The Spirit of God at Work

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“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will makes your paths straight.”

Proverbs 3:5-6

Our ministry celebrated its 20th anniversary on January 22nd. In our January newsletter I shared the milestones we had reached along the way as well as the accomplishments that we had achieved. But I also said that God was the one who was responsible for all that we had done in His name! God established this ministry, grew this ministry, and produced all of the results that were achieved. Our part was simply to seek His wisdom and guidance and to obey His direction. Putting our trust in the Lord enabled Him to use us to fulfill His purpose and plan for this ministry!

Last year during the shutdown I wrote a book entitled “God’s Spirit at Work: Lessons from the Mission Field.” In that book I shared many stories and testimonies of how God’s Spirit was at work in our ministry and in my life while serving Him on the foreign mission field since 1996. God demonstrated His power many times to bring about what He desired. He first chose me for His purpose and then provided for me, protected me, and even carried me at times. He also answered my prayers and let me know that He was with me all the time! (Please visit http://www.faithlifeministries.net/books. to get a copy. It is available in a variety of formats.) I enjoyed writing that book because it forced me to recall all the times God had been faithful and was at work even when I didn’t know it.

I was recently reflecting on what God had done to bring us to this point in our ministry and began to realize how God’s Spirit was still at work today even though I have not traveled to train in over a year. For example, although most of the world shut down last year due to the corona virus, the Lord enabled our global trainers to resume our MCL training so that we ended up training over 4,700 pastors and leaders in 29 nations in 2020! It also resulted in our ministry reaching the 100th nation through an on-line training! Additionally, He led me to use my time at home to write the book and also to develop more resources that our trainers needed!

But that’s not all. During the past year God led us to establish relationships with three new ministries that are enabling us to extend our training to other networks of contacts.

First, we were contacted by a ministry called China Partner that has a network of registered churches and seminaries in China. Last December I recorded our first Zoom training for them (with a translator) which was distributed via email to their network of pastors and church leaders. More training session recordings are scheduled for this year.

Second, God led another ministry to us last year called Leadership International to conduct our MCL training for their ministry network in Africa. I had planned to go and train in Cape Town, South Africa last October but that trip was cancelled due to the virus. Instead, our trainer in Cape Town, Dr. Nsimba Baboka, is working with their contact in Cape Town to do a training there this year. They in turn, will train others throughout their network in Africa.

Finally, I was contacted by the leader of a ministry called Servants of Christ International that assists churches in the majority world with funding and support for church construction, food programs and other aid. They wanted some background on one of the pastors they are working with that happens to be one of our global trainers in Nepal. As we talked about our respective ministries, he asked me for a copy of our MCL self-training book. He was so enthused about our training that he proceeded to email all of his global ministry contacts to encourage them to get a copy of it. We have received requests for our MCL training from many of them already! God was indeed at work growing our ministry last year despite the pandemic!!

So you might ask me, what is God’s Spirit up to this year? Well, first of all, he is opening up doors for me to teach our MCL on-line since I am not able to travel. I have been praying for opportunities to do so and He answered my prayer. I was scheduled to do an initial MCL training for pastors and leaders in Mandalay, Myanmar last week but the start had to be postponed due to the political unrest there at the moment and the instability of their internet service. But it will take place at some point this year.

Second, God led me to the founder of Lucent University, an on-line Bible College. They are interested in having me teach a course on Strategic Management using our MCL material for their Bible degree and even secular degree curriculum. We will be meeting on Zoom again shortly to work on more of the details.

Finally, God’s Spirit has led us to develop a series of short 3 minute videos that contain training tips from our MCL training. Our first training tip was released on our ministry FaceBook page last Thursday. You can watch it at www.faithlifeministries.net/MCL-training-tips.

And through all of this the Lord continues to provide for us financially while He works and speaks through us. I am reminded of the Scripture passage from Zechariah 4:6 that says, “Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD Almighty.”

Indeed, God’s Spirit is at work today in FaithLife Ministries and is a living testimony to God’s faithfulness! Because we put our faith and trust in Jesus, He will bring about God’s purpose and plan for this ministry.

Crisis in the American Church

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“Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.”

Matthew 12:25

There currently exists a crisis in the American Church. Do you know what it is? Are you aware that it is not just recent but has been around for many years? It is a crisis that has plagued the Church throughout history, but seems to be manifesting itself with tremendous strength in America today. It is the crisis of division caused by apostasy.

