Archive May 2008
Thinking Spanish in English
If you read this blog with any regularity, you know that every so often I turn loose that Spanish-speaking part of my brain and do a post in Spanish. For this post I’d like to discuss my Spanish side in English. ¿Me comprendes?
Spanish is on my brain because I just got home from our Wednesday night Spanish Bible study. We do this in the auditorium so we can video it and post it on the web site. I have been gratified to see a solid core of consistent attendees and some modest growth. Currently, we are doing a study of 1 Peter. Here are some of the things I especially enjoy about this Wednesday night study:
- It gives me a chance to keep current teaching in Spanish. The old adage “if you don’t use it, you lose it” is true. I’m not worried about losing the ability to speak Spanish. My devotional life is in Spanish. My daily Bible reading, prayer time and journaling is all in Spanish. But, it is something else to preach and teach. I need the practice. I usually get to do this Bible study 2 or 3 times each month. Someone else does the study if I am not able to come.
- This time gives me an opportunity to get to know an important part of our church family. I would estimate that approximately 15 to 20% of our church family is Hispanic.
- I enjoy seeing some Anglos who show up to practice their Spanish from time to time. Since they are already familiar with Bible vocabulary, it is easier to follow along.
No matter who you are, you are welcome to join us each Wednesday evening at 7:00pm in the main auditorium. If you would like to experiment and see if you can keep up, check out the streaming video from the precious week available here. You can also listen to the audio from several weeks back. If I was gone the previous week, the face you see may not be mine. But, whoever it is, you will find some good preaching and teaching in Spanish. If you have Spanish-speaking friends or coworkers, this might be a good way to reach out to them by emailing them this link or bringing them some Wednesday night.
Farewell to John
This morning we finally finished our study of John’s Gospel. For me personally this has been one of the most rewarding and enriching experiences I have had for years, maybe ever. I eagerly looked forward to preparing for each study and learned more than I could have possibly shared with all of you.
I feel that I know Jesus so much better. Previously, I was acquainted with the Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior, Lord and as a theological/biblical concept. There’s nothing wrong and everything right about that, of course. Now, though, I have a better understanding of the Jesus, the man. I don’t mean that disrespectfully, but with a heart full of wonder and admiration.
In preparation for this series I learned much about the culture of Jerusalem, Judaea and Galilee in the first century. I discovered tidbits of cultural and historical background information that opened my eyes to see things in the biblical text I had never noticed or understood before. I always thought of John as a great book for a new follower of Jesus to study. I found in John a book that radically challenged my life as one who has followed Jesus for 40 years.
John’s purpose statement is so clear and evangelistic in nature.
And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name. John 20:30-31
These past few months have been particularly gratifying because of the number of people who have put their faith in Jesus Christ and answered his call to “follow me.” I am thankful for the many stories some of you have shared with me about God using this study to touch your life in special ways. Feel free to share if you have any more!
And, I absolutely loved the way John concludes his Gospel. I had never seen the beauty, brilliance and
simplicity of John 21 before. I had gotten lost in the details. At the very end of the Gospel, after all these men had been through together with Jesus, the story concludes with them standing with Jesus on the shore of Lake Galilee, the very same spot where years earlier he had called them to follow him and told them he would make them fishers of men.
What could Jesus possible do or say to sum up this incredible journey? First he fed them fish after he had led them to cast the net on the other side of the boat and they experienced a great catch. These fishermen could not have missed the message — It’s all about the fish. “This is where we started, gentlemen, now go and fish for men.”
Then, more than restoring Peter following his three denials of Jesus, the Lord asked him three times to affirm his love, which Peter did. Three times Jesus repeated the commission to feed his sheep. This is the true test of love — to feed the sheep, not to walk on water or whack off the ear of the high priest’s servant.
John 21 is about fishing and feeding, catching and caring, evangelism and discipleship. This is biblical ministry pure and simple. This is sum of the matter. This is what it means to love Jesus and follow him.
Thanks, John, for a great time together these past many months. I will miss you and our times together. I’m glad this is not a final goodbye and that I can come back and visit you anytime I want. I just can’t imagine it ever being the same again, though, as it has been to take this journey with you. But, I guess this is how you and the others must have felt as you said your goodbyes to Jesus as he prepared to ascend into heaven.
Well, it’s been good. But, excuse me now. I have fish to catch and sheep to feed.
Mulling Over Multiplication
Marco and I are sitting in the airport in Panama City waiting for our flight that is now about an hour delayed. This will make for a brief connection time in Houston and we are hoping to make it. We are scheduled to get back to Kansas City a bit before ten tonight, but this could put us later. We are both ready to get home.
I had an interesting experience this morning. I mentioned in passing that we were going to have a Chinese breakfast today, what you might know as dim sum. A great young Chinese couple in the church had invited us. As we pulled up in front of the restaurant, a Panamanian landmark, I had sense of deja vu. The main part of the restaurant is on the second floor, and as we walked in I immediately recognized that this is the same place where Cheryl and I enjoyed a wonderful meal with friends in 1975!
Sitting there I reflected back on many years of ministry between my first time in this restaurant and today. We often make mention of our mission of making disciples. This is the commission we have received. Making disciples is all about multiplication. The passion of my life has been to multiply myself in others. In 1975 I knew no one in Panama. We had come to Panama City to renew our visas for Costa Rica. To think that today I am heard on radio here every day and that the pastor of one of the larger churches in nation looks to me as a type of mentor is at once humbling and gratifying. Lives are being touched by God’s truth all over this country through the natural and biblical process of multiplication by biblical disciple making. This is what life is about.
