Author Archives: Barry

How Christians Offend God

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Prayer posture

The Bible clearly tells us that all sin is an offense to God (Romans 8:8). But so often, Christians act as if some of the sins they commit are somehow either more acceptable to God today or that He understands our human weakness and lets them slide, so to speak.  But that is far from the truth of God’s Word. God detests all sin.  God is Holy and Just, and every sin we commit separates us from Him.  Nothing is hidden from Him. Every sin must be punished!  But God loves us so much, He sent His only Son, Jesus, to go to the cross so that He would be punished instead of us for our sins. So when Christians fail to recognize their own sinfulness, God is deeply offended, and Jesus’ death on the cross is trivialized.

In our American culture today, I believe that some Christians think some things they do are not sinful anymore and so they are not offensive to God.  In some cases they may not even realize they are offending God. It may either be a result of their lack of Biblical knowledge or the influence of our secular culture. Whatever the reason, they are not repentant nor do they consider that God is offended by what they do.  This could be a tragic mistake, because Jesus warns us in Matthew 7:21 that “Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the Kingdom of heaven.” 

So knowing and understanding what behavior is sinful is extremely important for Christians. The Bible tells us what is sinful, not the culture and not other people, even pastors. Christians must read their Bible to know what sin is and what offends God.  Then we must repent and seek His forgiveness for our sinful behavior in order to be forgiven and reconciled to Him.

Here are 10 things that some Christians do today that culturally may be acceptable but I believe deeply offend God:

1.  Fornication.  Fornication is defined as sex between non-married individuals. Today, many young Christians live together, have sexual intercourse, and consider it to be normal behavior.  They often have no shame nor believe they are offending God. The Bible clearly calls this sin. (Hebrews 13:4 – “Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.”)

2. Homosexuality.  Homosexuality is defined as sex between members of the same gender. Today, our culture is tolerant of homosexual behavior and some churches and denominations even endorse it. The Bible clearly calls this sin as well. (Leviticus 18:22 – “Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable.”)

3. Abortion. Abortion is the termination of a life that has begun. It is murder. Today, many Christians are pro-choice and believe it is a woman’s right to chose an abortion. But God’s Word is very clear that we do not have the right to terminate a life. (Exodus 20:13 – “You shall not murder.”)

4. Pride. This is about being proud of ourselves and placing ourselves above God.  God is our Creator and is offended whenever we take credit for what He has done. Some Christians today are eager to pat themselves on the back while rarely giving credit to God for the blessings in their lives. (Proverbs 8:13 – “To fear the Lord is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech.”)

5. Selfishness. This is about placing ourselves above others. Today, some Christians are more concerned about themselves than others. They focus more on their needs and what they desire but fail to consider the needs of those less fortunate. (Philippians 2:3 – “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.”)

6. Retaliation. Some Christians believe it is okay to take an eye for an eye, and to retaliate against those who have hurt them. We sometimes see people taking justice into their own hands and justifying it, some of whom claim to be Christians. But Jesus clearly says that we are not to retaliate when others hurt us. (Matthew 5:39 – “But I tell you, do not resist an evil person.  If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.”)

7. Unforgiveness. Some Christians want others to forgive them but sometimes they refuse to forgive others. God’s Word often refers to this as having a “hardened heart.” Scripture clearly tells us that if we do not forgive others, God will not forgive us. (Matthew 6:15 – “But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”)

8. Divorce. Many Christians today believe that divorce is acceptable for any reason and a legitimate way to end a marriage.  But God hates divorce (Malachi 2:16) and Jesus spoke against it, except in the case of infidelity. (Matthew 19:6 – “What God has joined together, let not man separate.”)

9. Idolatry. Idolatry takes many forms today, including career, family, fame or money.  But these are all false gods and God is offended when Christians seek something else instead of Him. (Exodus 20:3 – “You shall have no other gods before me.”)

10. Bad Language. In America today profanity is commonly acceptable, even among Christians, whether in conversation, movies, on television, or in Facebook postings. But God is still offended when people take His name in vain, swear or use filthy language. (Colossians 3:8 – “But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.”)