You probably don’t know what this word means as it is not commonly used today. Apostasy means “the abandonment or renunciation of a religious or political belief.” For the American Church, it means the abandonment of the Bible as the authoritative truth of the Christian faith. According to a recent study by George Barna, over 50 % of American evangelical Christians do not believe the Bible is inerrant or trustworthy. A stunning 74% of them believe that people are basically good instead of sinful, 43% believe that Jesus sinned during His lifetime, and 58% believe that the Holy Spirit is not a person but rather a symbol (American Worldview Inventory 2020: Final Release #12, Arizona Christian University, January, 2020).

In other words, secularization has crept into the beliefs of the American Church. Previous commonly held core beliefs with regard to sin and salvation (law and gospel) are now being replaced by secular views. As a result, some churches and denominations now more closely conform to a pagan, secular culture. And their numbers are not small. Most every mainline Protestant Church has a denomination within it that rejects some Biblical teachings. They include the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), the Presbyterian Church in the United States (PC-USA), and the post separation United Methodist Church (psUMC). And there are many others that are following the same apostasy. They are rejecting Biblical Truth for secular views, most of them having to do with sexual freedom, identity and behavior.

It appears that Christians who have secular or “progressive” views think that abortion is acceptable, a person can choose their gender, and that homosexuality is a lifestyle choice. All of these do not conform to Biblical teaching. God’s Word says that “He knit us together in our mother’s womb” (Psalm 139:13) and that we “should not murder” (Exodus 20:13). Abortion is the murder of a human being, someone God alone created. Abortion also results most often from the sin of adultery (sex outside of marriage). God’s Word also says the “He created us, male and female” (Genesis 1:27). God chose our gender. We have nothing to do with it and we cannot change it. God’s Word also says that “a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.” (Genesis 2:24). It’s called marriage, and it’s clearly only between a man and a woman. The Bible also condemns sexual contact in any other context (Exodus 18:1-30). The Bible is very clear on these sexual matters, yet there are some Christians who reject these Biblical teachings in favor of their own secular beliefs. This is apostasy.

So how did this division and crisis in the Church come about? To begin with, sadly, it has always been in the Church. We only need to go and read the New Testament to confirm it was happening back in the early Church. Paul warned the Churches in Rome and Corinth to “watch out for those who cause divisions” (Romans 16:17) and that “there be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought” (1 Corinthians 1:10). The New Testament also condemns the practice of sexual immorality that was common at the time (Acts 15:20, Galatians 5:19, Ephesians 5:3, Colossians 3:5, 1 Thessalonians 4:3, 1 Timothy 1:10, Hebrews 13:4, and Jude 1:7). Even Jesus Himself spoke out against sexual immorality in Matthew 15:19. Since the Bible also declares that Jesus is the Word (John 1:1 and 1:14), He was obviously referring to all forms of impure sexual relations. Since its beginning, the Christian Church has had to fight off pagan practices and influences that have attempted to corrupt the Church and defy its teachings. It is no different today, although perhaps a bit more pervasive now.

So, why has this crisis re-emerged so strongly? I believe that it has been brewing since the 1960’s with the development of the pill and the emergence of the sexual revolution (sex between consenting adults). These two developments have led to an explosion of sex outside of God’s boundaries of marriage and have resulted in millions of abortions, escalating divorce rates, and the wider acceptance of homosexual behavior for the past 50 years. But it seemed to have gained an extra boost in 2008 with the election of Barack Obama and the subsequent change in public attitude and government policy towards gay marriage and gender identity. Unfortunately, this acceptance by our society has also crept into the Church in the form of cultural and secular beliefs that are contrary to Scripture.

So, what can the Church do to counter this secular influence? Perhaps the first and most important question the Church must ask itself is this – “Is this the result of our own lack of discipleship?” Have we not taught Biblical values (or in some cases avoided it) because the topic was “too sensitive”?  Have we allowed the culture to have more influence than God’s Word amongst our church members? Have we created a generation of church attenders and not disciples of Jesus Christ and His Word? I think the Church needs to take a good hard look at itself in this regard. It’s not too late for the Church to refocus on discipleship and teaching Biblical truth. It must take the culture head-on and not allow its secular beliefs to be tolerated or accepted in the Church! If it doesn’t, then the Church will continue to be divided in America and lose its ability to impact our nation for Christ.

Jesus told his disciples that while we are to be in the world, we are not to be of the world (John 15:19). Peter wrote that we are “aliens and strangers in the world” (1 Peter 2:11). Jesus also called us to be “salt & light in our world” (Matthew 5:13-16). Consequently, we are called to be separate from the world and not like the world. If the Church is like the world then it cannot influence the world to be different than what it is. And if the American church wants to influence our nation for Christ, then it must be unified in both Biblical belief and practice. As Jesus said in Matthew 12:25, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.”

