Mentoring At A Distance

The One Who Left Too Soon

Scripture:

“As He was setting out on a journey, a man ran up to Him and knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone.
“You know the commandments, ‘DO NOT MURDER, DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, DO NOT STEAL, DO NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS, Do not defraud, HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER.’” And he said to Him, “Teacher, I have kept all these things from my youth up.”
Looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him and said to him, “One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” But at these words he was saddened, and he went away grieving, for he was one who owned much property” ( Mark 10:17-22).

Observation:
This young man could have been the 13th disciple of Christ!  What an invitation, but at the mention of the requirement to become a “steward” rather than an “owner,” he balked and left.

But he left too soon.

Jesus requires that same thing of anyone who would follow Him… to no longer be “owners” but rather “stewards.”  What I have is no longer my own.  My life, my mind, my computer, my skills and my talents are no longer “mine.” I may use them and enjoy them, but they are His!  My abilities, my money, even my potential… all are no longer mine, but His to use for His purposes only. 

But here’s the interesting thing about it all… this “could-have-been disciple” left too soon.  He didn’t read verse 29 and 30!  It defines those who have left if all to follow Him. Read what it says!

Jesus said, “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel’s sake, but that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life.

You see, when you give everything into His hands, you don’t lose a thing!  When you follow Him, He takes what you have and He actually multiplies it back for you to steward.  He did that with the feeding of the multitudes.  He took all they had: two fish and five loaves.  And when we give Him our store of what we once “possessed,” He will bless it, break it, and multiply it back!

Nothing we ever give Him is wasted. It is multiplied, but that can only happen if we relinquish “ownership” and receive the assignment of “stewardship.”

So, here are the questions:

• Do I want ownership, or do I want fruitfulness?
• Do I want to control a molehill or steward a city, a state, a nation?
• Do I want to possess a mud hole or dwell in His temple?
• Do I want to hoard for my myself my own Zippo lighter, or do I want to dwell under His Glory?

I think I will opt for stewardship rather than ownership, and follow Him!

Prayer:
“Father, all I have is yours.  How glad I am to give you my feeble remains in order that I may gain your eternal treasures. Nothing I relinquish is ever lost, but if I hang onto it, it will be. In your hands, it is multiplied!  I will use what I have been given as a steward and for Your purposes. In Jesus Name, Amen!”

Fun Factor vs. Fear Factor

God gives us tons of opportunities in life; times when we have a choice to do it or not, to charge or stay the safe route, for life or for abundant life. Go for it! Charge it all the way!

Last weekend I played the congas with the band on stage. I don’t know how to play those things! But I did anyway.

Of course, I have a little musical experience and less rhythm (smile!) so I had a general idea of what I was doing. But I could’ve been afraid and never tried it. Life would’ve gone on just fine… except that I would never have had so much fun!

Too many times we (especially in ministry) play to the “Fear Factor.” We’re afraid to do something new. We fear failing, we fear falling on our faces, we fear messing up. That’s when we need to remember the “Fun Factor”!

Make sure you’re still having fun in ministry. Keep it alive, fresh, even (gasp!) edgy! And replace the typical “fear factor” for a much more refreshing “fun factor”!

Go bongo on congas!

LD 101: "Friction on the Team"

"Some of the best leaders watch for, and deal with friction in a gracious, kind way."

We want to make sure that our teams are working well together, that they’re having good relationships with one another:

· Is there an edge? An “elephant in the room” where people don’t feel comfortable talking?

· Is there indirect bad talking? Even gossiping?

Do not be passive about it! Many times as Christians we think, “Oh, well, it will pass. They’ll work it out.” Or, “Since it’s not really hurting anyone & no one’s complaining…” No! Do NOT be passive.

Do you know what being passive leads to? It breeds future wars! It breeds dissension, even discontent!

We must be diligent leaders with a heart for the people who watch for friction on our teams and deal with them graciously, kindly & promptly. Do not just let it slide or you’ll see it disintegrate an entire ministry!

Become a true team leader!
Watch out for people frictions that lead to destruction. Always have your radar up… And deal with it! With graciousness and kindness. But deal with it!

God in Japan!

Aloha-gozaimasu!
I am writing from Tokyo, Japan where I am meeting with New Hope Japan's churches. With our newest plant in Osaka, we have nine churches. The leaders are growing and the churches are getting stronger by the week. New Hope Tokyo has over 300 attendees with nearly 1000 that attended their Christmas services!