 

These are just some of the ways Christians offend God knowingly or unknowingly, and this list is by no means comprehensive. We know according to Scripture that we are sinful by nature.  But that is not the issue here. The issue is whether or not we recognize our sin and repent of it.  1 John 1:10 says, “If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar and His Word has no place in our lives.”  So , if we do not recognize our behavior as sin we tell God He is wrong and that deeply offends Him.

So let us look to God’s Word for what behavior offends Him, repent of it, and seek His forgiveness. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)

Developing Teams

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Developing Teams

 

Teamwork

“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work. If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

 

Since the church is made up of people, and ministry is done through people, it is important for a leader to encourage people to work together towards common goals. Building teamwork among church members is vital in order to accomplish the goals and vision of the church. When people work together, they share ideas, they share the workload, and they share their gifts and talents – all for the glory of God! An effective leader encourages people to work together and creates an environment where teams can flourish. As a church grows, teams will become more important to accomplishing many of the goals and projects it is pursuing.

There are several reasons why leaders should develop teams in their churches or ministries. First of all, Jesus himself built teams.  He gathered his twelve disciples as a team and even sent them out two by two to do ministry.  Jesus rarely did anything by himself, other than pray. Secondly, it is a good way to distribute the workload. Leaders cannot do all of the work themselves, nor should they. By building teams leaders can involve more people in ministry and enable more ministry to be accomplished. Third, teamwork allows for the collaboration of ideas and greater creativity as different people have different gifts and passions they bring to the group. It also helps develop relationships among team members and builds community. Finally, it will enable the ministry to develop new leaders because leaders often emerge from working in teams.

Teams have several purposes within a church or ministry as well.  They can be used to plan projects or large ministry programs, such as VBS or community outreaches. They are often used to create church budgets, make staff additions, or develop new ministry strategies.  Teams can also be an effective way to solve church problems or research new ministry opportunities, such as schools or child care centers. Teams are most often used in churches to oversee ministries, such as church boards, or to provide support and assistance to pastors and other church leaders.

When using teams, it is important for leaders to do the following:

1. Determine the focus and purpose of each team.  Each team needs a clear vision and plan for their activities.
2. Designate a team leader or have the team choose its own leader.  Every team must have a strong leader.  The success of the team will depend upon it.
3. Encourage team members to participate. Every team member adds value to the team so all must contribute their ideas and skills.
4. Hold teams accountable for results. Leaders must follow up with teams to make sure they are making progress and to show interest in their work.
5. Recognize and reward team success.  Leaders need to encourage and reward effort and accomplishment to reinforce team effectiveness.
6. Attend team meetings occasionally.  Leaders should be available to teams to provide direction, input and encouragement.

 

For teams to be successful in a church or ministry, leaders must be actively involved in the process. They cannot simply designate teams to do the work that needs to be done and then walk away. They must provide direction, follow up with team leaders, and be available to support and encourage them as needed.  If leaders fail to do this it will inevitably result in poor results, ineffective ministry and a waste of resources. Effective leaders are those who build teams that are focused, that work together, and that share their gifts to the glory of God!

Children’s Ministry Books

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Children’s Ministry Books Now Available!

 

Discipleship Cover

We are pleased to announce the release of a series of seven Children’s Ministry Books written by Kim Star-Voss for use in “Making Little Disciples!”  The books have been developed over the years by Kim from her vast experience teaching children’s ministry in the USA and the foreign mission field. They provide valuable teaching resources for Sunday School, VBS, Children’s Worship or Children’s Ministry events.  Each book contains Biblically based information or resources that can be used to teach children about Jesus and God’s Word in a simple, easy to use format.  They also require very little in the way of additional materials to use or implement, thereby making them ideal for churches and ministries with limited resources or funding.