But we must also be aware that God is sovereign and will bring about His purpose through this crisis by His Holy Spirit. Could He be preparing the Church to make more disciples by reinforcing the teaching and acknowledgement of Biblical Truth? Could He be calling the Church to revival and restoration of God’s authority in our nation?  Could He be sending His Spirit to reveal the apostasy to those who engage in it and bring them to repentance? Only time will tell.

For those Christians who acknowledge Biblical authority, who “hate evil and cling to what is good” (Romans 12:29), and who witness for Christ and His Word, God will use them to bring the Church in America back to its Biblical foundation. This apostasy must be confronted and removed from the Church in America if it is to come together in unity in order to effectively proclaim the gospel and the truth in our nation.

Discipling Youth

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“I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you.  I have no one else like him, who will show genuine concern for your welfare.  For everyone looks out for their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.  But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel.”

Philippians 2:19-22

Timothy is young according to 1 Timothy 4:12 (“Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young“).  Paul took this youth, Timothy, under his wing, teaching and nurturing him in the faith.  Youth are young adults, and discipling youth is critical for the future of the Church.  Recent surveys indicate that youth are not staying in the church but rather adopting secular views instead as they enter adulthood. Youth ministry (for age 12 through the teenage years) requires some special attention so that youth will come to Christ in a lasting way.

What Is Effective Youth Ministry?

First of all, Youth Ministry is NOT entertainment, the best show in town, the best food in town, or mimicking the world’s way of doing things. Youth Ministry IS purposefully driven instead of popularity driven. Events must focus on the power of God being present, the purpose of God being evident, and the principles of God being taught.

Development of Young Adolescents

Young people in ages 10-15 undergo more rapid and profound personal changes than any other time in their lives.  Some areas of youth physical & emotional development vary during this time. For example, changes occur irregularly, puberty is experienced at different times and different rates, youth become aware of their socioeconomic status, and ethnicity adds to diversity awareness or challenges. Youth also develop concerns about appearance and body image and have a desire for peer acceptance. Their patterns of thinking begin to change with a greater capacity to think more on their own, and the environment and media begin to have a greater influence over their values.

How Youth Learn

The foundation for faith (in God, or in something else), is laid down during the first seven years of life.  By the time students enter youth ministry (around age 12), they will have a belief system basically established in their hearts and minds.  Neuroscience research studies have shown that youth learn well in five areas:

  1. The youth needs to “feel OK” to learn effectively.  Emotion is fundamental to learning for young people. 
  2. Youth find it easier to learn when the teaching matters to them.  Brains can shut down when students are taught information that is not relevant to their own goals.
  3. It is easier for youth to learn when the environment is active.  Active engagement in the teaching time is necessary for learning. 
  4. Youth need to work on their skills over time.  The experiences of youth, over time, gradually sculpt connections in their brains. 

“But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.”   –  2 Timothy 3:14-15

5. Youth learning requires regular support.  Having support and mentoring helps learning to be reinforced and to be adjusted to one’s own personal experiences. 

“Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.”  – 1 Timothy 4:12-16

The Purpose of Discipling Youth

There are four purposes in discipling youth:

  1. To help them apply their Christian faith to every area of life. This includes worship, prayer, fellowship, Bible study, ministry and evangelism.
  2. To talk to them about the tough issues. This includes the benefits of healthy behavior (purity), the risks and consequences of unhealthy behavior (drugs, alcohol, sex), and the difference between temptation and sin (Temptation is the devil knocking at the door. Sin occurs when one opens the door and invites the devil in). “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”  (James 4:7)
  3. To teach them to make good decisions. This includes using good judgment (Psalm 119:9,11), having courage (Philippians 4:13), having honor (Romans 12:9-11), and exhibiting self-control (1 Thessalonians 4:3,4).
  4. To help them become leaders in the cause of Christ. Youth must learn to seek spiritual growth, have a servant heart, build up people skills, promote cooperation, and manage problems. They should learn to lead worship, prayer, and Bible study. They should also learn to disciple others.  The Great Commission should become personal to them (“Go and make disciples……teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you…” – Matthew 28:19-20)

Developing the Next Generation of Church Leaders

There are four things worth remembering about youth in the Church. First, the leaders of tomorrow are the youth of today. Today’s church leaders were forged in the 1960’s & 1970’s. Tomorrow’s leaders are being forged in the 1990’s & 2000’s. Second, what youth don’t like today they will change tomorrow. They are not sure what they really like, but they know what they don’t like and they will want to change what they don’t like. Third, each generation wants to be better than the previous one. There is a continuing evolution of social thought and each generation wants to make a contribution to the culture. And fourth, we must teach youth Biblical principles, not church traditions. The focus should be on eternal truths, not temporary beliefs. Let the power of the Word draw them in, not traditions or practices. Let our actions be determined by Scripture, not by man-made ideas.

