Lessons from Africa
- First is the Three words which summarize what I learned in Africa: vision, passion and relationship
- Vision: Where do you plant the church? Where does the next missionary get sent to? What are the spiritual strongholds? How do we come against that? Is there a line in the sand? How does He want us to shape this?.......but along with these questions come answers. God gives insight into each and then actually expects the people to act upon what is revealed. They live into the dream which makes it no longer a dream, but instead to walk into the vision…a vision being a spiritual reality seen prior to it becoming a physical reality. Sometimes that vision is given as a warning to what may be pending, while at other times it is what God is waiting for us to actually step into. "I only do what I see my Father doing"
- Passion: is it ok to actually feel something? Should we cry when we are sad, or laugh when we are happy? Are smiles acceptable? I thought that our joy is only supposed to be in the most sober moments? Do you mean to say we can have permission to mourn and then get it out of us so it no longer rents space in our being? It's ok to get angry? Living a passionate life is living. It is reflected in responses to sermons, folks getting convicted, others agreeing, others disagreeing. Admissions to fears (though an admission to fear is never accepted as an excuse to not live into the vision). Tears that flow showing the emotion that goes along with the intellectual relationship. Not a denying of feelings, but instead a subjecting of the same feelings to the authority of Jesus. No feeling or emotion is allowed any more prevalence in a life then the Lordship of the Lord. All things in subjection to Christ. Our Lord was upset over the money changers in the temple, interceded when a woman was about to be executed, cried at the news of the death of a friend, even though he had the power to bring that friend back from death, celebrated at a wedding feast, used sarcasm and other means of verbal communication, etc. As the Word says, don't let the sun go down on your anger and don't give the devil a foothold (Eph 4).
- Relationship: "These are my brothers, and my sisters and my mother, they who do the work of my Father"…… "Relationships cost" but we have to be willing to pay the price. It will mean being hurt, being betrayed, broken trust, anxious moments, having to learn to love someone "warts and all". It will also mean not having room in life to spend time in judgment of others. Judging is the Lord's job. The job of the family is; support, comfort, education and correction. It means sacrifices: time in order to allow someone the space into a busy schedule, self since others will have to be considered, individuality to the degree necessary to be willing to meet with someone on their terms and yours and ours and most especially His.
- Vision: Where do you plant the church? Where does the next missionary get sent to? What are the spiritual strongholds? How do we come against that? Is there a line in the sand? How does He want us to shape this?.......but along with these questions come answers. God gives insight into each and then actually expects the people to act upon what is revealed. They live into the dream which makes it no longer a dream, but instead to walk into the vision…a vision being a spiritual reality seen prior to it becoming a physical reality. Sometimes that vision is given as a warning to what may be pending, while at other times it is what God is waiting for us to actually step into. "I only do what I see my Father doing"
- Next is actually Living one day at a time: you never know for certain where your next meal might come from or how much it might be or if you will even get there. "If God wills" becomes the mantra, not because it sounds so quaint and makes a person appear holy, but because it is true dependence upon God who Provides. Without his provision, you receive nothing which moves a person into giving thanks in all things. "If God wills" is a fact and that fact draws you in closer and closer and results in more and more intimacy with Him, becoming evident in that each moment lived and provided for is a moment to worship him who provided it. And if tomorrow doesn't come? We have no regrets because we let the Lord have each day to its fullest by remaining dependent upon Him.
- Living each day as if today is the day the Lord may return: cause to do so would be less then worthy of following instructions left behind. Life becomes precious as it gets closer to the time of judgment for each person. This in turn breeds desperation, desperation breeding boldness to act and speak now rather than sitting and waiting for an opening. You create the opening by seeking it actively from the beginning of meeting to before you have to leave praying that you don't miss the moment. You were blessed in that someone didn't let that moment pass you by. Bless someone in return.
- Balance of evangelical, catholic (Anglo-catholic), charismatic: something for everyone working in harmony with each other without one becoming the dominant form. It mostly being accomplished through the singular focus being on worshipping God.
- Not flipping the fleece too many times: don't keep asking for confirmation on what you haven't been denied yet. Act when called to act and leave no room in the faith for asking God if he is sure. If God has ordained it, He has blessed it. In blessing it He has provided for it and sits pushing you at the starting line to move out into it (catching the vision) while He sits at the finish line with His arms spread wide encouraging you to move closer and waiting to wrap you up and tell you "well done good and faithful servant".
This is an outline of what I learned. More details will follow here and there as the Lord provides.
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