These seven books include the following:

1.  Children’s Discipleship – Discipleship plans and goals for children by age

2.  Prayer Ministry with Children – Explaining, learning & modeling prayer

3.  Testimonies & Faith Stories – Teaching children how to share their faith

4.  Puppet Ministry – How to make and use puppets for ministry to children

5.  Bible Storytelling Skits – 26 simple Bible story skits for teaching children

6.  Praise Stretches – Praise activities that worship God and refocus children

7.  Games with a Biblical Purpose – A book of common children’s games with a Biblical message

FaithLife Ministries works primarily in underdeveloped or developing nations and these resources are intended to assist pastors and church leaders in these countries in discipling children, often a neglected part of their ministry. Therefore, these books are being made available free of charge for that purpose. The books are available in electronic format and the responsibility for printing or translation rests with the users. However, these books will also be available for anyone who is interested in them with our request of a donation to our ministry for those who are able to do so.

To request a copy of any or all of these books, simply visit our website at www.faithlifeministries.net or click on the Children’s Ministry Books link in the right hand column of this webpage. There you will be able to see the books that are available and request the ones that are desired at the bottom of the page.

Our goal and prayer is that these books will be useful resources in helping raise up the next generation for Christ!

Justice

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Is There Any Justice?

 

Justice

Our nation is experiencing large scale civil unrest since the two grand jury decisions not to indict two white police officers in the tragic deaths of two black males in Ferguson, MO and New York City this year. Each case is different, but at the heart of both is the feeling of many Americans that justice was not carried out. There are peaceful protests by many, but some people choose to go further and use violence, destruction and looting to express their outrage over these judicial outcomes. Some have even claimed that our system of justice in the United States is broken.

It is natural for Americans (and people in general) to be angry or suspicious when courts or juries do not decide cases in a way that matches our perceptions. Our news media is quick to point fingers or to suggest who might be guilty before all the facts are known. And when the case comes to court, sometimes there are legal technicalities that prevent some evidence from being admitted.  Other times the legal counsel does not argue their side effectively. Even when there is evidence that clearly supports the decision that was made some people often refuse to accept it and instead choose to let loose their anger on others as a result.  That anger usually hurts people that had nothing to do with the case at all (have you ever had a drink spilled on you at a football game because another fan did not like the referee’s call, even after the reply showed it was the correct call?) There are times when the eyes refuse to see what the heart believes or wants!

I often wonder if people today are really seeking justice.  Do they care about the truth, the facts, or due process, or do they simply want revenge or a vindication of their viewpoint? The justice system in the USA is the envy of the world. In America, people are innocent until proven guilty.  We have an appeals process and trial by jury of one’s peers.  There are lawyers for both sides that argue points of law so that a defendant is not convicted on hearsay or shoddy evidence. All of this is done to try to protect people from injustice. And in general it works pretty well.

But it is not perfect and it never will be.  That is because the justice system is dependent upon people who are not perfect. Lawyers are people, Judges are people, and Jurors are people. People have biases. People make mistakes. People have errors in judgment.  As a result, sometimes the guilty go free or the innocent are punished. But is the justice system really broken?

The justice system is actually fine and likely the best there is in the world. But as people we are deeply flawed. We are the ones who are broken.  We are sinners ourselves and have prejudices often known only to us and to God.  And although we try to do the best we can, our best will never be perfect. 1 John 1:8 says that “if we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” You see, according to God’s standard and His law, we are all guilty and deserving of punishment under His system of justice, which is perfect. But in 1 John 1:9 it also says that “if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

You see, if there was true justice, we would all be guilty and punished.  But instead, God chose to have mercy upon us and forgive us because of His great love for us. We are broken and in need of forgiveness.  We are guilty and in need of mercy. And we are sinners in need of a Savior.

Is there any justice? Yes there is.  It is the justice of God who let His own Son Jesus go to the cross and pay the penalty for our sins.  That was God’s justice for every human being and is what allows us to live free from the consequences of our own sin. And Jesus calls us to be no less forgiving of others who are broken and imperfect.

