Greetings all,
I'm currently on a train from Bourgas, Bulgaria back to Sofia, Bulgaria, and it's about 10:10pm.
I've been keeping on track with my daily Bible reading, and prayer has been more difficult, though God has given me more grace by giving me times to pray when I attended the youth conference and was unable to join in singing because of not knowing the songs or when praying and not knowing the language (and being without an interpreter). I continue to be exceptionally blessed in traveling. I have some small summaries of my daily activities during the past 2 weeks, but they are not very helpful without extended summaries. Listening and learning has been the primary emphasis of these weeks. I'm reevaluating the Bulgarian situation with churches, church-planting efforts, and business opportunities. The brothers continue to show me great kindnesses in spending time with me and answering my questions and telling me their testimonies. Because you have been praying for such I know I can tell you that God has granted me the wisdom asked for, both in sustaining my behavior and giving me the understanding and insight useful for my service. I have been able to encourage many brothers and sisters during my recent stays. And, I too have been encouraged with many words of affirmation from the brothers and sisters.
I am thinking about the opportunities all around me.
Unity and partnership are tricky things - because humility is foreign and a difficult subject for all of us. It takes real vulnerability to willingly allow someone the chance to slam the door in your face, crush your heart, and diminish your status in front of others. But, that's necessary for true partnership. Partners aren't equals in the sense that each has the same responsibilities and authority. Partners are equal in the sense that they are concerned for the good of the other and the accomplishment of the mission for which they've partnered. When one partner is more concerned about something other than that mission and to the detriment of the other partner, you realize that you don't have a partnership. You have something more akin to a parasitic relationship. When I'm talking with church planters and pastors and I heard them speak about many problems, particularly problems that are the result of other pastors and church planters, my first thought is: how are you humbling yourself to be a part of the reconciliation needed. I spoke with one brother at length about this today. He could be incredibly useful for a specific NEEDED change that would positively affect his entire country for generations into the future, but I noticed some bitterness in him because he had been hurt by another leader in the country - to the point that partnership is not even an option in his heart. Here's the deal: no one wants to admit the power of someone else to hurt his or her feelings. But, the most ironic thing is that being hurt by those you love is at (at, not is) the heart of Christianity. Jesus was bruised for our sake. It sets the tone for our relationship. When dealing with leaders, if you humble yourself, others will either humble themselves or not be ready for partnership anyway. Thus, if you are humble toward other leaders, you will always be able to partner if partnership can be helpful. That means that partnership is not helpful if the other party is not yet mature enough to enter the relationship humbly. They will likely do more harm than good. Be aware that you could be that party. I could be that party. So after speaking with that brother about this issue, I encouraged him to open the lines of communication and perhaps be the voice that needs to be heard on this issue. We say, "all of these works and ministries are about Jesus and not us," but sometimes we don't act that way when the trials/tests are revealed. But, we should be joyful to put our faith into action - that's what the Bible says - because every test is movement along the path to becoming more like Jesus. When we have to put our reputations on the line for the good of others, we shouldn't balk. The time is too short and the mission too important to get caught up in a vanity fair.
Please pray for my brothers and sisters in Bulgaria - especially the leadership. There is so much opportunity for the growth within the church (maturity and service) and the advancement of the Gospel (growth of the church in size and scope of mission). They have ripe harvest fields and need more laborers. The leadership is constantly under attack with the rest of the country. It's a land of mixed darkness with great sensuality and depression led by a masquerading demon. Pray that unity in the church would prevail by the power of the Spirit and that hope would abound in the believers. Pray for humility among the leadership in accepting counsel from one another and outsiders. Pray that pride deriving itself from past experiences and circumstances would be eliminated in hearts. Pray that a desire to serve in reproducing godly leadership for the next generations would fuel changes in the churches' practices. Pray that those who see the problems and know the Biblical solutions would be bold to stand up and speak forth. Pray that we would all have circumcised hearts and ears to hear what the Spirit says to us. Pray that dependency on foreign aid in any form (missionaries, funds, creative ideas, theological materials, hope/joy, foresight) would be transformed into partnership with foreign brothers - with each serving the other in a vital way in good measure.
I have been re-reading two great books recently when I've had some down time before bed or on buses and trains: John Owen's Sin and Temptation (abridged version) and J. Oswald Sanders's Spiritual Leadership. I encourage anyone who has not read these to pick them up and feast a day at a time.
I am thinking about Romania. I need energy and wisdom for my brothers and sister there. I should be of the greatest aid to them. I must serve them at least as well as I have my other brothers and sisters, and should give more now that I have so many more experiences to glean from. Pray that these last few weeks are exponentially effective by God's grace for His name. Pray for my relationships with the brothers and sisters there, that we would quickly align our hearts in mutual faith. Pray that I would quickly find comfort in the surroundings and that my purpose in being there would be understood by the brothers. Pray that they might be prepared for my arrival with ideas and service for me to partake in. I have certainly been blessed with abundant opportunities to share the Gospel throughout my journey, and I know this has been vital for my reception in many ways. By checking my spiritual competence in preaching and advising they have some gauge on my ability to give practical advice and business counsel - knowing the faith from which it sprouts and to which I give credit. This might take place in Romania as well, and so if I am asked to share and preach or teach, pray again that I might speak the truth in love with power according to the grace given me in Jesus, and that the word takes fruitful root and is not stolen away. I cannot repeat it enough: God has heard your prayers for me and I have advanced much more quickly with must greater blessing in this mission because of your faithful obedience to pray. If you have read these and haven't prayed, just know that others have, and God heard them. If you pray for me too, know that my mission will speed forth more quickly and successfully and you will gain in my joy also.
I have a new dream in my heart for the future. I will share about it in the weeks after I return.