(From Chapter 6 in our Discipleship for Church Leaders™ Training Manual, ©2015.)

A World Without Christ?

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“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

John 8:12

It is Christmas season around the world. Although Christmas is just one day, December 25th, people in many nations around the world love to celebrate the season beginning a month in advance. They love the colored lights, Christmas trees, celebrations, the exchange of gifts, and the general mood of kindness that seems to lift everyone’s spirits. This is true even as many of those nations no longer celebrate the birth of Christ, the reason for the season.

We live in a world where almost one third of its population is Christian. It has the most followers of any religion in the world. And yet Christians are the most persecuted religion on the earth as well according to a Pew Research Center survey in 2019. And according to a report released by Open Doors USA in 2019, 215 million Christians are persecuted for their faith, about 1 in 12 Christians in the world! And the levels of persecution continue to grow, even in the United States of America!

If the world loves Christmas, why is there such hatred for Christians in the world? Is it because we are the largest religion and need to be curtailed? Is it because we speak the truth of God’s Word that so often goes against the prevailing culture? Is it because Christians are a threat to governments and those in power? Or is it something more personal…?

The world’s calendar is divided between the time before Christ (BC) and the time after Christ (AD). Jesus’ birth was the most important day in history because it ushered in God’s physical presence in the world. And that single event has changed everything! Jesus’ life, death and resurrection revealed God’s love, grace and mercy for all mankind. It gave the world a hope it did not have before Jesus. It is no longer a question of wondering what God thinks or wants, it has become known to us through Jesus words, actions and obedience to God the Father. Jesus said, “If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” (John 14:7).

And how did the world respond when Jesus was born? Those who recognized Him told others about Him and worshipped him (Luke 2:17-20). But those who feared Him tried to kill him (Matthew 2:16). And later, after Jesus began his ministry, the people who recognized Him praised him and followed Him (Matthew 21:9). But those who feared Him arrested him, beat him, and crucified Him like a criminal, though He had done no wrong (John 19:1 & 16).

It’s interesting to note that the same is true today. Nothing has changed. Those who recognize Him worship him, tell others about Him, and seek to follow His commands. But those who fear Him ridicule His followers, imprison them, beat them, and persecute them.

While governments persecute Christians because they are a threat to government control and power, people persecute them for a more personal reason. While Christians submit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, others have no desire to submit to anyone other than themselves. They want to be rulers of their own lives. Jesus tells us to love our enemies (Matthew 5:43-44). But the world tells us to hate them and destroy them. Jesus says to turn the other cheek (Matthew 5:39). The world says to retaliate and hit back harder. Jesus says to give and it will be given to us (Luke 6:38). The world says only a fool gives away what he has earned for himself. Those who do not want Christ in their lives also do not want Christ in other’s lives either!

So, let us take a moment and imagine a world without Christ. What would it be like?

Well, we could look back before Christ was born and see what the world was like back then. It was a violent world where the strong dominated the weak. It was a world where there were no human rights. It was a world where most people died young. It was a world where one had to submit to the rulers and conquerors of the day. It was brutal, it was dangerous, it was dark, and it was hopeless.

We could look back 100 years and see the rise of communism and fascism that outlawed Christianity and forced belief in atheism and worship of the state and its leader (Stalin, Hitler, Mao). It resulted in the killing of millions of people who dissented (Jews, Christians & others) and enslaved millions more under state-run, oppressive governments (Soviet Union, China). It caused a massive global war that also resulted in the horrific and torturous deaths of many soldiers. For those who lived and suffered during those times, they were dark days indeed with little hope!

But we can also look around us and see what is happening today. Christian persecution is growing globally, dissenting voices are being silenced, the murder of unborn children through abortion is being lauded, communism is being revived, and government power is being used to restrict freedoms and control our lives.