That’s the message of justice we should remember this Christmas and every Christmas – that God would send His own Son Jesus into our world to bear His guilty judgment on all of us!

Praise God for His justice and His mercy! Merry Christmas!!

 

Persecution

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What is Real Faith?

 

Copy of Bible Closeup & Cross

Christianity is under attack around the world.  Although it is the largest religion in the world with over 2 Billion adherents (33%), it is under attack by Muslim terrorists, Communist governments, and atheists. Every day we can read about the violence committed against Christians, including kidnapping, be-headings, imprisonment, death sentences, being burned alive, and destruction of their property and homes. One ministry, Open Doors, publishes a list of the top 50 nations with the most persecution of Christians in the world, with over half of them experiencing severe persecution. I have personally traveled to and met Christian leaders in many of these nations, including Nigeria, Myanmar, Kazakhstan, Colombia, India & Kenya.  I also work with the leader of a ministry in Pakistan that is conducting our training there as well. And what I witness, and have come to know, are the risks they take and the devotion of these Christians to their faith and to Christ – no matter the cost!

And so it begs the question, what is real faith?  Do we have to face severe persecution to know if our faith is real or not? Most American Christians, including myself, have never faced this type of persecution in our lives. We are free to worship and practice our faith without fear of detection, violence or even death. We go about our lives and never really have our faith tested like Christians in some of these nations. But we feel persecution nonetheless.  We feel it when atheists work to remove God from our institutions and government.  We feel it when the culture denounces anyone, or any business, that opposes gay marriage, homosexuality, abortion, or takes a stand for Biblical principles. And we feel it when Christian viewpoints are mocked or ridiculed in public discourse or the media.

Christians everywhere are in a battle.  But the battle is not against Muslims, communists or atheists.  It is against the forces of Satan and evil.  Paul writes in Ephesians 6:12 that “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”  As Christians, we must remember who the real enemy is. And whether we take a stand or go into battle, it is against the forces of Satan and evil that we must contend with for our faith, and not the people he is using to persecute us.

Jesus did not tell us that if we follow Him our lives would be easy or prosperous, contrary to what some preachers in our nation are saying today. Instead, Jesus said “In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)  He also told his disciples in Matthew 10:22 that “all men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.” And Paul wrote to his protege Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:12 that “in fact, everyone who wants to live a Godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” In other words, as a follower of Christ we are to expect persecution! It comes with the territory of being a Christian. And when we stand up for God, Jesus and the Bible in America (or the world), this persecution will test our faith.

So, what is real faith?  It is believing in God’s Word and trusting in Him in every circumstance and despite every struggle or persecution.  It is having the courage to stand for Jesus in a world that would kill Him all over again, and us as well.  It is having love enough for others to speak the Truth and to fight against the sin and evil that would corrupt them or us and turn us away from Jesus. Real faith is following Jesus to the cross, denying ourselves, and putting our lives in His hands.

So how do we know if our faith is real? I have long believed that if our faith is not being tested or challenged then we probably aren’t living out our faith. When our faith is evident, Satan and the world takes notice and will try to shut us up or intimidate us.  But if we are silent and do not live out our faith, then we are no threat to Satan or his evil purposes and he does not need to bother with us. So the only way to know if our faith is real is if we are truly living for Jesus, being His feet, hands and voice to our generation, and being persecuted because of it. As the Apostle Paul wrote to the Romans, “…we share in His sufferings in order that we may also share in His glory.” (Romans 8:17)

But we must also know that when we live out our faith and suffer for Jesus, He is always with us to help us (Matthew 28:20).  And no matter what happens, Satan cannot snatch us away from Jesus if we put our trust in Him and hold on to our faith. Jesus said in John 10:27-28 that “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.  I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.”

What a wonderful promise Jesus gives to those who are faithful, who listen to His voice, and who follow Him.  Let us be the ones who follow Christ in America, the ones who truly have a real faith!