Talo Sataraka, the Samoan born, Japanese hearted pastor of New Hope Tokyo, oversees our Japan churches. He has a vision for a dozen more churches to be planted and a Taiwan extension. He leaves in a few days on a fact-finding tour to the country.

It was a joy to meet with over 60 leaders from the New Hope International churches. Several from each attended our leadership dinner where I spoke to them on vision, longevity, priorities, and how to overcome weariness.

Sapporo is my next stop as I visit with Pastor Shingo Baba, his wife Akiko, and their two magnificent children, both of whom are helping in the ministry. Kotaro, Pastor Baba's son, helps with programming, speaking, and drumming. Tatae teaches hula, sign and oversees the arts portion of the ministry.

Pray for Japan that God will reach the more that 125 million here. Of those, less than one percent are Christians. We have much work ahead of us, but what a joy it is to partner with great churches in bringing New Hope to Asia!

If you are hearing the Lord speak to your heart about missions, please contact the New Hope International office at (808) 842-4242. We have internships available for qualified missionaries who have a calling.

Directing Our Hearts

What is “the heart”? We hear so much about it – “have a little heart,” “heart and soul,” or “How’s your heart?” But when it comes down to it, what exactly are we talking about?

You can do something with “all of your heart” and then on the other hand you can have “a deceived heart” – a bad heart, a wicked heart, a deceptive heart, a worldly heart, a straying heart. How can we begin to make sense of it all?

Well, first of all, every human being has a physical organ called a heart. And then you have a heart that you can’t see – the heart from which flow all of your affections, emotions and values. This is your “heart of hearts,” and you can’t see that.

Man’s spiritual heart is what God checks because out of it flow the issues of life. He evaluates to see if it’s healthy, and if it’s doing what it’s supposed to, and in the right way. Because, you see, there is more to us than just a physical heart. There is a spiritual heart.

I found a wonderful example of a spiritual heart in David who was said to be “a man after God’s own heart.” It’s possible that we, too, can have a heart after God’s own heart. It’s not a physical heart, but it’s a heart in which everything functions perfectly. In fact, the Bible says, “David was someone who walked with a perfect heart before God.”

I remember reading that and thinking, Oh, Lord, is there a way to make a perfect heart? Man looks on the outer appearance, but God looks on the heart. That’s it! It’s about a good heart before God!

And then something struck me. In our nation, one of the top three killers of men and women is heart disease. And I wondered, Is there a correlation, God? I wonder if our national condition somehow correlates with our spiritual heart?

Let’s take a look at Scripture to learn some ways to strengthen our heart into perfect hearts. So, what’s the first thing God is going to say to us in developing a perfect heart?

• ESTABLISH ETERNAL VALUES.
  Establish values that are God’s values because they are ones that will last for all eternity. Have nothing to do with worldly values! Instead, develop and establish eternal values in your life.

“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” (Matt. 6:19-21 NIV).

• Value what God values.
• Our heart will attach itself to what we place value on.
• Our inner man must discern our eternal values.
  Be passionate in life but just make sure you’re passionate about the right thing!

• DIRECT YOUR HEART TO GOD’S WAYS.
  Don’t let your heart direct you; you direct your heart! When your heart starts to stray, say, “No!” and immediately re-direct your heart to God’s ways. If not, it won’t be long until you’re in deep weeds.

“Listen, my son and be wise, and direct your heart in the way” (Prov. 23:19).

Scripture tell us to “direct your heart in the way” because it understands that our hearts have a tendency to go off track. And sometimes it will go wrong. We have to reign it in, despite ourselves.

When you direct your heart according to what God values, that’s what makes a perfect heart – not a straying heart or a deceived heart – a perfect heart. That’s why God said “David is a man after My own heart.” David saw what God valued and directed his heart towards it.

Did David still make mistakes? He sure did. That’s why he said again and again, “Search me, O God, and know my heart.” And we must pray the same way, as we remember to “Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life” (Prov. 4:23).

God wants us to develop perfect hearts, like David: hearts that follow His own. To do that, we must establish eternal values that align with God’s values. Once you’ve done that, direct your hearts in God’s ways. Doing daily devotions is a good way of getting to know God’s values and ensuring that you’re following His ways.

And God will say, “Now, you are a person after My own heart.” And He’ll release the blessings of heaven to you because you’ll influence your family, your community, and your generation.

Celebrating 10 Years of New Hope!

It’s New Hope Oahu’s 10th Anniversary! We’re celebrating the many miracles, memories and milestones… yet it all boils down to one thing: Jesus & you. And that deserves serious celebration!