Christ is needed today just as He was needed 2,000 years ago. Without Christ, the world becomes a dark and dangerous place. More importantly, without Christ, the human heart remains a dark and dangerous place as well! (Romans 1:21)

I, for one, do not want to see a world without Christ. Fortunately, that cannot happen. Jesus said, “And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” (Matthew 16:18). What Jesus has built cannot be destroyed. Wherever Christian persecution exists, the Church grows stronger. That’s what happened in the Soviet Union and China after World War II, and is now happening in Iran. So we should not lose heart. The Light of Christ cannot be extinguished!

So this Christmas, let us pray once again for the Light of Christ to lighten a darkening world. Let us pray for the Love of Christ to reign in people’s hearts. And let us pray for God’s Holy Spirit to lead the world to Christ and Him alone. For without Christ, our world would also be without hope! Let us bow down and worship Him this Christmas as the Magi from the East did 2,000 years ago  (Matthew 2:11), and let us praise Him for the grace and mercy that He alone gave to us at the cross (Ephesians 2:8)!

FaithLife Ministries Releases New Video Celebrating Reaching 100 Nations with our Management for Church Leaders Training!

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“Only God makes things grow.”

1 Corinthians 3:7

FaithLife Ministries is pleased to release a new video that celebrates reaching 100 nations with our Management for Church Leaders™ training. We reached 100 nations back in early September when our training was received by a pastor in the nation of Belize. This was the culmination of the vision that God had given to us back in 2008.

This video shares the story of how this training began and how it spread around the world. It has done so only by the hand of God! And it was the result of many people working together in ministry as God has directed them over the past 19 years.

Please click on the video below to watch how it all happened.

Thank you all for your support and prayers that has made reaching this vision possible.

To God alone belongs the glory!!

Division in America and its Global Impact

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“But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

Joshua 24:15

The United States of America has been on an increasingly secular path for over 50 years. I wrote about the decline in morals and biblical values in my book, About Face: A Call to Turn America Back to God, which was published in 2015. During this past year we have seen tremendous division in our nation covering many different issues including the economy, the pandemic, healthcare, immigration, race, justice, climate change and abortion, just to name the most obvious. Having grown up in America, I have witnessed this growing division and the abandonment of biblical principles and values in our nation. I have also experienced its impact on our society. And it is not good.

The United States of America has been a “shining city on a hill” that people from other nations long to visit and live in because of our freedoms, especially speech, religion and economic opportunity. I know this from my own experience visiting many other nations. The United States is a nation like no other in the world. It was founded on Judeo-Christian values and principles and our Constitution guarantees these freedoms for all of its citizens. It was also established as a nation that would govern itself. But as John Quincy Adams clearly pointed out in 1789, “We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” In other words, without a biblical foundation, self-government will ultimately fail.

As I survey the landscape of America today, I can’t help but notice this departure from biblical and moral values that President Adams spoke of at the founding of our nation. The division we are experiencing in our nation today is caused by the different attitudes and worldviews of our own people. It is the age old conflict of God’s way versus Man’s way. Today, fewer Americans believe in God’s Word and the principles and values for life that it contains. Instead, many Americans are putting their trust in science and man’s intelligence.

Those Americans who favor Man’s way have a secular worldview that focuses on man’s intellect and ability to reason out all things. To them God is irrelevant. They view people as basically good and that everyone can have their own morals. There is no standard of behavior and little belief in personal responsibility. They say people aren’t the problem, society is! The Bible clearly contradicts this view and says in 1 John 1:9 that “If we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” Believing that we are basically good is a false premise. Proverbs 3:5 also tells us that we should “Trust in the Lord with all our heart and lean not on our own understanding.” According to God’s Word, trusting in our own knowledge and wisdom will only lead us to disaster.

On the other hand, those Americans who favor God’s Word and have a biblical worldview know that God’s ways are higher than our ways (Isaiah 55:9) and that we are sinful by nature (Romans 3:23). They recognize that the problem is not society, it is us! If society is failing, it is because we as individual citizens are failing. Believers in God know that He is good and His moral standards are best for society because man will sin and eventually mess things up if they do things their own way. If nothing else, history proves this to be true. Man without God is inherently evil and will do very evil things to their own people under the guise of making a better society. Hitler, Stalin, Mao, and Pol Pot are just a few examples.

So, America is at a fork in the road. There are two paths it can follow. It can continue to choose to follow its own intellect and Man’s way with its historically tragic consequences, such as communism, genocide and slavery. Or it can turn back to God and follow biblical standards and His way, which produces prosperity, generosity and compassion.

In the Old Testament, the Hebrews were given a similar choice when they came to a fork in their road. Deuteronomy 11:26-28 records the choice that God gave them. He said, “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.” Sadly, the Hebrews only followed God for a short time before reverting back to their worship of other gods and their own desires, which eventually brought destruction upon themselves (the curse).