India Training Feedback

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India Training Feedback

 

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I recently received the following email from one of our MCL Trainers in India, Pastor Gideon Nair, following his training of our Management for Church Leaders (MCL) training in September:

Dear Pastor,
Loving greetings to you in Jesus name! Its my great pleasure to let you know that the MCL training seminar in Bargarh, Odisha went on well. And I want to thank and praise God for the same!!! In spite  of heavy rain there the attendance was very good on both days. On the first day there were 48 people and on the second day there were 56 participants who attended the seminar.
I also got very good feedback from the  participants about the MCL training seminar there. People said that they have never attended such a leadership seminar like this before which is very practical and deals with so many topics which are so much relevant to the Church, like biblical leadership, managing ministry, people, conflict, money, time etc…and they expressed their gratitude to me for keeping this seminar there in Bargarh town.
Overall by the grace of God the seminar went on well with people admiring and recognizing the value of this MCL training seminar. The participants appreciated very much the notes, the training manual and its content. When I asked for the feedback on the final day about the training almost every one of them expressed their happiness attending this training seminar.
Testimonies:
1. Pastor David Nayak
    Director, Odisha for Christ Ministries, Kesinga Town, Odisha
Pastor David is a Director of a ministry and has about 30 pastors/missionaries working under him in different parts of Odisha. He was so much impressed attending this training seminar that he invited me to train his pastors next time in his home town – Kesinga. He says that he has attended so many seminars on leadership, but this one stands apart from the rest because it deals with everything related to the Church. He says that every Pastor/ leader must go through this training in order to be more  effective in the ministry.
2. Rev. Dr. Shyam Sunder
    Berean Baptist Church, Bargarh, Odisha
Dr. Sunder is a well known Pastor about 56 years old who holds a Doctor in Theology degree and is pastoring in a big church in Bargarh town. He says that he studied nearly 10 years in Bible Seminary and accumulated all the Biblical knowledge that he could. He also attended so many seminars on leadership. However, he says that he has never come across such a beautifully designed training manual on Church leadership and says that he’s been blessed by attending this seminar.  He wants to use the training manual for himself in training other church leaders. He was so much happy that he even invited me to his house for dinner and was so thankful to me for organizing this training in his home town!
Pastor, it’s so amazing the way people are appreciating this training, recognizing its value and the needs for this training, and the subjects I am teaching from the MCL training manual wherever I have gone thus far to train Church leaders!!! I am really enjoying training Church leaders in the different towns and cities of India!! And I look forward to take this training to different parts of India in next year to train more and more Church leaders and request you to please allow me to do at least 6 training seminars for 2015.
 I want to thank you so much for giving me an opportunity to be a global trainer for FLM! Assuring my prayers everyday. May God bless you abundantly! Looking forward to meet you soon in Palampur.
 With love and prayers
 In Christ!
 Gideon

 

It is truly exciting to see our MCL Trainers spreading our training and receiving such positive feedback and encouragement.  I praise and thank God for all of the MCL Trainers in our Global Trainer Network and pray for their continued success in teaching our material to others!

Communication

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Do You Hear What I Hear?

 

Hearing

“If then I do not grasp the meaning of what someone is saying, I am a foreigner to the speaker, and he is a foreigner to me.”

1 Corinthians 14: 11

 

One of the most important skills that a leader must develop is that of good communication. Effective communication is an essential foundation for effective leadership. Without good communication skills, a leader is unable to motivate others to follow his vision from the Lord for the ministry they have been called to. A leader with strong communication skills can often succeed where others have failed simply by being able to better explain or convey the need, plan and purpose of a particular project or activity.

What is communication? Communication is the process of conveying information, thoughts, or opinions from a sender to a receiver with the use of a medium in an attempt to create shared understanding.  Communication can be either verbal or non-verbal, and the medium can be speech, gestures, writing, signs, sounds, touch, or body language! There are also two types of communication. The first is Sender-focused, as in lectures or speeches, which is a one-way communication intended simply to inform another person or group of something with no response expected or requested.  The second is Receiver-focused, where the intent is to engage someone else in a dialog and where a response is expected. For there to be effective communication, both the Sender and Receiver must participate.

