Wanted: Missions Coach

"...I urge you...to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me. Do this because of your love for me, given to you by the Holy Spirit..." Paul in Romans 15:30&31a.

Before starting our blogs, my wife and I discovered that many Christians on their own have started to reach out to Muslims in their neighborhoods, schools, or at work. This is truly amazing! There are mechanisms in place to encourage workers on assignment with a Mission agency and are financially supported by their church. But who will be a 'missions coach' to 'lay-Christians' with vision of reaching Muslims 'at home'? This will take a paradigm shift.

So where do these volunteers do their work/ministry. They may be volunteers at a university or a college ESL setting--like a conversation group. It's often a spin-off from work. Although I'm a supported missionary I've volunteered for many years at places where I've aided newcomers in conversation skills, filling out paperwork, homework or writing a resume. Some visionary young Christian moms are pro-active in relating to transplanted women. It works best if the 'lay Christian' offers to visit in the newcomer's home first. They are honored by this gesture and often say "this is just like back home".

All of this goes largely unnoticed in churches since missionaries are adopted only when there is money involved. Most churches have a 'missions committee' that coaches supported workers--mostly ministering overseas. But I haven't seen any church that has a 'go-to' person to cheer on 'lay-Christians' reaching out evangelistically.

What type of coach/encourager do these workers need? Someone to share with about their vision or activities of reaching out. Most of this is a hidden ministry. Ideally such a coach encourages these 'lay ministers' to share highlights and needs. With permission they can be shared with others in a church.   

We recently transitioned off of receiving a regular salary and started living off of pensions and investments. Our agency has a category for us--we are now 'associate missionaries'. The expectations are less but we still have some of the benefits of being connected to our group.

Many churches and agencies have been slow to respond to the missionfield at our doorstep. But we've found an effective solution--the development of a prayer network. Most of our prayer partners have tracked with us for many years. They are a treasure! Key to a dynamic network is to provide regular information for pray-ers to take to the Lord. Although a story of someone moving toward Jesus or following him is a tremendous encouragement to them, most of our prayer partners are thrilled that God is at work, however that looks. 

Where does one start with such a network? Often the people closest to us. Ministering in the West, we feel comfortable using email for updates. It is wise to refer to a person with an initial only and use photos sparingly--always with permission to show to 'our friends'. You may want to start with a bi-weekly update if you are meeting someone or involved in a program regularly.

Dear Lord, Thank-you for faithful Pastors who also coach parishioners and cheer them on in outreach. Please raise up prayer partners for those who find themselves alone or unsupported in their ministries. Amen.

Jesus the Messiah

"This is a record of the ancestors of Jesus the Messiah...Now this is how Jesus the Messiah was born..." Matthew 1:1, 18.

"In the Bible, prophecy is very important. In fact, more than one-third contains prophecies, making it the most unique book. We read much prophecy in the writings of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekial, Daniel, Zechariah, and in the book of Revelation. There are prophecies about different empires and kings, such as Philistia, Tyre, Sidon, Assyria, Babel, and Persia. One prophecy names Cyrus, the Persian ruler, 200 years before his coming to power. Other prophecies are about Greece and its divided kingdom, the Romans, the destruction of Jerusalem, and the captivity and return of God's people." The Unique Christ, Nizar Shaheen.

I just finished a 2 lesson series for an adult Sunday School class on Prophecy. I printed this 'scroll' of over 300 Messianic prophecies (click) starting with Genesis 3:15 with their fulfillments!! One thing was clear to Jews, the Messiah was coming. There was a period of over 400 years between the Old and New Testament when there was no new public message from God. But God started speaking when  the Astronomers arrived from the Middle East. They had been tracking this star for a few years and followed it all the way to Jerusalem and talked about a king being born. King Herold caught off guard asked the scholars about the birth of a king. This led the Astronomers right to Jesus the Messiah in Bethlehem. God made sure that the details of the prophecy made 700 years before the birth of Jesus were exactly fulfilled. A virgin would give birth to the Messiah in Bethlehem. Huge miracles.