America has the same choice today. Before it lies a blessing or a curse. However, the path America chooses will also have an impact on the rest of the world. If America chooses a path of relying on man’s intellect it will surely decline morally, economically and militarily. It will no longer be able to provide for the needs of its own people or other nations, defend itself or its allies, or remain a stabilizing force for good in the world (the curse). If America chooses to follow God’s way, it will prosper economically, socially, and spiritually. And that will enable it to continue to fight evil in the world, produce food for the world, and provide security for the world (the blessing). As the leading nation in the world, what it chooses will impact other nations either positively or negatively.

Although the impact from this choice may takes many years to materialize, it is critical for the United States to make the right choice today so it can stop its slide down the path towards its own destruction. This will ensure a prosperous future for the United States and the world!

It is also a choice that we as individuals must also make every day to avoid our own spiritual death. Proverbs 14:12 says that “There is a way that seems right to man, but it only leads to death.” If we follow our own ways it will surely lead to our destruction. So, we must put our trust in God to receive the blessing in our own lives. Proverbs 28:25 says that “He who trusts in the Lord will prosper.”

There is no other way to create a better future for ourselves, or our own nation, than to follow God’s way!

Mentoring Others

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“Just as a nursing mother cares for her children, so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.  (We are) encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into His kingdom and glory.”

1 Thessalonians 2:7-8, 12

Mentoring is a key aspect of the Great Commission, because we are to “make” disciples and not just “witness to” outsiders.  It also helps those we mentor to grow spiritually and learn to live a life of faith. Jesus was a teacher, counselor, and guide to all of His disciples. He also developed a mentoring relationship with them. He had a particularly close mentoring relationship with three of His disciples – Peter, James, and John. 

According to the dictionary, a mentor is a wise and trusted counselor or teacher. God created us to need mentors, including our parents, teachers, bosses and pastors. The Apostle Paul mentored young Timothy (1st Timothy Chapter 4). As Paul demonstrates, mentoring is a committed one-to-one discipleship relationship, an investment in another person’s life, a passing on of faith in Jesus, and an apprenticeship where both people respect and rely on each other. Mentoring also enables spiritual reproduction, so that the mentee can in turn mentor others and pass the Christian faith from one generation to another. As Paul also wrote to Timothy, “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.” (2 Timothy 2:2)

There are some basic principles of mentoring that are very important if it is to be effective. First of all, there must be Commitment by both the mentor and mentee. This means taking on the responsibility to develop the one-to-one relationship, investing time in the process, and pledging to completely follow God’s Word and God’s Will. Second, there must be Accountability. There needs to be openness to each other, a willingness to be repentant, and an agreement to “answer to” the other person. Third, there should be Confidentiality. All personal information must be confidential unless specified otherwise. If mutually agreed upon, some information can be shared to build up the body of believers. Fourth, mentoring must be Voluntary. Each person must be willing to enter into the relationship and give it their time.  Either person can discontinue it if desired.

Additionally, mentoring should be person-to-person with the same gender to avoid any romantic temptations. It can be someone you know, or don’t know, and will often happen as a result of God’s call or prompting. Mentors should not mentor more than three people at a time and also must use the Bible as the primary tool.

Here are the key steps to mentoring:

1.Determine Who to Mentor

After prayer and discerning God’s guidance, select a person to mentor. Have an exploratory first meeting to discuss the mentoring process. Pray about it together.

2. Determine a mentoring process

Decide on when and where to meet and agree on the Bible as the guidebook for your meetings. Have a second meeting to discuss and take notes on life issues, topics, or needs. Plan with each other the schedule and topics. If the person is not a believer yet, work on evangelism first.

3. Meet regularly

Keep to the agreed upon schedule but remain flexible to adjust the schedule as needed. Have brief encounters to catch-up and provide encouragement.

4. Assess and work on the needs

Take notes and collect more information related to childhood, young adulthood, and current life situation.  Review and discuss your notes together. Then, determine their needs and encourage their spiritual growth. As Paul wrote, “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” (2 Timothy 3:14-15).  

5. Set goals

Goals should be worked on one at a time, or only a few at a time. All goals should be researched in the Scriptures for guidance and help.  Do this together and prepare some suggested goals for them ahead of time. Pray together about the goals and listen to the Holy Spirit for guidance. Agree on any “homework” due before the next meeting. Be testimonial by sharing the spiritual growth taking place with others and witnessing the work of the Holy Spirit in your lives.