Reflecting back on the last 10 years, I’m humbled by how far God has brought New Hope. We started with a handful of saints and today over 12,000 regularly attend. We’ve planted 83 churches & five satellites. Every month millions check our website & thousands are discipled through our conferences, programs & Bible College. The greatest blessing of all is the many hearts who said “Yes” to Jesus as Lord & Savior: over 31,000! All accomplished by a most loving & generous Lord.

So in the spirit of celebration, let’s roll out the red carpet & take a stroll down memory lane. We’ve created a special website to capture some of the images, stories and testimonies from our first 10 years. Enjoy!

As we reflect, we also look forward. With a history like this, we can only wonder, “What does God have planned for our future?” Like a developing photograph, the outline may be blurry and the details hazy, but one thing is sure: It’s going to be great! And we’ll be ready.

Here’s to another 10 years of pure passion, dynamic worship, & living legacy in increasing ways, through a family called New Hope.

We’ve enjoyed the ride, and yet there’s one more thing… He only has more in store!

GOD IN THE TSUNAMI

Children always capture my heart, especially the underprivileged ones. So needless to say, my time at an orphanage in Galle made quite an impression on me. It was my second trip to Sri Lanka in two months. Our New Hope medical team of nine volunteers arrived at this Tsunami stricken village and we headed for the orphanage we have been assisting. We treated a child with Downs and changed a colostomy bag on a special needs infant. A four-year-old asthmatic girl who looked no larger than a two year old, wheezed. Every breath was like a day's work for her constricted lungs. Another lay motionless with fever. We brushed flies away as he lay in his crib, oblivious to his surroundings. We dispensed medications and quietly laid hands on each child, breathing a prayer heavenward for their health and futures.

With each child we treated, I was again reminded of Jesus' words in Matthew 19. He told us that the Kingdom of Heaven belonged to the little children. How we prayed that for these Sri Lankan orphans, it might be so.

The next stop was at a makeshift clinic where people were waiting before Allison, the director arrived. We brought two doctors and nurse's aides to look at and treat everything from fungus infections, to dermatitis turned septic, and lacerations and sprains to fevers and colds. You learn a lot about antibiotics, rashes, diseases, and even warts when you volunteer at a post tsunami clinic. Over 170,000 are still living in tents and makeshift shelters until more permanent housing is built.

I said goodbye to our medical team and headed for our next assignment… the mountain village of Kandy, seven hours away.

Driving the roads of Sri Lanka is an experience that will bring you closer to God… both figuratively as well as physically! Drivers are manic, stop signs are suggestions, and the white lines multiply rather than divide. Cars, tractors, elephants, three wheeled rickshaws, motorcycles, ox drawn carts, and overloaded busses all compete for the same two lane roads. After four hours of near misses and close calls, we arrived ... safe but questionably sound!

Kandy is an ancient city hidden in the mountains of central Sri Lanka. Home to nearly 800,000 people, it was once the capitol of the country during the time of the Kings. The narrow roads slow your tour through this historical village that feels like a page straight out of history.

But here in this strictly Buddhist territory, 600 young believers gathered for a Christian leadership conference for our Foursquare denomination of churches in Sri Lanka led by Pastor Leslie Keegle. Sinhalese and Tamil youth traversed the country to congregate in Kandy for three days. I was utterly impressed with the many who kept arriving. They limited the registrations to 450, but they continued to arrive until over 600 packed an auditorium designed for 450. The cost was 2000 rupees, a month's pay for many, but still they invested and came expecting God to move.

Speaking through two separate translators is a feat in itself. First you are translated into Sinhalese, the main dialect of Sri Lanka. Then it is translated into Tamil. By the time it returns back for more English, you could have had tea and crackers!

The first night I spoke about the dreams that God places in our hearts. The following morning, we learned how to do how to do daily devotions and how to journal. Then the second evening's service saw God move in a powerful way. Hundreds came forward for prayer, healing and deliverance. Many have come out of Hinduism or various cults so manifestations of all kinds were not unusual.

But God proved Himself mighty and the ministry time went on for over one hour. I was moved by their sincerity and deep devotion to Jesus as they sang and worshipped in a language foreign to me but dear to our Father.

I will hold in my heart the dark faces, the uplifted hands and the liberated voices that must have silenced heaven for over an hour so the Father could hear the praises of his children … all the way from Kandy.

Lessons from the Poor

A few years ago, I made a teaching trip to China where twenty leaders of the house church movement came together for leadership training. These wonderful people rode a bumpy train for thirteen hours where we met at a pre-determined local building. Gathered together in a small un-airconditioned room, they sat cross-legged on a wooden floor. Dressed as humble farmers, they were adorned in simple clothing that was brightened by huge smiles on every face, each coutenance weathered with deep lines I knew contained stories of trial and victory. These absorbant hearts were like hungry acolytes ready to light the world.