The Bible itself is a form of communication.  It represents God’s Word to all people. The style God uses is Receiver-focused because He wants us to dialog with Him.  Whether His communication to us is an overt command or rebuke or if He speaks to us more subtlety through nature, events, or silence, or ultimately through the loving words and actions of Jesus, the Holy Spirit and his gift of Grace – his communication is always for us and not against us.  God also wants to dialog with us through prayer and meditation on His Word. Communication with God is called prayer, and 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says that we should “pray continually.”  That means we should not only speak to God regularly, but we should also be ready to listen to Him and receive His Word for us. Like Samuel says in 1 Samuel 3:11, “Speak Lord, for your servant is listening!”

There are 4 principles of effective communication.  First, we must be Clear. We must speak with confidence and avoid generalities and vagueness.  The best communication is specific and intentional for its audience. The sender should not leave anything open to interpretation. The second is to be Concise. We should always strive to be as brief as possible and to the point, and avoid straying off-topic or bringing up irrelevant information. We should always speak to be understood, not to be heard!  The third principle is to be Open & Honest. We should endeavor to give out all the information we have and avoid being evasive or leaving out critical details.  This often causes confusion and the feeling that we are hiding something. The fourth and final principle is to be Frequent.  Regular, frequent communication sets a tone of caring and involvement.  Repetition produces recollection and regular communication builds stronger and deeper relationships.

So, if we want to become better communicators, we must develop the ability to clearly express a message in various forms of communication, including conversational speaking, writing, public speaking and formal presentations.  We can’t always be good at each form of communication, but we should try to improve where we can. We must also show a genuine interest in people and their needs. Proverbs 18:2 says, “A fool finds no pleasure in understanding but delights in airing his own opinions.”  We must learn to see things, and communicate, from the other person’s perspective, and to be sincere and compassionate. We should also be more discerning and intuitive, reading body language and other signs so that we can determine if our message is being understood. And it is imperative that we must become better listeners so that we can understand the other person’s point of view and more effectively dialog together.

Finally, we must always remember that the goal of communication is not to win arguments, but to communicate ideas and messages clearly and effectively, so that there is mutual understanding.

Idolatry

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Ignore God at Your Own Peril!

 

danger thin ice

There are many people today who believe that God does not exist.  According to Geroge Barna Research, the number of atheists in America has grown to almost 25% of the population (The State of the Church Series, 2011). And there are others who claim to be Christian yet do not accept all the teachings of the Bible.  According to that same Barna Research study, only 43% of self-identified Christians in America believe the Bible to be accurate in all of its teachings.  Many of them believe that what the Bible teaches is not relevant anymore in today’s world.  Unfortunately, their beliefs put them in grave peril.  It’s not that they are necessarily turning to an alternative set of truths, but rather they are making up their own truth and living their lives accordingly.

God has a lot to say about His creation, and the Bible records His truth and His message for ALL people. Now, of course, not everyone believes in God or the truth of the Bible, but that does not negate that it is God’s Word and wisdom for us as His creation. (You can choose not to believe in gravity, but if you fall off of a tall building you will discover its truth rather painfully!)  Watch this brief video by Frances Chan on Why We Need the Bible that offers a wonderful and clear explanation of this reality.

The Bible says in Genesis 1 that God created us. Later on in Exodus God gave Moses 10 basic rules by which we are to live by called the 10 Commandments.  His number 1 rule is that we “shall have no other gods before Him.” (Exodus 20:3)  In other words, we as humans are not to worship any other gods but Him. So, for those people who do not believe in God, they are worshiping other gods instead. This is called idolatry, and God issues warning after warning throughout Scripture of the danger of following other gods.

So those who choose to ignore God and the Bible do so at their own peril.  In Galatians 6:7 it says, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked.  A man reaps what he sows.” Relying on one’s own self or other gods will ultimately prove disastrous. That’s why Proverbs 14:12 says, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.”  When we go our own way instead of God’s, it will not end well for us.  Jesus also confirms what happens when God or His Son is ignored.  He says in John 3:36 that “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.”  These Scriptures clearly point to the consequences of ignoring God – and the result is disaster, death, and destruction!