When should the mentoring relationship end? It can end as God leads (and is agreed upon) or when the mentee is capable of mentoring another person.  We need to ‘make disciples’ who will ‘make other disciples’! It can also end when life situations change.

Every Christian should have a mentor and be a mentor all of their life! We are all called to make disciples (Matthew 28:19) so that God’s Kingdom grows!

(From Chapter 11 in our Discipleship for Church Leaders™ Training Manual, ©2015.)

Our Management for Church Leaders Training Reaches 100th Nation!

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“Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.“

Proverbs 19:21

We are thrilled to announce that our Management for Church Leaders™ training has reached it’s 100th Nation! Last Saturday, our MCL Trainer in Guatemala, Dr. Diego Cruz, held an MCL training on Facebook Live that was attended by 16 pastors and leaders from several nations, including Belize. That made Belize the 100th nation to receive our training! As you may recall, Diego and I had planned to take our training to Belize in May but the training conference had to be postponed due to the virus. Instead, our original host in Belize, Pastor Julio Quiroz from the Belize Church of God, attended the online training. Here are a couple of screenshot photos from the training. Diego is pictured on bottom photo:

God gave us the vision to reach 100 nations back in 2008 and this goal has been the focus of our ministry the past 11 years. It is what led us to publish a self-training manual in 2012 and create our Global Trainer Network in 2014 so that we could multiply and spread our training.

We recognize that it took many people, especially our global trainers, to reach this goal, and it was all by God’s Hand and not our own! We are also thankful to all of our ministry donors and supporters who helped provide the funding and prayers that God used to bring this about. We truly thank and praise the Lord for leading us, and using all of us, to reach this wonderful milestone in this ministry!

We will be releasing a video in the next several weeks to celebrate this accomplishment for the Lord, which will include a look back on how we got here. We will let you know when it is available for on-line viewing.

What Holds Us Captive?

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“But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.”

Romans 6:22

For most of us, we are living in unprecedented times. There are only a few people old enough who still remember the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918. Today, we face the global COVID-19 virus pandemic with its restrictions, closures, lockdowns, and requirements. Millions of people have lost their jobs, some businesses have permanently closed, freedom of travel has been severely restricted, and churches have been unable to meet together. At this point in time, there appears to be no relief in the immediate future from the impact of the corona virus.

Consequently, there are many who feel as though their lives are being held captive by the virus. Some go so far as to claim we are losing our constitutional right to freedom. But are we really in captivity during this pandemic?

To answer that question, let’s first look as what it means to be a captive. The dictionary says that the word captive means “one who has been captured: one taken and held usually in confinement.” We can generally be considered captive, therefore, if we are confined against our will somewhere, such as in a prison cell, as a prisoner of war, or if we have been kidnapped and held for ransom. 

That hardly describes our situation today with the virus. There are certainly restrictions being placed upon all of us, but we still have some level of independence and movement. In some US States and in other countries, the restrictions can either be more or less severe depending upon local circumstances. But in reality, no one is completely confined or held captive to the virus (with the exception of those who have been hospitalized with severe life threatening symptoms).

The Bible describes many times that people were held captive. In the Old Testament, Joseph was put in prison by the Pharaoh in Egypt (Genesis), the Jews were in held captive as slaves in Egypt (Exodus), and the Israelites were taken into captivity to Babylon (2 Kings). In the New Testament, the early Christians were put in prison by Paul and even Paul himself was in prison for Christ (Acts). These are clear examples of confinement against one’s will.

Today, we are not confined against our will because of the virus, but simply restricted for a time in what we are allowed to do until the virus passes.

However, we are still being held captive to another, far more dangerous virus. It’s called sin. Since the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3), every human being is born with this virus. And no matter what we do, we cannot rid this virus from our lives. There is no medicine for it. There is no treatment for it. And no doctor can remove it. The Apostle Paul wrote that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23). In our church’s corporate confession we say that “we are in bondage to sin and cannot free ourselves.” Another way to state that is that we are “captive” to our sin. Our sin holds us, confines us, and keeps us bound in it chains!

Yet, there is an antidote to counter this virus. An antidote is defined as something that relieves, prevents or counters. That antidote is faith in Jesus Christ, who went to the cross and sacrificed His life in our place to release us from the captivity of sin! His mercy and grace gives us freedom from the virus of sin. We no longer need to be slaves to it or in bondage to it. Jesus did not have this virus of sin, and His perfect life is the only antidote to the virus of sin that exists. There is no way to counter this virus in our lives other than through faith in Jesus Christ!