Before I began, I thought we’d get a bit more acquainted with one another, so I asked them to share a little about who they were. One man said that he had just been released from serving twelve years in prison: His “crime”: faith in an unseen Messiah. “How many others of you have spent time in prison for your faith?” I asked. Eighteen of the twenty leaders raised their hands.

If the government authorities discovered this non-registered religious meeting, these home group leaders would immediately face a three year prison sentence, and I would be deported in twenty-four hours. “Are you not afraid?” I asked. “No,” they quickly replied. “We are not afraid. And if you will teach us not just two days, but four, we will stay.”

I commended them for their faith, all the while wondering why it wasn’t them who were teaching me instead of the other way around.

Each of these veteran saints were overseeing large numbers of house churches. I continued my “Let’s-get-acquainted” lesson. “How many people do you oversee in all the house churches combined?” I asked innocently. After a moment of quiet calculating, one of the leaders spoke up.

“Twenty-two million.”

I choked back a cough. “Twenty-two m-m..million?” I stammered, vainly disguising my surprise. “Yes, twenty-two million,” the leader reiterated.

I was speechless. After a few mintues, I caught my breath and launched into the teaching time. We brought sixteen Bibles and passed them out, leaving a few of the leaders to share with one another. I had them turn to 2 Peter chapter one. As we were about to read the chapter out loud, one of the elderly ladies handed her Bible to another leader. I thought that was a bit strange, since Bibles were so scarce, but didn’t pay much attention to the exchange.

When we began to read the chapter aloud, I immediatley understood why she willingly gave up her Bible. She was quoting the whole chapter from memory!

During a short break, I asked her how she memorized such a large amount of Scripture. “Oh, I have much more memorized,” she replied through one of our interpreters. I added, “But how did you memorize so much when there are so few Bibles available?”

“In prison if you have a Bible, they confiscate it immediately. So people brought me Scriptures written on pieces of paper. If the guards found you with them, they would take those away from you as well; so I memorized the Scriptures as quickly as I could. You see, they can take away the paper, but they cannot take away what I have already hidden in my heart.”

When the two days were concluded, I had fallen in love with these seasoned warriors. Realizing my own inadequacy to help them in their daunting task of reaching China, I asked, “How can I pray for you? What do you want the most?”

“Pray that we become like you,” was their immediate request. “We do not have freedom of religion. We only have a few registered churches, and the rest cannot attend. We are a persecuted Church. Pray that we can soon be like you!”

“I cannot do that,” I sadly replied. “I will not pray for you in that way.”

“But why?” They pushed back on my seemingly unchristian response.

“You came here after riding thirteen hours on a train. In America, if church is more than thrity-minutes away, people will not go. It’s too far. You have been sitting on a wooden floor without air-conditioning for two days to hear the Word of the Lord. Where I come from, if you cannot sit on cushioned chairs and be in the comfort of air-conditioning, people will find better things to do. You don’t have adequate Bibles, so you memorize what you can gather. In every Christian home, we have an average of three Bibles, but we don’t read any of them.

“No, I will not pray that you become like us. But I will pray that we become like you!”

Sometimes we learn the most from those who have the least. We realize that when we are rich, we are often the poorest, and when we are the poor, that is often when we are the richest!

Honoring Those Who Have Gone Before Us

“I sent the hornet before you and it drove out the two kings of the Amorites from before you, but not by your sword or your bow. ‘I gave you a land on which you had not labored, and cities which you had not built, and you have lived in them; you are eating of vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant.’ Now, therefore, fear the LORD and serve Him in sincerity and truth…” (Josh. 24:12-14).

We are living in a “post-Davidic” generation where those who have gone before us have prepared the way, paid the price, and paved the roads. They carved out the materials and designed what we are building and living in today. Of course I still had to do the work and the preaching, the team building and the problem solving, but if it weren’t for the prayers, the mentoring and the financial support of others, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I owe much to those who have gone before me.

Some young leaders hate the fact that they have inherited much. We want to be the source. We want our names to be listed as the “founder,” the “creator,” the one who thought it all up.

But that is only a subtle shade of pride. It’s time we honor those to whom honor is due. But how?

This Easter, 563 came to Christ and the following week, we baptized 106. But I know that this isn’t all my doing. It is like the hammer that splits a rock. It may be the hundredth blow that saw the rock crack in two, but it wasn’t just the hundredth blow. It was the ninety-nine before that! And the hundredth blow has no place in strutting across the stage looking for accolades.