The Messiah - Christians don't make a big deal of his name. Some are familiar with The Messiah production with the Hallelujah chorus imbedded. Most forget that Jesus Christ(in the Greek) means Jesus the Messiah --the anointed one.

Muslims mostly gloss it over. Sura 4:171 mentions that "Jesus was the 'Word of God, the Messiah, and has the Holy Spirit." Although the Qur'an refers to only one Messiah eleven times, some Muslims reject the uniqueness that this title implies by stating that there are many who are called Messiah in the Old Testament.

Nizar Shaheen points out that this genealogy(Matthew 1:1ff) written to a Jewish audience in mind, makes sure that this is the very one--the Messiah predicted in the Old Testament. And what a testimony it is that 61 of these 300+ prophecies were fulfilled during the first advent of our Lord and another 31 during Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection. Isn't that amazing--92 of these prophecies were fulfilled to the detail. Our God is amazing.

It spurs us on to continue sharing the message of the Messiah. From this vantage we are assured that:

• God keeps his promises
• He is sovereign
• He has a divine and specific plan
• The central theme of the Messiah coming is to reveal his plan of Salvation
• Proof of the deity of Christ
• The fulfillment of the prophecies draws people to the truth--so important in sharing the Good News with our Muslim friends

Dear Jesus, we pray that you would continue to draw Muslims to yourself--your whole message revealed in the Old and New Testament. Prepare us for your second Advent to take all believers to heaven. Amen.

You Guys Pray?

"Allahu Akbar", heard from mobile phones scattered throughout the meeting room we attended, reminded listeners of one of the five prescribed Muslim prayer times. They serve as constant reminders.

Muslims ask "Do Christians pray?" It's their honest question. Some Christian agencies discourage using the word prayer in communication with overseas workers. But isn't this is the very thing we'd want Muslims to know--that we are people of prayer...so that they can come to us for prayer in Jesus name?

Here's a story of one Christ follower who really believed in prayer. "Give me Souls, O God, or I die! That was the plea of John Hyde...

John left for India. Aboard ship, he opened a letter from a friend who wrote that he would pray until John was filled with the Holy Spirit. Angrily John crumpled the letter and hurled it aside. He had yielded his heart to the Lord, gotten his degree, studied Indian languages and was obediently on his way to a life work. How dare his friend suggest he lacked the Spirit? But when he cooled down, he realized that his friend was right. He pleaded for the power of the Holy Spirit.

The result was that John became a notable intercessor, one who pleads for the souls and needs of others. He was nicknamed "Praying Hyde". He often paid for his concern with sleepless nights.

Revival began when he came late to a meeting one evening. "I have been having a great controversy with God. I feel that he has wanted me to come here and testify to you concerning some things that he has done for me, and I have been arguing with him that I should not do this. Only this evening...have I got peace concerning the matter and have I agreed to obey him, and now I have come to tell you just some things that he has done for me." John told them how God had freed him from certain sins. Soon his listeners were weeping and confessing their own.

In 1908, anguished by the sight of sin and souls doomed to hell, he asked the Lord to bring a soul a day into the kingdom of God. Soon he upped that to two souls, and then four. God answered his prayers." (source)

I was at a pastors' and leaders' prayer meeting recently. One fellow in my group makes his mission to encourage vibrant prayer meetings. After ministering for years in Africa where he saw little fruit, he finally decided to pray. His ministry was revolutionized. This resonates with a prominent Mission Agency who made "By Prayer' their motto.

‘How do we encourage more prayer?’ Someone suggested “create an app”! Muslims already thought of that!

Prayer meetings with lofty long prayers can be drab. Recently I reread Rosalind Rinker's Prayer, Conversing with God. "Prayer is a dialogue between two persons who love each other."(the back cover). This concept has revolutionized many Christians' prayer life. It brought new life to prayer meetings.

Better still, make it a part of life. Perhaps it will be most sustainable if linked to a prayer partner. My wife and I seldom start out regular activities of the day without a dedicated time of Bible reading and prayer. We’ve seen answers to prayer. God is listening.

Lord, teach us how to pray.