How do we get this antidote for the virus of sin in our lives? We receive the antidote in the form of the Holy Spirit when we are born again through faith in Christ. Paul said that “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.” (Galatians 5:24) The Holy Spirit gives us the ability to relieve, prevent and counter the harmful aspects of this virus of sin.

Now, it is important to note that this antidote does not remove the virus from our lives. We are still sinful by nature. But this antidote gives us the power to counter the evil effects of sin and to live lives free of its deathly grip. The virus of sin no longer has the power to take our life! When we place our faith and trust in Christ, the Holy Spirit works in our lives to counter our sinful nature and relieve us from its consequences. And that enables us to live lives that are holy, righteous and pleasing to God.

Our failure to take this antidote, which is provided free to us through Christ’s sacrifice, leaves us vulnerable to the ravages of sin that only leads to death (Romans 6:23). How sad it is that so many people in our world do not even know that there is an antidote for our sin. And worse yet, there are some people who don’t want the antidote and instead prefer to live with sin and its deathly consequences.

As Christians, we have the obligation to let others know that they don’t have to be held captive by the virus of sin and its damage to their lives. They can receive the antidote to sin by simply putting their faith and trust in Christ. It’s free and carries with it a lifetime guarantee!      

While we all wait for an antidote to the corona virus, let us not hesitate to remove our captivity to sin by putting our faith in Jesus. Let us also share the antidote to sin that Christ gives freely to everyone who calls upon His name!

Managing Small Groups

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“The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts, and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ.”

1 Corinthians 12:12

One of the most effective ministry tools for discipleship is small groups. When people come together in a smaller community of believers, they are often more free to share their successes and failures and be willing to be held accountable. They are also often more willing to share their faith and seek a closer relationship with God as they build a close relationship with other believers. Typically, Bible study is at the core of a small group, and this enables believers to gain more knowledge of God and his Word that they can then apply in their own lives.  This is what discipleship is all about – studying and doing God’s Word! As a result, many people often grow more as followers of Christ when they participate in a small group.  

Small groups are an important tool for discipleship within a church. It enables members to do several things.

First, they can explore God’s Word with others to become better equipped. “All Scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”  (2 Timothy 3:16-17) It enables believers to gain a greater understanding of God and how the Word applies to, and enhances, their life.

Second, it’s a place to make disciples. “Therefore, encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”  (1 Thessalonians 5:11) Personal testimonies and faith sharing can strengthen us so we can grow together in faith.

Third, it builds closer relationships. Small groups create stronger ties, allow for deeper levels of personal sharing, and create accountability to one another.

Fourth, they can provide ministry care to each other when needed. “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2). Like a family, they support each other during difficult times.

Finally, they can be an outlet for church ministry. Small groups can have their own outreach ministry in their local community and even travel together to do mission work.

There are a few basic principles of managing small groups that can help you to make them more productive and fruitful.

  1. Limit the size. It’s often recommended to keep them to no more than 12 people because is difficult to build strong relationships if the group is too large.
  • Designate and train small group leaders. Selecting the right leader is critical to its success. They must be trained and willing to submit to church leadership and oversight.
  • Define the purpose. Small groups can have different purposes (e.g. – Bible Study, Fellowship, or Outreach), but they must always focus on Christ and faith development.
  • Chemistry of the group matters. All members must be committed to the group. There needs to be unity in purpose and they must care for, and about, each other.

There are also some ways that church leaders can manage small groups to make them a more effective tool for discipleship.

  1. Hold small group leaders accountable. Request annual plans and updates and ask for faith stories and group spiritual growth assessment. Also, meet with them regularly to assist them or get feedback.
  • Keep track of small group meetings and members. Know who is in the group and when and where they are meeting. Ask to attend a meeting occasionally.
  • Oversee small group study materials. Know and approve their Bible study materials and offer training or other assistance to Bible study leaders. Recommend church–wide studies or other resources that you know to be effective for discipleship.
  • Have regular meetings with small group leaders. Schedule regular meetings to review progress and activities or to provide ongoing training for leaders.
  • Encourage church members to participate in small groups. It will build community and create connections to other members. It will strengthen discipleship in your church and create an outlet for outreach.

Small groups can be one of the most effective tools a pastor or church leader has to disciple people in their church or community. It is a wonderful way for people to share their faith, experience encouragement and caring from others, and grow as a disciple of Christ.

(from chapter 7 of our Management for Church Leaders™ Volume #2 Training Manual, © 2010)