All people have a choice on who or what to believe in.  But as Frances Chan says, God’s Word is eternal and the ultimate Truth, because it comes from God Himself. If we choose not to listen to God then we do so at our own peril.  Deuteronomy 11: 26-28 says, “See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse – the blessing if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today; the curse if you disobey the commands of the Lord your God and turn from the way that I command you today by following other gods, which you have not known.”  God is clearly giving us the opportunity of making our own choice. Choosing to ignore God will bring us curses rather than blessings in our lives.

But if we turn to God, worship Him, obey His commands, and follow His Son Jesus, God promises to bless us.  In Psalm 1:1-2 it says that “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.  But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.”  By looking to God and relying on the Bible (His Word) God promises that we will be blessed!  Jesus confirms that blessing when He says in Luke 11:28 that “blessed rather are those who hear the Word of God and obey it.”

So what choice will you make?  Will you follow God and reap His blessings for your life, or will you follow yourself or other gods and so bring ruin upon your life?  The choice is yours.

Choose wisely!

 

Mission Milestone

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Barry Reaches 100 Mission Trips!

 

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My recent trip to Seoul, Korea with Kim was my 100th mission trip!!  It’s hard to believe that God has enabled me to serve him in mission for that many trips over the past 18 years.  That averages out to about 5.5 mission trips per year.  When my pastor, Dr. Barry Kolb, first invited me on a mission trip to Kazakhstan in April of 1996 I had no idea what God had in store for me. But occasions like this cause us to look back and see what God has done!  So in this blog installment I am going to share the highlights from those 100 trips as well as some interesting facts and statistics about them.

To begin with, here are some highlights:

Trip #   Date                   Location               Highlight
1           April, 1996          Kazakhstan          1st mission trip
2          October, 1996     Kazakhstan           1st mission trip as a trainer
6          January, 1999      Peru                      1st trip as team leader
12        May, 2001            Philippines           1st FaithLife Ministries trip
15        February, 2002   Philippines            1st MCL training
20       October, 2002      Latvia                   1st family mission trip
22       March, 2003         Peru                      1st MCL in South America
27       July, 2004             Peru                     1st Celebrate Recovery training
40       December, 2005   Kenya                   1st MCL training in Africa
54       May, 2008             Latvia                  1st MCL training in Europe
57       November, 2008   Philippines          Last team trip for FaithLife
78       April, 2011             Myanmar            1st MCL for house churches
88       June, 2012            Guatemala          Train National Police Force
94       June, 2013            S. Korea               1st training of Lutheran pastors
100     July, 2014             S. Korea               1st MCL Volume #2 training
 
MCL = Management for Church Leaders
 

Here are some interesting facts and statistics:

1.  # of Nations visited:   34
2.  Avg. trip cost:   $2,700
3.  Most visited nations:  Philippines (19), Peru (15), Kazakhstan (12)
4.  # Trips by Continent:  Asia (45), Latin America (31), Africa (17), Europe (7)
5.  # Trips by Role:  MCL Train (62), Other Train (20), Team Lead (11), Misc (7)
6.  Favorite nations to visit:  Philippines, Kazakhstan, and Peru
7.  Nations with best food:  Peru, Albania, and Latvia
8.  Most Beautiful nations:  Rwanda, Nepal, and Colombia
9.  Most Challenging nations:  Haiti, Dem. Rep. of Congo, and Nigeria
10. # of trips with flight delays or cancellations:  7
11. # of trips significantly affected by flight delays or cancellations:  2
12. # of trips I was sick or ill:  7

 

It has been a wonderful journey these past 18 years and 100 trips, serving God as a trainer and mission team leader.  He has certainly led me down an unexpected path, but one of many blessings. I would strongly encourage all of you who read this to consider going to the foreign mission field and allowing God to open your heart to the needs of His people in other nations.  When you serve others in Jesus’ name it produces a joy like no other!  I would also like to thank all of our faithful supporters who have given generously to make  all of this possible. Your partnership in this ministry has been a blessing to me as well as so many others.  God was indeed using you as well to impact the nations.