Someone once said this: “EVANGELISM" is simply picking up the spoils of a battle already won in prayer.” It is the work of others who have gone before us that has allowed us the privilege of seeing souls saved!

So how shall we respond? How then do we honor the faithful who have gone before us? God gives the new emerging leaders an assignment: to “fear the Lord and serve Him in sincerity and truth,” as found in Joshua 24. Let’s take a look at three critical words that will reveal our assignment.

1. FEAR: In our post-modern generation, fear is not something we like to hear. We want to know God but not be afraid of Him, not be subservient to Him and instead see Him as a friend and brother. Although this is absolutely true, “fear” means much more than that.

The Hebrew word “Yare” combines fear with “awesome.” It includes synonyms such as “caution,” “afraid,” and “terrible and terrifying.”

But I thought it just meant “respect?”

It does, but oh so much more. It is being cautious and giving great honor to because you know the consequences of not honoring. It is like an electrician working with a cable that carries 50,000 volts of power. One mistake, taking one thing for granted, being foolhardy will cause him to be an instant pop tart. One moment of disrespect and he is a crispy critter. And should that happen, no one can say, “I can’t believe how MEAN electricity is! That’s it. I’m not going to respect it anymore!”

Now we have two pop tarts instead of one.

Our assignment as emerging leaders is to fear God and honor His majestic and awesome power. We treat Him as Holy!

2. SINCERETY: The Hebrew word for sincerity is Meshar which means evenness, uprightness, equity, things being done smoothly.

3. TRUTH: Tamim is the Hebrew word which means complete, entire, without defect, unblemished and blameless.

Our assignment? That everything I do be done with uprightness and without pretense. It is to be unblemished with my flesh and done smoothly with equity, and all that I do and say is done in the fear of the Lord. This was God’s assignment to Joshua and it is His assignment to us who have received so much from those who have gone before us. We cannot be soft nor take short cuts. We are living in houses we did not build and we are eating fruit we did not plant.

Here’s a good assignment. Write a note to one of those who have gone before you. Appreciate them. It will bless them as well as honor the Lord, and a post Davidic generation becomes a Joshua generation.

Now … it’s time to start conquering the land!

LOVE UNTIL THEY ASK YOU WHY

I am writing this entry from Sri Lanka where we have come to do some relief work. We sent a medical team for the last two weeks into Galle, one of the areas devastated by the December 26th Tsunami. Over 40,000 were killed in Sri Lanka and still, 170,000 are displaced with no home nor livelihood. The fishing villages were wiped out and their boats, nets, and hopes were dashed.

We visited a place called Batticaloa where the greatest damage was done. I stood over a mass grave where 400 were buried. Fires smouldered where bodies had to be pyred to keep the decomposed remains from bringing further disease.

One church was hardest hit during their morning service. The pastor’s wife and two daughters were lost along with 14 of his congregation. As we spoke, his voice trembled when he said that he is not giving up. “I will join them one day, but until then, I will continue to preach the Gospel to our village.”

In the next village, one pastor named Yogarajah, had been beaten nine times by militant Hindu. They wanted all Christian churches to be banned in the area, so to this date, 258 churches have been torched. A few years ago, the Hindu militants forced him to dig his own grave before they killed him, but an intervention from the Lord (a helicopter overhead) caused them to scatter and his life was spared.

But since the Tsunami, things have changed. He and his church have been feeding 168 families weekly. Most of the Hindus in this village are fishermen, and when the Tsunami hit, they lost everything. Our Foursquare denomination along with New Hope International (made up of a network of like-hearted churches) have been sending money and teams to build temporary housing, serve in medical clinics, package food and deliver them to Christian, Buddhist, and Hindu families in temporary shelters (tents) set up like refugee camps.

I met with a group from Singapore who sat all day packaging individual daily portions of lentil beans, potatoes, grains, and other staples for delivery from a rented facilites. The day before, we had bid farewell to a wonderful team from Germany who had spent a week building shelters for displaced families in the same village.

I was speaking to some of the Hindu fisherman two days ago on the devastated site where their village once stood. They told us, “We no longer want to worship our Hindu gods. They have not helped us at all. We want to worship your God because you have loved us even when we did not want you. You cared for us with food and help, and we will be eternally grateful.”

When Pastor Yogarajah translated to us what they said, be began to weep. We saw the beginning of a revival in the this little fishing village.

Love them until they ask you why.

The Gospel works ... especially where we live it more than talk it.