With all the many demands on our time, this is a good reminder for me and maybe for you. Are you reproducing yourself in others? Who are the people in your sphere of influence? Can you name them? Can you see their faces? How are you influencing them? For good or for bad? Do you see them carrying on that same reproductive process? No matter who you are, what gifts you have or the type of things you do, you should be multiplying yourself in others. Are you?
Wrapping Up Panama
Beginning with my 3:30am wakeup call Monday morning these past few days have been a whirlwind. But, they have been very fruitful and rewarding in the process of working to help facilitate the development of Latin American leadership. I’ll leave in a few minutes for our third and final evening session.
In Latin America relationships are everything. Most societies claim to value friendship and relationships, but few cultures are as relationally geared in every sense of the word as they are here in Latin American. This is a huge part of the long days. Each night after the service, Pastor Ricardo has a different group of key leaders he invites to eat dinner with us. After all, that’s what this ministry is all about. That means sitting down to eat supper about 10:0pm. You can imagine what time we get back to the room. The past two mornings have been dedicated to an informal breakfast with a smaller group of approximately 25 key pastors. Breakfast today included their wives. The format has been simple but effective: After the meal Ricardo introduces me and I speak off the cuff on a biblical theme for about 30 minutes. This is followed by interaction – questions, comments and sharing of hearts.
Yesterday I spoke about the devotional life of the leader and shared my personal devotional disciplines and habits. I attempted to get them to see our walk with God as more than some fixed “quiet time” in the mornings that is often done with a sense of duty more than loving anticipation. Today, we discussed how to read the scriptures with an eye for principles and precepts.
All of this has been designed to encourage relationships and to be seen as accessible, not just a face from a pulpit that flies in and flies out. There are a number of North American ministries that come prepared with slick packages, programs and smooth formulas that promise success and large churches if one just follows the recipe that is given. Some pastors are desperate enough that they blindly try to implement something that has been designed in another culture and setting and import it directly into a far different culture without a critical adaptation. This usually does not work and often has tragic consequences.
The heart of what Marco and I desire is not to come in and tell pastors and leaders in another culture what to do, offer simplistic formulas and prepackaged programs, but to meet with them in the Bible and seek out together those biblical truths that are to be foundational in all we do in life and ministry. We always seem to learn more from them than they learn from us. Together we can learn some amazing things! Truth that is truly biblical is always timeless and universal, applicable to any time and culture. That’s what we seek.
I believe that God has blessed us all with creativity. He gives us parameters of truth, but trusts us to use the imagination, creativity and intelligence he has given us to make application of his truth to specific circumstances. Rather than tell people what to think and believe, we want to work together to learn how to think biblically and how to cultivate the creativity and intelligence with which we have been gifted.
I mentioned yesterday that I am on the radio daily here in Panama and it has been fun to meet faithful listeners that I didn’t know I had. Among the listeners to my radio program is the Anglican Bishop of Panama! I discovered last night that he has been present each evening in the meeting and has been very encouraged. In fact, he contacted Pastor Ricardo today wanting to meet with him urgently to discuss how to implement systematic biblical discipleship into their churches to do a better job of grounding their people in the absolute truth of the Bible! Well, you just never know who is going to show up, do you? This has been very encouraging in our attempt to break down old stereotypes and barriers that divided the family of God rather than lead us into areas where we can grow and learn from each other, even while maintaining our unique distinctives, traditions and heritage.
Tomorrow it is up early once again to begin the trip home. But first we have been invited to a special and formal Chinese breakfast. Yes, folks, this is Panama, the country that defines multicultural!
More On Myanmar
Funny how these things work. This morning I was reading 2Peter 2 when my thoughts turned once again to Myanmar and the horrific disaster that has left tens of thousands dead and many more will die unless the government of that country loosens their tightfisted grip and allows the rest of the world to help with relief efforts. Just a few days ago I shared some thoughts on Myanmar. If you missed it you can read it here.
Here’s the passage that sparked my thoughts. In the context, Peter is giving characteristics of false teachers that infiltrate the church.
These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever. For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. 2Peter 2:17-19
Just as Islam has its fanatical zealots that do terrible deeds in the name of God and religion, Christianity also has had its share of false teachers, cult leaders and political despots that kill and enslave in the name of Jesus. This passage in Peter gives great insight about identifying these evil leaders. Just as there are false teachers in the church, I am convinced there are evil people in government who have the same characteristics.
I don’t offer an exhaustive commentary on the passage, but here are a couple of thoughts that came to mind as I read Peter’s words. A leader corrupted by sensual desires or arrogant thoughts is a slave to them, no matter how much power may be exercised over others. They often come to power as Peter suggests here by promising liberty or freedom. The problem is that one cannot give what one does not have. One who is a salve to passion and pride can offer freedom, but can only deliver slavery.
As I was praying last Sunday (I can’t remember which service), I prayed for those affected by the earthquake in China as well as for those in Burma for whom we prayed the previous week. It was as I was praying that the following thought occurred to me. There are plenty of natural disasters so that God doesn’t have to “invent” any to accomplish his will. But I believe that in his providential power he uses naturally occurring events in this sin-twisted world to accomplish his purposes. Perhaps God will use this horrible disaster to expose the evil government of Myanmar and reveal these generals for the corrupt despots they are. That is precisely the prayer that I recorded in my journal this morning.
We can discoverer another purpose for such disasters if we learn to see world events as a guide for prayer. There is not a misery-free day on this earth. Human suffering and catastrophe abound, and it would not be realistic to think that we could realistically pray around the world every day. However, when God brings us into contact with such tragedy, we should learn to look for divine perspective that leads us to pray.