To God alone be all the glory, honor and praise!!

Acts 29 – The Balkans

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Acts 29 – The Balkans

“Gaining a Foothold for Christ!”

 

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Recently Kim and I had the privilege of teaching our Management for Church Leaders™ training in two Balkan countries – Albania & Kosovo. What we discovered was a church hungry for leadership and management training and eager to learn how they can more effectively grow their churches.  We also visited Skopje, Macedonia and met with a pastor there who expressed great interest in our training for their country as well.  And our hosts in Albania indicated that they have contacts in Montenegro, Bosnia and Croatia too for our training.  So there is great interest in this type of training for the Balkans, an area that we had not previously considered for our training due to their higher education and economic level when compared with nations in Africa and Asia. But what makes this region strategically important is that it is predominantly Muslim and the church is only 20 years old in these countries at best!  It is like having the opportunity of training the early church leaders in the book of Acts! We sometimes say that we are an Acts 29 church, continuing the work that ended in Acts chapter 28 of the Bible.

In Albania, for example, the church there began just 20 years ago when this nation became independent and democratic after 50 years of communist rule.  Albania was not part of the Soviet Union, but was the only nation to outlaw religion of any kind during those years.  Prior to 1990 a citizen could be arrested and thrown in jail simply for having a Bible.  We read where some evangelists put Bibles in the Albanian language into watertight bags and sent them over the Adriatic Sea from the island of Corfu to reach Albania during the prohibition of religion.  There were some Albanians who found these Bibles and, at great risk, kept them, and became some of the earliest Christians in that nation!  So God was at work preparing the harvest field in Albania even before missionaries were allowed in! Most of Albania is Muslim as well, making it a strategic nation to win for Christ. Today, there are close to 500,000 Christians in Albania, of which about 200,000 are Protestant. And they are raising up the next generation of Christians now.  So they need our training to effectively continue the growth that has already begun!

Kosovo is a different story, however.  They were part of Serbia and the former Yugoslavia during communist rule and only got their independence in 1999 after the Kosovo War, which many Americans remember because of the violence and atrocities that were committed.  Our host, pastor Petrit Lleshi, grew up under communism in a little village in Albania no more than 25 miles from Kosovo and never thought he would ever be allowed into that country! And now, a little over 10 years later, we crossed the border on a new highway and trained 35 pastors and leaders in Pristina, the capital city.  Kosovo is predominantly Muslim as well and has a negative attitude towards Christians because of their Serbian occupiers who were Orthodox. The church in Kosovo is still small with only perhaps 50 churches and 3,000 Christians.  But that has happened in just over 10 years! Walls are coming down and God is moving in this nation!  And we were privileged to meet and train these 35 leaders and help them continue to expand God’s Kingdom in Kosovo.

We also visited the city of Skopje, Macedonia where the church is small but growing as well.  We met with pastor Sasha Vuletic, someone who is working to plant more churches and expand the Kingdom there, and he also expressed great interest in our training for his nation and said it was much needed. The same situation is true for Bosnia, Montenegro and Croatia where the opportunity exists to plant and develop a strong foothold for Christ in the Balkans. So we are excited and honored to be part of what God is doing in this part of Europe to establish His church!

Although this region was not part of the target area for our training, it has become evident to us that God is leading us there and it is important, necessary and strategic for us to provide our training to them.  We will not change our vision of reaching 100 nations, but will include Eastern Europe now in some of our planning.  We are already talking about going to Macedonia and Bosnia in 2015 to train and will also look to find potential MCL Trainers in the Balkans region to continue our work and train others there in the future.

Please keep the Balkans and our ministry in your prayers as we seek to do God’s will and assist the church in its growth in this region.

Praise God from whom ALL blessings flow!