I'm currently on a train from Bourgas, Bulgaria back to Sofia, Bulgaria, and it's about 10:10pm.
I've been keeping on track with my daily Bible reading, and prayer has been more difficult, though God has given me more grace by giving me times to pray when I attended the youth conference and was unable to join in singing because of not knowing the songs or when praying and not knowing the language (and being without an interpreter). I continue to be exceptionally blessed in traveling. I have some small summaries of my daily activities during the past 2 weeks, but they are not very helpful without extended summaries. Listening and learning has been the primary emphasis of these weeks. I'm reevaluating the Bulgarian situation with churches, church-planting efforts, and business opportunities. The brothers continue to show me great kindnesses in spending time with me and answering my questions and telling me their testimonies. Because you have been praying for such I know I can tell you that God has granted me the wisdom asked for, both in sustaining my behavior and giving me the understanding and insight useful for my service. I have been able to encourage many brothers and sisters during my recent stays. And, I too have been encouraged with many words of affirmation from the brothers and sisters.
I am thinking about the opportunities all around me.
Unity and partnership are tricky things - because humility is foreign and a difficult subject for all of us. It takes real vulnerability to willingly allow someone the chance to slam the door in your face, crush your heart, and diminish your status in front of others. But, that's necessary for true partnership. Partners aren't equals in the sense that each has the same responsibilities and authority. Partners are equal in the sense that they are concerned for the good of the other and the accomplishment of the mission for which they've partnered. When one partner is more concerned about something other than that mission and to the detriment of the other partner, you realize that you don't have a partnership. You have something more akin to a parasitic relationship. When I'm talking with church planters and pastors and I heard them speak about many problems, particularly problems that are the result of other pastors and church planters, my first thought is: how are you humbling yourself to be a part of the reconciliation needed. I spoke with one brother at length about this today. He could be incredibly useful for a specific NEEDED change that would positively affect his entire country for generations into the future, but I noticed some bitterness in him because he had been hurt by another leader in the country - to the point that partnership is not even an option in his heart. Here's the deal: no one wants to admit the power of someone else to hurt his or her feelings. But, the most ironic thing is that being hurt by those you love is at (at, not is) the heart of Christianity. Jesus was bruised for our sake. It sets the tone for our relationship. When dealing with leaders, if you humble yourself, others will either humble themselves or not be ready for partnership anyway. Thus, if you are humble toward other leaders, you will always be able to partner if partnership can be helpful. That means that partnership is not helpful if the other party is not yet mature enough to enter the relationship humbly. They will likely do more harm than good. Be aware that you could be that party. I could be that party. So after speaking with that brother about this issue, I encouraged him to open the lines of communication and perhaps be the voice that needs to be heard on this issue. We say, "all of these works and ministries are about Jesus and not us," but sometimes we don't act that way when the trials/tests are revealed. But, we should be joyful to put our faith into action - that's what the Bible says - because every test is movement along the path to becoming more like Jesus. When we have to put our reputations on the line for the good of others, we shouldn't balk. The time is too short and the mission too important to get caught up in a vanity fair.
Please pray for my brothers and sisters in Bulgaria - especially the leadership. There is so much opportunity for the growth within the church (maturity and service) and the advancement of the Gospel (growth of the church in size and scope of mission). They have ripe harvest fields and need more laborers. The leadership is constantly under attack with the rest of the country. It's a land of mixed darkness with great sensuality and depression led by a masquerading demon. Pray that unity in the church would prevail by the power of the Spirit and that hope would abound in the believers. Pray for humility among the leadership in accepting counsel from one another and outsiders. Pray that pride deriving itself from past experiences and circumstances would be eliminated in hearts. Pray that a desire to serve in reproducing godly leadership for the next generations would fuel changes in the churches' practices. Pray that those who see the problems and know the Biblical solutions would be bold to stand up and speak forth. Pray that we would all have circumcised hearts and ears to hear what the Spirit says to us. Pray that dependency on foreign aid in any form (missionaries, funds, creative ideas, theological materials, hope/joy, foresight) would be transformed into partnership with foreign brothers - with each serving the other in a vital way in good measure.
I have been re-reading two great books recently when I've had some down time before bed or on buses and trains: John Owen's Sin and Temptation (abridged version) and J. Oswald Sanders's Spiritual Leadership. I encourage anyone who has not read these to pick them up and feast a day at a time.
I am thinking about Romania. I need energy and wisdom for my brothers and sister there. I should be of the greatest aid to them. I must serve them at least as well as I have my other brothers and sisters, and should give more now that I have so many more experiences to glean from. Pray that these last few weeks are exponentially effective by God's grace for His name. Pray for my relationships with the brothers and sisters there, that we would quickly align our hearts in mutual faith. Pray that I would quickly find comfort in the surroundings and that my purpose in being there would be understood by the brothers. Pray that they might be prepared for my arrival with ideas and service for me to partake in. I have certainly been blessed with abundant opportunities to share the Gospel throughout my journey, and I know this has been vital for my reception in many ways. By checking my spiritual competence in preaching and advising they have some gauge on my ability to give practical advice and business counsel - knowing the faith from which it sprouts and to which I give credit. This might take place in Romania as well, and so if I am asked to share and preach or teach, pray again that I might speak the truth in love with power according to the grace given me in Jesus, and that the word takes fruitful root and is not stolen away. I cannot repeat it enough: God has heard your prayers for me and I have advanced much more quickly with must greater blessing in this mission because of your faithful obedience to pray. If you have read these and haven't prayed, just know that others have, and God heard them. If you pray for me too, know that my mission will speed forth more quickly and successfully and you will gain in my joy also.
I have a new dream in my heart for the future. I will share about it in the weeks after I return.
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