes trust and faith.  You have to start the journey before you will know the details. Know this.... God wants you to trust him and He wants you to do great things for His Kingdom!  Really, what more could you ask or hope for in your life?
 
Most of us will never be called to develop and lead an international organization. Maybe not, but you will never discover how God has created you to be used in this world, until you step out in faith to pursue a God-given dream. But how do you know if your dream is from the Lord?

One test... is that all God-inspired visions of your calling always involve doing the work of God’s kingdom as the ultimate goal. God-inspired visions bring glory to God... not you.  God's ultimate plan for your life reaches beyond the visions He's given you for your family, business, ministry, and finances.  He has positioned you in your culture as a singular point of light. A beacon in a world that desperately needs to see something divine, something that is clearly not of this world.  Until you allow your God-inspired vision to unfold... it is nothing more than "potential" light with potential to reflect the power and glory of the Divine. It’s your choice... your trust... your faith... that makes it happen.

Risk Trusting God
From our human perspective, stepping out in faith to work at a God-given calling feels like a risk beyond our comprehension. From God’s perspective, trusting Him in faith is the only way to live our lives. You will only discover what God has created you to do when you “risk” following Him rather than playing it safe. 

God is faithful, and He is creative, often surprising us in how He works in our lives. As workers for God we have to learn to make room for Him—to give God elbow room.   How?  Keep your life so constant in its contact with God that His surprising power may break out on the right hand and on the left.  Trust him...  you’ll be the first to know where, when and what He’s doing.   Always be in a state of expectancy, and see that you leave room for God to come in as He likes and when He choses.

When the world is in a state of flux, as it is now... remember to trust Scripture instead of the news you read about the state of the world.  Remember that you have been designed for a purpose. And, remember that “with God, nothing is impossible” (Luke 1:37). In spite of the economy or your circumstances, you can discover and live your God-given calling, and experience the purposefulness and joy that comes from doing the things you were created to do.   God must do the marketing for Nike.... “just do it”!

Road Blocks on the Informaiton Super Highway...

Today, it is easier than ever to stay connected with people all around the world. The Internet has brought humanity closer together in ways we could not have imagined 20 years ago. Websites, Email, Blogs, Twitter and the ability to transfer information anywhere, anytime, is now normal communication.

Is “big brother” watching? Probably. The most used and preferred form of global communication is still email. It offers text capacity, multiple recipients and the ability to add attachments. And it’s easy to track from sender to recipient.

The reality is this: When you send emails to missionary friends in foreign countries with repressive governments, especially those not real fond of Christianity, “big brother” is probably watching. Watching the frequency of your communications, reading the content of your messages and potentially tracking the activities of your friend.

When you think of what we do so naturally and consider as normal communication, it should give us pause when a simple email could compromise the safety and security of our missionary friends living in repressive countries.

The Countries of Concern: include Belarus, Burma (Myanmar), China, Cuba, Eritrea, India, Iran, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Liberia, North Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Zimbabwe, Turkmenistan and Vietnam. U.S.-made computer products and filtering software are actually helping these repressive countries control what their citizens can do on the Internet. The issue is getting wider attention, as more and more people around the globe are accessing the World Wide Web for email and other forms of commuication.

Why do these countries seek to block access to the internet and control the flow of information? Truth. The power of simple truth is threatening to repressive regimes. They don’t want common citizens to know too much about the outside world. Information is power in the hands of restless people. For countries that want to control what its population thinks, governments must impose strict controls on mass media and the internet to maintain their repressive regimes.

In the old days, when mass media was dominated by print and broadcast outlets, such countries could easily restrict access or distribution. Now, the Internet and new communication technologies like Twitter are giving repressive governments new headaches. You don’t just unplug the worldwide web, the global Internet framework, from a power source like you would a personal computer.

How can Christians everywhere safeguard their communications with missionaries and those we assist and support in these aforementioned countries of concern? Is it possible to use current technology to make it harder if not impossible for government watch groups to monitor email communications? The answer is yes!

What makes this even more plausible... the software is FREE and can be downloaded to your computer and if need be, you can even zip up the file and send it to your friend in a foreign country if they can’t easily download it. Let me explain how this works.

The concept is called Onion Routing.
Onion routing is a technique that allows for anonymous communication over a computer network. Messages are repeatedly encrypted and then sent through several network nodes called onion routers. Each onion router removes a layer of encryption to uncover routing instructions, and sends the message to the next router where this is repeated. This prevents intermediary nodes from knowing the origin, destination, and contents of the message. It’s that simple. The onion router or Tor, is an open network software that helps defend against any form of network surveillance that threatens personal freedom, privacy and relationships, by thwarting various forms of traffic analysis.

Onion routing can prevent the most commonly used methods of technical Internet censorship such as: IP address blocking; DNS filtering and rediection; URL and packet filtering; connection and web feed blocking and Reverse surveillance.

You can install Tor... The Onion Router, on your personal computer free of charge. To learn how Tor can protect the privacy of your communications with other Christians and Missionaries living in repressive countries... visit the website: www.torproject.org